Effect of kinetic parameters on biogas production from local substrate using a batch feeding digester

While the various international energy agencies vehemently warned on the increasing energy demand, the global proven fossil fuels' reserves were projected to last only for the next few decades. Therefore, the search for alternative energy sources is unavoidable. Biofuel, particularly biogas, is renewable alternative with strong potentials for future energy security and environmental sustainability. Thus, multi-dimensional studies on all aspect of its production are necessary. In the current research, a "batch feeding digester" was developed to evaluate the effect of temperature and seeding parameters on the biogas yield and rate of digestion. Biogas production was monitored using 1.8 Kg of cow dung substrate in the digester, capable of producing 20 Liters of net reaction gases. Kinetic modeling revealed the reaction to generally proceeds by first order kinetics with respect to the substrate concentration ([S]). Similarly, rise in both temperature and seeding parameters enhanced biogas production, with temperature effect outweighing by at least 25 %. The seeding effect was also found to decay with significant decrease in digestion temperature. © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2011.