Density:

Methane:0.7kg/m3 , 1000 Btu/m3, 1kg………….> 1.4 m3…………….> 1400 Btu

Propane: 2.5kg/m3 , 2400 Btu/m3, 1kg………….> 0.4 m3……………..> 960 Btu
Butane:

size of an agricultural plant should be suitable for the number of domestic

animals and the area available for cultivating co - ferments. From these values, the
daily biogas yield can be calculated.
407
Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources. An Introduction.
Dieter Deublein and Angelika Steinhauser
Copyright © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
ISBN: 978-3-527-31841-4
Attachment I
408 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant
Table A.1 Products and biogas yields from an average substrate.
Description Basic substrate Biomass Feedback from the
residue storage tank
Total
Unit Liquid
manure
from
cattle
Muck
from
cattle
Liquid
manure
from pigs
Muck
from pigs
Liquid
manure
from
poultry
Muck
from
poultry
Silo
maize
Grass
Silage
Animals in GVE * GVE 100 0 0 0 0 0 – – – 100
Liquid manure /GVE.day m 3 /(GVE.d) 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 – – –
Area for cultivation (A) ha/a – – – – – – 15.00 15.00 – 30.00
Yield per hectare Mg/ha/a – – – – – – 50.0 50.0 –
Yield per day ( _MG) Mg/d 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 2.00 2.50 11.5
DM - content % 7.0 20.0 5.0 27.5 15.0 75.0 32.0 35.0 0.0 14.7
Yield of DM per day kg DM/d 350 0 0 0 0 0 640 700 0 1690
oDM in DM % 85.0 90.0 90.0 90.0 75.0 75.0 95.0 95.0 0.0 13.7
Yield of oDM (DM BR ) kg oDM/d 298 0 0 0 0 0 608 665 0 1571
Spec. yield of biogas m 3 /(kgoDM.d) 0.50 0.40 0.50 0.40 0.50 0.45 0.65 0.65 0.00 0.62
Yield of biogas ( _VBR) m 3 /d 149 0 0 0 0 0 395 432 0 976
* One animal unit (GVE) corresponds to the liquid manure from one full - grown cow, 5 calves, 6 beef cattle, or 250 hens.
Based on the daily rate of biogas and some additional assumptions, the equipment
of a complete biogas plant can be designed as follows:
Preparation tank
The preparation tank shall be a vertical cylindrical container of concrete.
In the preparation tank, only the daily produced liquid manure shall be stored for
t PT = 10 days in order to carry out cleaning and maintenance work at the bioreactor.
The density of the liquid manure G can be set equal to the density of water G = W .
A factor f VPT = 1.25 shall be assumed to take into consideration the volume for
air and fi xtures.
The relationship between height and diameter of the tank shall be H PT /D PT ≈2.
Design
Volume: VPT G tPT G fVPT Mg/d 10d/1000 kg/m m ,
3 3 ⋅⋅⋅⋅_M /5 1.25 62.5
Height: H PT = 6.8 m,
Diameter: D PT = 3.4 m,
Pump of the preparation tank
In the preparation tank a centrifugal pump with a wide chamber and a submerged
motor shall be installed.
The pump of the preparation tank shall be able to deliver _VVP
10m3/h liquid
manure to the bioreactor or to pump the complete volume of the bioreactor
(V BR = 431 m 3 as calculated below) within t BRI = 5 h (given below). Its effi ciency is
assumed to be VP = 0.5. Its pressure head shall be 1 bar.
Design
Throughput:
()/
)///
_
_V
V
VP
3
VP BR PT
33
m h or
( V t m h mh
1
2
10
431 5 86


Pressure head: P VP = 1 bar,
Capacity of the motor: actual: P P ,6 kW; VP VP VP VP ⋅≈( ) / _V 1 0
nominal: P P ,0 kW VP VP VP VP ⋅≈( ) / _V 2 5
Silo for maize and/or grass
The complete harvest ( _MS 750Mg/a) of maize (density S = 0.7 Mg/m 3 ) of one
year shall be stored in a concrete silo, which is accessible to traffi c. The dimensions
can be freely chosen. The gras is dried and stored on fi elds.
Design
Volume: VS S S Mg/a/0,7Mg/m m
3 3 _M /750 1100

Breadth: B S = 10 m,
Height: H S = 3.5 m,
Length: L S = 32 m
Silo for maize and/or grass 409
410 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant
Silo conveyors
Two screw conveyors in series with nominal capacity _VSC
1m3/h each and motor
capacity P SC = 5 kW each are driven between silo and preparation tank twice a day
for t SC = 1 h/d.
Design
Total power consumption of the two screw conveyors: (P SC ) tot = 2 P SC · 2 · t SC /24 h
= 2 · 5 kW · 2 · 1 h/24 h = 0.8 kW
Bioreactor
A vertical cylindrical tank of concrete shall be used as bioreactor.
The residence time of the substrate in the bioreactor shall be t BR = 30 days. A
factor f VBR = 1.25 has to be chosen to take into consideration the volume for air and
fi xtures in the bioreactor.
The relation between height and diameter of the bioreactor shall be
H BR /D BR ≈1/2.
The completely fi lled bioreactor shall be emptied within t BRl = 5 h at a fl ow rate
of v BRl = 0.5 m/s.
Two propeller - agitators (diameter D BRR = 0.5 m, Newton number Ne BRR =
0.5, revolution n BRR = 150 rpm) shall be installed for intermittent mixing and
breaking off the fl oating layer with a working period of t BRR = 5 min/h. Both agitators
are equipped with submerged motors and their height shall be adjustable by
chains.
Design
Volume:
V t f Mg/d/1000 kg/m
d 1.25 = 431m
BR G G BR VBR
3
3

⋅⋅⋅
⋅
_M
/11.5
30
Height: H BR = 5.5 m,
Diameter: D BR = 10 m,
The volume load of this medium - sized bioreactor is then B BR = DM BR /V BR =
1571 kg oDM/d/431 m 3 = 3.64 kg oDM/m 3 · d.
The average volume load for small plants is B BR = 1.5 kg oDM/m 3 · d and of large
plants is B BR = 5 kg oDM/m 3 · d.
Diameter of the discharge pipe:
DBRI VBR tBRl vBRl 431m 5h 0.5m/s m
( / / ⋅4/( 3/ / ⋅4/≈0.3
Capacity per agitator drive:
P BRR = 1.3 · Ne BRR · G · n BRR 3 · D BRR 5 = 1.3 · 0.5 · 1000 kg/m 3 ·
(150 · /30) 3 · 0.5 5 m 5 = 78.7 kW ≈80 kW
Power consumption of both agitators:
(P BRR ) tot = 2 · P BRR · t BRR = 2 · 80 kW · 5 min/h = 13.4 kW
Heating (pipes)
For fermentation, mesophilic temperatures shall be chosen at ϑBR = 50 ° C. The
lowest outside temperature in winter is ϑA = − 20 ° C (humid soil)). The substrate
with its specifi c heat capacity of c SU = 4.2 kJ/kg· ° C has thus to be heated from 20 ° C
to 50 ° C, i.e. ca.. ϑSU = 30 ° C.
The bioreactor walls shall be insulated with a layer (s BR = 0.1 m thick) of polystyrene.
The heat transmission coeffi cient of polystyrene is BR = 0.05 W/m·K.
Although the substrate surface does not reach the ceiling of the bioreactor, the
complete wall shall be taken into consideration when calculating the heat losses;
heat losses through the ceiling are negligibly low, because the ceiling is in contact
with gas and/or air inside and outside.
The heat transfer coeffi cients inside at the wet bioreactor wall shall be assumed
to be ( BR ) i = 4000 W/m 2 · ° C for agitated liquid and outside to ( BR ) a = 400 W/m 2 · ° C
for humid soil; Then the k - factor can be calculated:
kBR BR i BR BR BR a 

1 1 1 4000 0 1 0 5 1 400
05
/(( ) / ( ) ) /( / . / . / )
.
s 
W/m2 ⋅C
The maximum temperature difference between substrate and environment is
ϑBR = ϑBR − ϑA = (50 ° C) − ( − 20 ° C) = 70 ° C
The heating medium (warm water) shall cool down from ϑHE = 70 ° C to ϑHA = 60 ° C
and the temperature difference can be calculated
ϑH ϑHE −ϑHA 10C
The fl ow rate of the heating medium in the heating pipe shall be v H = 1 m/s.
The heat transfer coeffi cient inside and outside the heating pipes shall be
asumed to be the same ( H ) i = ( H ) a = 400 W/m 2 · ° C for slowly fl owing liquid; The
heating pipe is well heat - conducting and therefore negligible in the calculation;
then the k - factor for the heating pipe wall can be calculated
kH H i H a W/m C
1/(1/(() () ) 1/(1/400 1/400) 200 2 ⋅
The average temperature difference between heating medium and substrate in the
bioreactor is
ϑBH (ϑHE ϑ)/2 −ϑBR 15C
Design
Heat for heating the substrate:
Q c Mg/d 4.2kJ/kg C 30K kW SU G SU SU ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅_M ϑ11.5 17
Surface area of the bioreactor, which conducts heat:
A BR = · D BR 2 /4 + · D BR · H BR = 250 m 2
Heating (pipes) 411
412 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant
Heat losses of the reactor:
Q BR = k BR · A BR · ϑBR = 0.5 W/m 2 . ° C · 250 m 2 · 70 ° C = 8.8 kW
Necessary heat: Q V = Q SU + Q BR = 17 kW + 8.8 kW = 25.8 kW
Necessary heating liquid _Vw , for heat supply to the bioreactor:
_
__
Vw V w w H
3
Q c kW/
(4.2kJ/kg. C 1000 kg/m C) = 6.1
⋅⋅
⋅⋅
/( ϑ) 25.8
10 4m3/h
Diameter of the heating pipe:
DHR w vH 4/ m h/1m/s 4/ m
3 ⋅⋅≈( / ( . / . . _V 6 14 0 046 0 05

Length of the heating pipe: L HR = Q V /(k H · ϑBH · ·

D HR ) = 25.8 kW/(200 W/m 2 . ° C · 15 ° C · · 0.05 m = 55 m
The result of the calculation is, that a pipe with three windings of a diameter of
D W = 8 m is suffi cient. Because sinking layers and a disturbance of the heat transfer
must be taken into consideration, a higher number of windings should be
chosen.
Aeration
Aeration with an air fl ow rate _VL referring to the biogas fl ow rate
_V
BR of

V_L /V_BR 0.04 is suffi cient for desulfurization. Oil - free compressed air shall be
blown in at a pressure of p k2 = 6 bar. The velocity of the air in the air pipe shall be
v L = 2 m/s.
Design
Blown in air:
V_L V_L V_BR V_BR
/ ⋅0.04.976m3/d 1.63Nm3/h
Diameter of the air pipe:
DL L vL Nm h/2m/s 4/ m
3 ≈⋅⋅( / / ( . / _V 4 1 63 

Compressor with pressure vessel of volume V K = 0.05 m 3

Design
Volume rate of the compressor:
_V
K
1.7Nm3/h
Pressure head
from p K1 = 1 bar to p K2 = 6 bar (there is to be assumed friction in the pipe)
Capacity of the compressor:
P K = 0.5 kW
Gasholder
A low - pressure gasholder of plastic foil shall be used
The relationship of the volume of the bioreactor to the volume of the gasholder
shall be (V BR /V GS ) = 1 : 2. The ratio V BR /V GS is the usual value (between 1 : 1 and
1 : 3).
Design
Volume of the gasholder: V GS = V BR /(V BR /V GS ) = 431/(1/2) = 862 m 3 .
The gasholder enables the storage of the biogas production of nearly 1 day.
Engine
The biogas - energy content shall be E
.
spec = 6 kWh/m 3 .
The biogas plant shall be equipped with an ignition oil Diesel engine in the
CHP. 9% by weight of ignition oil shall be added to the biogas in a ratio of
M_ OIL/M_ BR 0.09. The energy content of the ignition oil is EO ILspec = 10 kWh/kg.
Effi ciency of the engine:
Electrical effi ciency: h el = 30%
Thermal effi ciency: h th = 50%
Design
Consumption of ignition oil assuming a density of the biogas of d * =
1.11 kg/m 3 :
__
____
MV
MMMM
BR BR
33
OIL BR O B
⋅m /d⋅1.11kg/m kg/d
⋅
*
(/
976 1083
R ) 1083kg/d ⋅0.09 97.6kg/d
Yield of energy:
EEE
(6kWh/m m d kWh/kg 9
tot spec BR OILspec OIL
33


⋅⋅
⋅⋅
V_ M_
976 / 10 7.6 kg d)/24 h/d kW
E E kW
EE
el tot el
th tot
/
..



⋅⋅
⋅
284
284 0 3 85 4
th 284⋅0.5 142.0 kW
Nominal capacity of the engine with a reserve of 30%:
E 111kW
Residue storage tank
A vertical cylindrical tank of concrete shall be used as residue storage tank.
The residence time of all residue in the storage tank shall be t E = 100 d, according
to the period in which the soil is frozen, when the residue could not penetrate into
the soil, would possibly fl ow into rivers, and would deteriorate the water quality.
It has to be taken into consideration that some water (
_V
E 2 5m /d . 3 ) from the
residue tank is fed back into the bioreactor.
A factor f VB = 1.1 is chosen to take into consideration the volume for air and fi xtures
in the storage tank. The storage tank shall have the same height as the
bioreactor.
Design
Volume:
V t f Mg/d/1Mg/m m d)
100d 1.1
E G E E VE
−⋅⋅3 −3 ⋅
⋅
(M_ /V_ ) (11.5 2.5 /
990m3.
Residue storage tank 413
414 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant
Height: H E = 5.5 m
Diameter: D E = 15 m
Power and heat consumption of the entire plant
Table A.2 Calculated energy consumption of the plant.
Energy consumer Abbreviation Energy
Agitators (2 pieces) (P BRR ) tot 13.4 kW
Pump P VP 0.6 kW
Screw conveyors for maize and grass (P SC ) tot 0.8 kW
Air compressor P K 0.5 kW
Total power consumption EEe l 15.3 kW
Heat losses via the bioreactor wall Q BR 8.8 kW
Heat for heating the substrate Q SU 17.0 kW
Total heat consumption QV 25.8 kW
Economy of biogas plants for the year 2007 (Calculation on the
basis of the example of Attachment I)
415
Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources. An Introduction.
Dieter Deublein and Angelika Steinhauser
Copyright © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
ISBN: 978-3-527-31841-4
Attachment II
From experience, the complete investment costs for a biogas plant can be estimated
at KA spec = 300.00 – 500.00 US $ /m 3 volume of the bioreactor. The smaller
number stands for large plants, the higher number for small plants. Depending
on the degree of automation and the spectrum of planning and supervision work,
the given range can be exceeded. A simple plant for power generation (CHP) costs
additionally KK spec = 650.00 US $ /kW el from experience.
The bioreactor was calculated in the example in Attachment I to have a volume
of V BR = 431 m 3 and the CHP to have a nominal capacity of E = 111 kW el .
The economic calculation shall be carried out as an example based on investment
costs of KA = 200 000.00 US $ . To be added are the costs for the CHP accumulated
K CHP = 72 000.00 US $ . Included in the costs for the CHP is the electrical
connection between plant and power network according to the technical and legal
possibilities for the shortest connection. The total investment costs are thus
K = 272 000.00 US $ .
The costs are given below in differentiated form as is generally usual.
Capital - bound costs per year in US $
For the concrete works shall be taken x B = KB/KA = 0.63 of the investment costs.
These costs can be amortized within t B = 20 years.
For technical equipment shall be taken x T = KT/KA = 0.37 of the investment
costs. These costs can be amortized within t T = 10 years.
The complete costs of the CHP of K CHP = 72 000 US $ can be amortized within
t K = 4 years.
The interest rate shall be 6% (Z R /K = 0.06/a) of the total investment costs.
Calculation:
Costs for the concrete works:
KB = x B · KA/t B = 0.63 · 200 000.00 US $ /20 a = 6300.00 US $ /a
Costs for technical equippment:
KT = x T · KA/t T = 0.37 · 200 000.00 US $ /10 a = 7400.00 US $ /a
416 Attachment II Economy of biogas plants for the year 2007
Costs for the CHP:
KK = K CHP /t K = 72 000.00 US $ /4 a = 18 000.00 US $ /a
Costs for interest:
Z R = Z R /K · K = 0.06/a · 272 000.00 US $ = 16 300.00 US $ /a
Total capital bound costs:
48 000.00 US $ /a
Consumption - bound costs per year (t s = 8640 h/a)
The substrate and the co - ferments are available free of charge. Costs for transportation
of substrate and residue do not arise.
The power consumption of the plant shall be E Eel = 15.3 kW, the ignition oil
consumption _M OIL 97.6 kg/d , the heat consumption QV = 25.8 kW.
Costs for electrical power shall be KS spec = 0.07 US $ /kWh, costs for ignition oil
shall be K OILspec = 0.50 US $ /kg, and costs for heat shall be KW spec = 0.05 US $ /kWh.
The costs for cultivation of renewable resources shall be KR spec = 1500 US $ /ha.a.
For cultivating maize shall be available an area of A M = 15 ha.
Costs for electrical power:
KS = E Eel · KS spec · t s = 15.3 kW · 0.07 US $ /kWh · 8640 h/a = 9253.00 US $ /a
Costs for ignition oil:
KO OIL KOILspec ts kg d/24 h/d 0.50US$/I 8640h/a

⋅⋅⋅⋅_M 97 6
1756
./
8.00US$/a
Costs for heat:
KW = Q V · KW spec · t s = 25.8 kW · 0.05 US $ /kWh · 8640 h/a
= 11 146.00 US $ /a
Costs for cultivation:
KR = A M · KR spec = 15 ha · 1500 US $ /ha.a = 22 500.00 US $ /a
Total consumption - bound costs: 60 467.00 US $ /a
Operation - bound costs per year (t s = 8640 h/a)
The specifi c annual costs for maintenance shall be for concrete works 0.5%
(y B = 0.005/a) of the investment costs (x B · KA). for technical equipment 3%
(y T = 0.03/a) of the investment costs (x T · KA) and for the CHP 4% (y CHP = 0.04/a)
of the investment costs for the CHP.
The personnel costs for operators shall be KP spec = 20.00 US $ /h. An annual
working time of t P = 500 h/a is assumed.
Costs for maintenance for concrete works:
KX = y B · x B · KA = 0.005/a · 0.63 · 200 000.00 US $ = 630.00 US $ /a
Costs for maintenance for techniques:
KY = y T · x T · KA = 0.03/a · 0.37 · 200 000. 00 US $ = 2220.00 US $ /a
Costs for maintenance of the CHP
KZ = y CHP · K CHP = 0.04/a · 72 000.00 US $ = 2880.00 US $ /a
Personnel costs:
KP = KP spez · t P = 20.00 US $ · 500 h/a = 10 000.00 US $ /a
Total operation bound costs:
15 730.00 US $ /a
Other costs per year (t s = 8640 h/a)
The costs per year KV for insurance of the plant shall be 0.5% (z = 0.005/a) of the
investment costs.
Costs for insurance:
KV = z · K = 0.005/a · 272 000.00 US $ = 1360.00 US $ /a
Total other costs:
1360.00 US $ /a
Total costs
125 557.00 US $ /a
These costs are balanced by incomes, calculated below. The high income from the
sales of electrical power is due to the governmental subsidy.
By the fermentation, the quality of the residue which is used as fertilizer is
improved, which can only roughly be taken in consideration in the balancing.
Income per year (t s = 8640 h/a)
A subsidy of KB spec = 0.24 US $ /kWh shall be assumed (actual subsidy in
Germany).
Sales of electrical power:
G = E el · t s · KB spec = 85.4 kW · 8640 h/a · 0.24 US $ /kWh
= 177 085.00 US $ /a
Sales of heat:
W = E th · t s · KW spec = 142.0 kW · 8640 h/a · 0.05 US $ /kWh
= 61 366.00 US $ /a
Sales of fertilizer:
D = 1000.00 US $ /a
Total income:
239 451.00 US $ /a
Annual revenue of the biogas plant: 239 557.00 US $ /a − 125 557.00 US $ /a =
US $ /a 894.00 113