Design of a household biogas digester using co-digested cassava, vegetable and fruit waste

Abstract

Apart from solar photovoltaic and energy from wind turbine, biogas has also been identified as one of the alternatives for the replacement of fossil fuel at a modular level. With respect to the adoption of biogas for household application, extensive research has been conducted on the optimal techno-economic design of biogas digesters. However, available studies and case studies do not often provide simplified details that can be used for replicative studies. Hence, this study presents a simplified stepwise illustration of a household anaerobic digester for sustainable co-digestion of cassava, vegetable and fruit waste. Using a scenario-based approach, the digester was designed to produce biogas energy that will cater for five (5) families; each comprising eight (8) members. It is expected that the stepwise example presented in this study will help in expanding the frontier knowledge directed at presenting the optimal design of biogas digesters.

Keywords

• Co-digestion
• Digester design
• Household biogas technology
• Renewable energy sources
• Sustainable energy generation
• Waste-to-energy