Speaker
Mr
KeChrist Obileke
(Fort Hare Institute of Technology)
Description
A 2.2 cubic metre volume biogas digester was designed, fabricated and tested for its performance using pig dung. The biogas digester was made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. The use of the plastic material was advantageous because the characteristic of defect such as cracks in the brick structure experience in the fixed dome type of biogas digester made of bricks or cement does not occur in plastic material. After the fabrication, the biogas digester was fed with pig dung to check its performance. The following parameter of the pig dung was examined; total solids, volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand and pH. The biogas composition and production were determined using a gas analyzer and mass flow meter respectively, while the pH of the slurry was measured using a digital pH meter. In the experiment, it was observed that the rate of biogas production from the pig dung increases as the retention time increases and later decreases after days of biodegradation. The optimum biogas yield was 2.30 cubic metre at pH of 6.8 during the 18th to 21st day of the study. Also, the study shows that pig dung is a potential substrate for biogas generation and should be encouraged. In conclusion, the methane yield of the pig dung was 60 %.
Level for award<br> (Hons, MSc, <br> PhD, N/A)?
PhD
Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution
Prof. Sampson Mamphweli.
smamphweli@ufh.ac.za
Fort Hare Institute of Technology
University Of Fort Hare
Alice, South Africa
Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?
Yes
Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> award (Yes / No)?
Yes
Primary author
Mr
KeChrist Obileke
(Fort Hare Institute of Technology)
Co-authors
Prof.
Golden Makaka
(University of Fort Hare)
Dr
Patrick Mukumba
(University of Fort Hare)
Prof.
Sampson Mamphweli
(Fort Hare Institute of Technology)
