Aplicability of diaphragm type gas flowmeter for monitoring of biogas production of small scale anaerobic reactor

Abstract

The biogas production is an important parameter of anaerobic reactors monitoring. However, the high cost of flowmeters is one of the main limiting factors for this control. Despite considerable numbers of Brazilian sewage treatment plants employ the anaerobic reactors, small part of this units monitoring the biogas production. Based on this, this study evaluated a diaphragm type gas flowmeter, used for monitoring the domestic gas (LPG or natural gas), installed in series with a drum type gas flowmeter Ritter, admittedly efficient for biogas monitoring from anaerobic reactors. It also evaluated the relative precision of diaphragm flowmeter, obtained relative percentage error average and maximum of 1.9 and 3.4%, respectively. These results were positive, if considered the structural simplicity, national available and low cost inherent of diaphragm flowmeter.

Keywords

• uasb reactor. sewage treatment. energy recovery. biomethane. flow biogas meter