[Digestion] Just starting

[Kyle Schutter]

Hi Frans,

Good questions. From experience with smaller scale systems with chicken dung mixed with cow dung let me give a first attempt at an answer:

a) this should work well
b) the volume of the dung will increase because you mix the chicken droppings with water. and the effluent, while having a lower BOD than the influent, will not be low enough to dump. You will still have to find a way to use the droppings as fertilizer and now that the effluent is semiliquid it will be hard to transport.
c) this may solve part b) above, but I have no experience with this and I don't know if there are machines for this.

1) It can be used
2) You will have to kickstart at first, but you shouldn't have to afterwards
3) KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) probably applies here. I think the tubular bag digesters would be best for you as they are cheap and easy.
4) As long as the average ambient temperature is above 20˚C year round you will not need to heat (even above 15˚C is okay. In Kenya we operate digesters at this temperature with no problem though 15˚C is too cold to start a digester we have found). Heating will just increase cost. If you want to get more gas out of the system, just get a larger bag digester. They are really cheap. Q energy in Uganda sells 300 meter cubed digesters for around $10,000. 150-300 meter cubed digester should be a good size for you. (I am guessing your chickens produce 40 to 100 g of droppings per day per chicken)
5) True, but only really at 55˚C which is a very difficult system to maintain.

Another consideration is that chicken droppings have lots of pebbles usually and I would guess this won't be a problem, though you may have to empty your digester every few years to get the pebbles out.

Others probably have more experience than me.

Kyle
Founder and Director of Technology
Schutter Energy Ltd.
+254 703113383
kyleschutter (skype)
www.takamotobiogas.com



On 28 Nov, 2013, at 10:21 AM, Frans Somebody wrote:

Hi All.
Although I have read a lot, I have no practical experience & would appreciate any ideas & suggestions.
I have 37 000 laying hens but very limited access to cow dung.
The reasons for starting digestion is, in order of priority;
a) Fly control. Too many chemicals being used,  which is not working anyway.
b) Manure disposal.The dairy farmer who has taken it for 11 years is changing to sugar cane.
c) Gas production. To assist in the drying of the slurry, for storage & sale.
As a start & a test, I have ordered a heavy re-enforced plastic tube of approx 1.8m round X 10m long.
Mh chalenges are;-
1) I can find no information on pure chicken droppings. Can this be used?
2) If I have to 'kick-start' the bacteria with cow dung, will it be necessary to re-do this at regular intervals?
3) The most effectice system? Fixed dome, floating dome, tubes or?
4) The recommended temp is 37 to 42C, others have suggested that much higher temp, (50), produce more gas.
5) The advantage of higher temp could be a reduction in unwanted bacteria & seeds in the effluent.
Thank you for allowing me on your forum.
Frans (Swaziland)

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