Software for biogas research: Tools for measurement and prediction of methane production

Abstract

Biogas production from organic materials by anaerobic digestion is both a developed technology and an active area of research. In this contribution we describe an R package designed to help standardize biogas research. A web-based application provides access to the main functions. The software can be used to accurately calculate biochemical methane potential (BMP) from a range of biogas measurement types. Additionally, methane potential can be predicted from substrate composition, facilitating experimental design and interpretation of results. By providing access to flexible, efficient, standardized, and transparent algorithms, this software may make biogas research more accurate and efficient. Keywords: Anaerobic digestion, Biochemical methane potential, Data processing, Microbial stoichiometry