UWO Biodigester Fact SheetUWO Biodigester Fact Sheet

BIODIGESTER FACT SHEET
The digestion process

When people eat food, the food passes through their digestive system. The food
material that the body does not use is expelled from the body in the form of urine, feces and
gas. A critical part of digestion in animals is done by microbes. Some of the microbes in
digestive systems and in nature produce a gas, methane, as a waste product.
What is a biodigester?
A biodigester uses bacteria to break down organic matter and capture methane
released by the bacteria in a process called anaerobic fermentation. Anaerobic means the
micro-organisms digest the food in the absence of oxygen. There are several kinds of microbes
at work. Some break the food into simpler molecules of sugars and acids. Other microbes,
which find oxygen toxic, are able to break down the simple organic matter to form gases,
including the burnable gas methane. Methane, the main chemical in natural gas, is trapped and
can then be burned for heating and electricity. The leftover organic solid waste can be used as
fertilizer, a soil supplement or further composted.
The most common type of digester is called a wet biodigester because they are used
to digest liquefied manure on farms around the world. Many people use wet digesters to
produce methane from manure and then they use the methane to power their stoves and
other appliances (Meynell, 1978). Compostable matter as well as slaughterhouse waste can be
placed in a wet biodigester. However, all matter that goes into the digester must be pulverized
in order to become water soluble. According to B. Xuan An et al. (1997) 15 liters of water are
needed for every kilogram of manure. Even more water is needed for other material because
manure already has high water content.
Wet biodigesters need to be kept in a warm environment. If they are in a cold
environment they need to be heated, which means more of the energy generated from the
digester needs to go to its own heating. According to BioFerm Energy Systems, wet
biodigesters use 10%-30% of the energy they generate in order to operate. Additional energy is
also needed to treat waste water emerging from the system.
What is a Dry Fermentation Biodigester?
A dry fermentation biodigester also uses microorganisms to decompose organic matter
in an oxygen-free environment (anaerobic digestion). However, with dry biodigestion, little or
no water is added; moisture from the feedstock is often enough to support the process. In the
digestion process, organic waste is loaded into enclosed areas called fermenters. Each batch of
waste stays in an individual, oxygen-free fermenter for a 28-day cycle. Small amounts of liquid
drain from the feedstock. This water containing dissolved organic matter and microbes, is
called percolate. Throughout the 28-day cycle, the percolate is sprayed onto the feedstock
daily. The percolate is allowed to drain through the waste, then is collected and reused. The
percolate is recycled during the 28-day cycle and is used for future batches as well. Each
fermenter also has an in-floor heating system that is set at a constant temperature of
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100.4F. At this high temperature, the waste is able to decompose at a faster rate. Of the
biogas produced by the micro-organisms, 45-70% is methane (BioFerm Energy Systems,
2009). The biogas is collected in a holding cell where it is then transferred to a generator where
heat and power are produced. Below is a diagram that depicts the route of the organic waste:
Biogas goes to generator

where heat and power are
produced.
Biogas is
produced
and
collected.
Compost to
fermentation
chamber
*Pictures taken from BioFerm

*An animated version of the BioFerm process can be seen at
http://www.biofermenergy.com/us/
9 June 2010
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What is the anaerobic digestion process?

The anaerobic digestion process allows waste to be turned into biogas. The ideal waste
stream contains a balance of essential elements (C, N, P, S), digestible sugars, pH, and water
content (not too wet). Some of these factors can be balanced by chemical additions, but that
would increase the cost of operating the biodigester. Some plant materials contain chemicals
that inhibit microbial growth, and these should be minimized.
According to BioFerm there are four steps in the Anaerobic digestion process:
Hydrolysis, Acidogenesis/Fermentation, Acetogenesis, and Methanogenesis. Different types of
bacteria complete each of these steps: hydrolytic bacteria, acidogenic bacteria, acetogenic
bacteria and methanogenic bacteria. Hydrolysis is when bacteria break down fats,
carbohydrates and proteins by removing water. The result of hydrolysis is fatty acids, sugars
and amino acids. In Acidogenesis/Fermentation acidogenic (acid forming) bacteria convert the
fatty acids, sugars and amino acids into carbonic acids and alcohols as well as hydrogen, carbon
dioxide and ammonia. Acetogenesis occurs when anaerobic bacteria, called acetogenic
bacteria, convert organic carbonic acids and alcohols as well as hydrogen, carbon dioxide and
ammonia into acetic acid, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Methanogenesis uses bacteria called
methanogens to convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane and water. Methanogens
convert acetic acid and hydrogen to carbon dioxide and methane. The very simplified
conversion is C6H12O6 3CO2 + 3CH4.
Below is a diagram of the anaerobic digestion process:
Are there drawbacks for a dry-fermentation biodigester?

With the dry fermentation biodigester there are many benefits, but there are some
drawbacks as well. The main reason these biodigesters are not as common in the USA as wet
biodigesters is that they do not accommodate manure, which is a plentiful and problematic
waste product in this country. Especially in Wisconsin, which has the most manure-fueled wet
digestion facilities in the country. Secondly food waste, which is a much more prevalent
biodigester fuel in urban areas, is rarely collected in North America. In Wisconsin, food waste
and food-soiled compostable material (paper, cardboard) make up about one-quarter of
landfilled waste, the largest component suitable for diversion.
All digesters need to be heated to take full advantage of decomposition, but dry
digestion requires less energy because the water in wet digesters takes more energy to heat.
according to BioFerm dry fermenters use only 5% of the energy generated to power itself.
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All digesters produce odors, but facilities can be enclosed and built with air filtration
systems that convert odor chemicals to odorless forms (again using microbes to do the work).
Dry biodigesters do not produce wastewater because the compostable material does
not need to be water soluble or made into sludge in order for the micro-organisms to break it
down and release methane.
What will the dry-fermentation biodigester do for UW Oshkosh?
Waste Management: The dry-fermentation biodigester will reduce the amount of solid
waste UW-Oshkosh sends to the landfill. Food and yard waste will be diverted to the
biodigester. However, the biodigester will need a minimum of 6,000 tons of feedstock per year,
which is about 20-times more than the university will produce. When the plant opens, most of
the feedstock will come from food manufacturer waste, farm waste, and the City of Oshkosh
Yard Waste site adjacent to the plant. A small fraction will come from community food waste
originating at schools restaurants and grocers. Long-range plans are to steadily increase the
input of community food and yard waste, potentially supporting municipal organic material
collection currently operating in most of Europe and Japan as well as over 90 communities in
North America (Yepson 2009).
Products: The biogas-fired generators will produce electricity and heat. The electricity
will be fed to the grid. The heat will be piped as hot water to the Campus Services Center, next
door, and run along heat exchangers for building. The generators will be large enough to use
biogas piped in from the Oshkosh Wastewater Treatment Facility located across the street. The
electricity production will be nearly 3 million kilowatt-hours, about 10% of the campus
electricity use. The heat generation could be up to 9% of campus heating needs, but much of
the heat may be sold to neighbors as there is only one campus building in the vicinity. The
compost by-product can be sold as a soil amendment or given to farmers or other businesses
that provide the biodigester with yard and food waste.
Research and Education: The Aquatic Research Laboratory is in the process of being
remodeled so that it can also support experiments using miniature biodigesters. Since our
biodigester is the first of its kind in the nation, University faculty and students will have the
opportunity to test waste for potential future biodigester investors. The University will be able
to use the lab to estimate the amount of methane microorganisms release, the types of
microbes that work best, and the chemical makeup of the digested solids. The lab will also has
a classroom, teaching lab, conference rooms and offices to support courses, workshops and
visiting scientists as part of a Renewable Energy Institute.
QUICK FACTS:
Generator Capacity: 450 kW
Feedstock Estimate: 6,000 tons organic matter per year
Biogas from wastewater treatment plant: 35% addition to biodigester production
Net Electricity Generation estimate: 3,000,000 kWh per year
Net Heat Generation: 120,000 Therms per year (= 3,400,000 kWh per year)
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Bibliography
BIOFerm Energy Systems. (2009). Retrieved April 8, 2010 from: www.biofermenergy.com/us/
Dean, R. (1998). Biogas recovery in Denmark. BioCycle, 39(2), 75.
Goldstein, N. (2000). Anaerobic digester on line to process MSW in Ontario. BioCycle, 41(11), 30
Langwith, J. (Ed.). (2009). Renewable energy: Opposing viewpoints. In J. Langwith (Ed.). Detroit:
Greenhaven Press.
Lusk, P. (1999). Latest progress in anaerobic digestion. BioCycle, 40(7), 52.
Meynell, P. J. (1978). Methane: Planning a digester. New York: Schocken Books.
Palmer, D. G. (1981). Biogas: Energy from animal waste.
Richardson, D. (2000). Recycling yard trimmings through an anaerobic digester. BioCycle, 41(9),
35.
Xuan An, B., Rodrguez J., L., Sarwatt, S. V., Preston, T. R., & Dolberg, F. (1997). Installation and
performance of low-cost polyethylene tube biodigesters on small-scale farms. World Animal
Review. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from www.fao.org/docrep/w5256t/w5256t06.htm
Yepsen, R. (2009) U.S. Residential Food Waste Collection And Composting. BioCycle, December
2009, Vol. 50, No. 12, p. 35
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BIODIGESTER FACT SHEET

The digestion process

Biogas goes to generator

*Pictures taken from BioFerm

What is the anaerobic digestion process?

Are there drawbacks for a dry-fermentation biodigester?

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