Introduction: Mini Bio-gas Plant Using Food Waste, Decomposable Organic Material and Kitchen Waste
I have been searching for some method of using the food waste, decomposable organic material and kitchen waste efficiently, and came across information on producing bio-gas from organic waste.
The bio-gas produced from food waste, decomposable organic material and kitchen waste, consisting of methane and a little amount of carbon di oxide is an alternative fuel for cooking gas (LPG). Also, the waste materials can be disposed off efficiently without any odor or flies and the digested slurry from the bio-gas unit can be used as an organic manure in the garden.
Components of the Bio-gas Plant
The major components of the bio-gas plant are a digester tank, an inlet for feeding the kitchen waste, gas holder tank, an outlet for the digested slurry and the gas delivery system for taking out and utilizing the produced gas.
This project is also useful for students to have a hands-on learning experience in constructing a Mini Bio-Gas Plant, using locally available material.
Material Required:
1. Empty PVC can 50 ltrs capacity: 1 No. (to be used as Digester Tank)
2. Empty PVC can 40 ltrs capacity: 1 no. (to be used as Gas Holder Tank) (Make sure the smaller can fits inside larger one and moves freely)
3. 64 mm dia pvc pipe: about 40 cm long (to be used for feeding waste material)
4. 32 mm dia pvc pipe: about 50 cm long (fixed inside gas holder tank as a guide pipe)
5. 25 mm dia pvc pipe: about 75 cm long (fixed inside the digester tank as a guide pipe)
6. 32 mm dia pvc pipe: about 25 cm long (fixed on digester tank to act as outlet for digested slurry)
7. M-seal or any water-proof adeshive
8. Gas outlet system: Please see Step 4 below for required materials and construction
Tools required
Do not require many tools here. A hack saw blade for cutting the cans & pipes and a sharp knife for cutting holes on the cans are all the tools we need.
Additional accessories
A single burner bio-gas stove or a Bunsen Burner used in school laboratories
Step 1:
Bought this 50 ltrs capacity PVC can, which will act as the digester unit and removed the top portion of the can, by cutting it with a hack saw blade:
Step 2:
The smaller white can, which will act as the gas holder fits inside the red one. Here, again removed the top of the white can, also with the help of a hack saw blade:
Step 3:
64 mm, 32 mm and 25 mm dia PVC pipes which will be used for feeding the kitchen waste, guide pipe for the gas holder and guide pipe fixed with the digestion chamber respectively. A small piece of 32 mm dia pipe will be used as outlet for the slurry:
Step 4:
- items required for the gas delivery system: got these items from a hardware store
1. Ball valve : one no ( to adjust the gas flow)
2. 'T' joint : one no ( to connect the gas holder and the ball valve)
3. Cap to block one end of 'T' joint : one no
4. Coupling or Adapter : one no (to connect vertical end of 'T' in to the gas collector)
5. Nipple: one no (added to the coupling in to the gas collector)
6. Gas pipe (flexible) : two meters
7. Barb : one no (fitted with the gas pipe, to join with the Ball valve)
8. Clip : one no (used for crimping the barb with the gas pipe and make it leak-proof)
9. Teflon tape : one roll (used as thread tape in all joints)
Step 5:
Here I have marked the cuts to be made in the bottom of the gas collection tank. The smaller hole on the left for gas delivery system, center hole for fixing the 32 mm guide pipe and 64 mm hole for fixing the waste feeding pipe on the right side. Made these holes with the help of a sharp knife and hack saw blade.
The next image is Inside of the gas holder showing the 32 mm guide pipe (center) and the 64 mm feeding pipe fixed with M-seal
Step 6:
Top view of the gas holder showing the feeding pipe, central guide pipe and the gas delivery system: I have closed the feeding pipe withe an old lid (red one). This will facilitate opening the feed pipe only during feeding the system.
Step 7:
Digestion tank fitted with the central guide pipe and the outlet pipe for the slurry:
Step 8:
Completed unit. I have removed the gas pipe, so that the joints will get cured without any stress:
Wait for a day or two before feeding the system, allowing all joints to get cured and become leak-proof.
Initially, cow-dung mixed with water will be fed in to the system, which will start the gas formation process. Subsequently, food waste, decomposable organic material and kitchen waste will be diluted with water and used to feed the system. The gas holder will rise along the guide pipes based on the amount of gas produced. We can add some weight on top of the gas holder to increase the gas pressure. When we feed the system, the excess digested slurry will fall out through the outlet pipe, which can be collected, diluted and used as organic manure.
Initial production of gas will consist of oxygen, methane, carbon di oxide and some other gases and will not burn. These gases can be released to the atmosphere by opening the ball valve at least three / four times.
Subsequent gas will consist of about 70 to 80 percent methane and the rest carbon di oxide, which can be used in a single bio-gas burning stove or a Bunsen burner.
Total cost of this proto-type system is about one thousand Indian Rupees (about 20 dollars)
This is a basic prototype of a Bio-gas system using the food waste, decomposable organic material and kitchen waste to produce gas. An one thousand litre capacity Digestion tank will be sufficient for a small household for daily cooking purpose. The bigger commercial models provide a water seal between the digestion tank and gas holder tank.
You can get further information on kitchen waste based mini Bio-gas plant at the following links:
http://e-biogas.blogspot.in/
http://www.samuchit.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=10
Step 9:
Charged the digester tank with cow dung diluted with water. Placed the gas holder tank and left it for two three days. The cow dung slurry started the process of gas forming.
Gas formation started and the gas holder tank gets lifted up. I have placed two bricks on top of the gas holder to get more gas pressure.
Step 10:
Note for students who are doing this as their School Project:
1. Take guidance from your teacher while using the gas in a stove or Bunsen burner.
2. Collect surplus food and wastage during lunch, dilute and feed the system.
3. Fruit peels, extracted tea powder, waste milk and milk products can also be used for feeding the system.
4. DO NOT USE eggshells, Onion peels or left-over bones in this system as they will affect the efficient functioning of the system
5. Plant some seedling
6. while feeding, collect the slurry from the outlet, feed the seedlings and watch them grow

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1,753 Comments
6 weeks ago
Waw am going to give it a try thank u
Question 2 years ago on Step 8
hi
let me know maximum slurry for 50 kg digester tank
3 years ago
For how long will the gas in this mini biogas burn?
What quantity of gas can it hold?
6 years ago
hello sir,
is there any way to avoid cow dung completely from biogas plant, my means even for initial feeding also could i use de-oiled cake (made of jatropha )instead of cowdung ?
Reply 6 years ago
You can feed finely chopped or pulverised kitchen waste to half the depth of digester tank and wait. It will take longer, but gas will form. Once gas production starts feed other wastes regularly
Reply 3 years ago
Do you have a rough estimate on how long that method will take? I live in an area that cow dung is not plentiful, so kitchen-waste is the more viable method.
4 years ago
Sir..What will be the capacity of this mini biogas plant?
4 years ago
Sir, we are working same concept but still we are not getting expected result from model as per our model. And can you give me you're contact details or email-id for further information.
6 years ago
I also trying to make a small black colour plastic hut around the digester so that it can trap the sun heat and makes the digester around hotter. HERE is very good guide for everyone who needs energy for home devices. Thank you antoniraj!
Reply 4 years ago
Pls this is my adamsbaba10@yahoo.com can I get your assistant for my project??
Reply 6 years ago
so does that black hut works fine for your plant ? have you able to increase the formation rate of biogas ?
Question 4 years ago on Step 9
Sir, Is the white can sealed at the bottom? It appears like to be sealed in the image. And what is the colour of the flame produced by this gas? Is it similar to the LPG Gas?
5 years ago
Hello sir
Can i use 3 days old cowdung as i am unable to get fresh dung.
Waiting for your reply..
Question 5 years ago
Hello sir
Can I use 3 days cowdung as initial feed as I am unable to the fresh dung.
Please answer.
Question 5 years ago on Step 6
What is the purpose of central guide pipe?
Answer 5 years ago
It guides the up and down movement of Gas holder inside the Digester
Question 5 years ago
first u tell me the the pipe set in digester tank in orange drum hote in buttom or not .
Answer 5 years ago
There is no hole in the bottom of orange drum. The pipe is set with drum using adhesive
Question 5 years ago
where is gas storage
Answer 5 years ago
The white inverted bucket inside the red one is the gas storage.