BIOGAS

By Mike and Joe

Bi

Evaluate the use of biogas

generators.

1-2

Explain how methane can be produced from

plant materials and animal wastes

containing carbohydrates.
Compare and evaluate biogas generators
Watch a video showing different biogas
generators. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each design.
Design and build a simple gas generator.
Evaluate the designs and select the best
and demonstrate how the methane can be
burned as a fuel.
Model for pupils how to question the
validity and reliability of data so that they
can evaluate evidence relating to biofuels
for bias, manipulation or misrepresentation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Key Words:
Describe and explain how biogas is generated
Evaluate the use of small scale biogas
generators in a rural setting
Be able to explain what biogas is and
describe how it is produced from plants and
animal material.

WHAT IS BIOGAS?-YOU DONT KNOW?!

WELL, NOWS THE TIME TO FIND OUT!
CH4

Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide

As Josh said a few weeks ago

these are very common
because of burning fossil
fuels and agriculture.

CO2

FORMATION OF BIOGAS
Biogas is produced by the breakdown of organic waste by bacteria
without oxygen. This is produced through anaerobic digestion or
fermentation.
Leftover food from
Leftover straw

and crops from

farming
Cow, sheep
and chicken
manure

Where can we find biogas

in everyday life?

houses, shops, restaurants

and factories

Leftover meat
and blood from
abattoirs

THE PRODUCTION OF BIOGAS IN

Anaerobic digestion/decomposition is the process by which
MORE DETAIL
organic matter such as animal or food waste is broken down to
produce biogas and bio fertiliser. This process happens in the
absence of oxygen in a sealed, oxygen-free tank called an
anaerobic digester.

Materials containing carbohydrates must be present to create

Biogas.
The word Anaerobic means requiring an absence of free
oxygen, because oxygen is not present, to complete a process
different reactants have to be used. An example of this is the
process of anaerobic respiration in which energy needs to be
released from glucose, there is no oxygen available as a result
the process does not behave as it normally so instead of
releasing energy, water and carbon dioxide it releases lactic
acid and energy.
Fermentation is the production of ethanol

BIOGAS-THE DECOMPOSITION
OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
Biogas is produced through the decomposition of naturally occurring
products, this may include:
Ethanol and Carbon dioxide are typical products of anaerobic
Acetic acid
Ethanol
CO2

respiration occurring within bacteria. These product will eventually

degrade into products that form methane, hence creating biogas.

TEMPERATURE AFFECTS
DIGESTERS
Freezing temperatures affect the production of biogas, so a country with
infrequent freezing temperatures is the best choice.
35 centigrade is the more productive temperature to produce biogas, this
is very similar to reactions that involve enzymes and bacteria. This is
because they can become denatured.
Gas production practically ceases at temperatures below 10 degrees
Celsius.
To prevent this from affecting the production of biogas, we can use
insulating techniques and ensure that the digester is in the sunlight,
doing so will allow more heat to be kept by the digester.

USES FOR BIOGAS:

The most common use for biogas is to use it as a fuel, as it can be used
as an energy source for light, heat or movement.

SMALL SCALE GENERATORS IN A

RURAL SETTING
This diagram shows a typical
small scale generator of biogas
it uses the

Digesters vary from small household

systems