Explored the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion to convert biological waste
in rural communities to natural gas and fertilizer for electricity and agriculture,
repectively.
Actions
Researched various reaction models to determine
which process design would provide the best service.
Determined the potential energy per day produced by the average available
waste per rural residence.
Performed an economic analysis on the profitability of biogas and fertilizer,
accounting for feed and energy costs.
Consideration of the environmental, cultural, and safety impacts of the proposed design.
Results
With an average household waste feed of 70.0 kg/day, after proper dilution with
water, 43.1 and 96.9 kg/day of water and fertilizer are produced respectively.
Assuming 30% of the biogas is used by the household for heating and power, the remaining
biogas and fertilizer can be sold for $3.65/day or $1330.43/year before tax.
Considering the average rural household income in India is $1072/year, these profits
would be a significant increase in income and economic mobility.
Utilization of methane in biowaste reduces a major greenhouse gas while providing energy to
areas without existing infrastructure.
