[Digestion] Centrifugal pump for transferring feedstock

[Marc de Piolenc]

There seem to be regional differences in the sensitivity of microbes. 
Here in northern Mindanao I have visited a biogas plant, installed in a 
large piggery, which uses two centrifugal pumps as the sole means of 
transferring the slurry into a series of digesters operating under 
pressure. The microbes do just fine, thank you, and produce enough gas 
to operate a genset which relieves the piggery owner of 80% of the 
charge that he formerly paid to the local electric co-op.

Best to all,
Marc de Piolenc
Iligan City, Philippines

"Tests I tried in a laboratory which involved pumping material into a
digester suggested that flow velocity is important. The microbes do not
seem to like being accelerated, and stop working. A centrifugal pump 
works by accelerating the fluid, so is not really suitable for use in an
anaerobic digester. The type of pump most often used is a progressive
cavity pump, although an archimedes screw is also good."
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