407

Attachment I
Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant

The size of an agricultural plant should be suitable for the number of domestic
animals and the area available for cultivating co-ferments. From these values, the
daily biogas yield can be calculated.

Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources. An Introduction.

Dieter Deublein and Angelika Steinhauser
Copyright © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
ISBN: 978-3-527-31841-4
 408

Table A.1 Products and biogas yields from an average substrate.

Description Basic substrate Biomass Feedback from the Total

residue storage tank
Unit Liquid Muck Liquid Muck Liquid Muck Silo Grass
manure from manure from pigs manure from maize Silage
from cattle from pigs from poultry
cattle poultry

Animals in GVE* GVE 100 0 0 0 0 0 – – – 100

Liquid manure /GVE.day m3/(GVE.d) 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 0.050 – – –
Area for cultivation (A) ha/a – – – – – – 15.00 15.00 – 30.00
Yield per hectare Mg/ha/a – – – – – – 50.0 50.0 –
Yield per day ( M
G) Mg/d 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 2.00 2.50 11.5
DM-content % 7.0 20.0 5.0 27.5 15.0 75.0 32.0 35.0 0.0 14.7
Yield of DM per day kg DM/d 350 0 0 0 0 0 640 700 0 1690
oDM in DM % 85.0 90.0 90.0 90.0 75.0 75.0 95.0 95.0 0.0 13.7
Yield of oDM (DMBR) kg oDM/d 298 0 0 0 0 0 608 665 0 1571
Spec. yield of biogas m3/(kgoDM.d) 0.50 0.40 0.50 0.40 0.50 0.45 0.65 0.65 0.00 0.62
Yield of biogas ( V
BR ) m3/d 149 0 0 0 0 0 395 432 0 976
Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant

* One animal unit (GVE) corresponds to the liquid manure from one full-grown cow, 5 calves, 6 beef cattle, or 250 hens.

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Silo for maize and/or grass 409

Based on the daily rate of biogas and some additional assumptions, the equip-
ment of a complete biogas plant can be designed as follows:

Preparation tank

The preparation tank shall be a vertical cylindrical container of concrete.

In the preparation tank, only the daily produced liquid manure shall be stored for
tPT = 10 days in order to carry out cleaning and maintenance work at the bioreactor.
The density of the liquid manure ρG can be set equal to the density of water ρG = ρW.
A factor fVPT = 1.25 shall be assumed to take into consideration the volume for
air and fixtures.
The relationship between height and diameter of the tank shall be HPT/DPT ≈ 2.
Design
Volume: VPT = M
G ⋅ t PT /ρG ⋅ f VPT = 5 Mg/d ⋅10d/1000 kg/m3 ⋅1.25 = 62.5 m3,
Height: HPT = 6.8 m,
Diameter: DPT = 3.4 m,

Pump of the preparation tank

In the preparation tank a centrifugal pump with a wide chamber and a submerged
motor shall be installed.
The pump of the preparation tank shall be able to deliver V
VP = 10 m3/ h liquid
manure to the bioreactor or to pump the complete volume of the bioreactor
(VBR = 431 m3 as calculated below) within tBRI = 5 h (given below). Its efficiency is
assumed to be ηVP = 0.5. Its pressure head shall be 1 bar.
Design
Throughput: (V
VP)1 = 10 m3/ h or
(V
VP)2 = VBR/t PT = 431 m3/ 5 h = 86 m3/ h
Pressure head: ∆PVP = 1 bar,
Capacity of the motor: actual: PVP = (V
VP)1 ⋅ ∆PVP/ηVP ≈ 0,6 kW;
nominal: PVP = (V
VP)2 ⋅ ∆PVP/ ηVP ≈ 5,0 kW

Silo for maize and/or grass

The complete harvest ( M
S = 750 Mg/a) of maize (density ρS = 0.7 Mg/m3) of one
year shall be stored in a concrete silo, which is accessible to traffic. The dimensions
can be freely chosen. The gras is dried and stored on fields.
Design
Volume: VS = M
S/ρS = 750 Mg/a/0,7Mg/m3 = 1100 m3
Breadth: BS = 10 m,
Height: HS = 3.5 m,
Length: LS = 32 m
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410 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant

Silo conveyors

Two screw conveyors in series with nominal capacity V
SC = 1 m3/ h each and motor
capacity PSC = 5 kW each are driven between silo and preparation tank twice a day
for tSC = 1 h/d.

Design

Total power consumption of the two screw conveyors: (PSC)tot = 2 PSC · 2 · tSC/24 h
= 2 · 5 kW · 2 · 1 h/24 h = 0.8 kW

Bioreactor

A vertical cylindrical tank of concrete shall be used as bioreactor.

The residence time of the substrate in the bioreactor shall be tBR = 30 days. A
factor fVBR = 1.25 has to be chosen to take into consideration the volume for air and
fixtures in the bioreactor.
The relation between height and diameter of the bioreactor shall be
HBR/DBR ≈ 1/2.
The completely filled bioreactor shall be emptied within tBRl = 5 h at a flow rate
of vBRl = 0.5 m/s.
Two propeller-agitators (diameter DBRR = 0.5 m, Newton number NeBRR =
0.5, revolution nBRR = 150 rpm) shall be installed for intermittent mixing and
breaking off the floating layer with a working period of tBRR = 5 min/h. Both agita-
tors are equipped with submerged motors and their height shall be adjustable by
chains.

Design
Volume: VBR = M
G/ρG ⋅ t BR ⋅ f VBR = 11.5 Mg/d/1000 kg/m3 ⋅
30 d ⋅1.25 = 431m3
Height: HBR = 5.5 m,
Diameter: DBR = 10 m,

The volume load of this medium-sized bioreactor is then BBR = DMBR/VBR =

1571 kg oDM/d/431 m3 = 3.64 kg oDM/m3·d.
The average volume load for small plants is BBR = 1.5 kg oDM/m3·d and of large
plants is BBR = 5 kg oDM/m3·d.
Diameter of the discharge pipe:
DBRI = (VBR/t BRl/v BRl ⋅ 4/π) = (431m3/5h/0.5m/s ⋅ 4/π) ≈ 0.3m
Capacity per agitator drive:
PBRR = 1.3 · NeBRR · ρG · nBRR3 · DBRR5 = 1.3 · 0.5 · 1000 kg/m3 ·
(150 · π/30)3 · 0.55 m5 = 78.7 kW ≈ 80 kW
Power consumption of both agitators:
(PBRR)tot = 2 · PBRR · tBRR = 2 · 80 kW · 5 min/h = 13.4 kW
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Heating (pipes) 411

Heating (pipes)

For fermentation, mesophilic temperatures shall be chosen at ϑBR = 50 °C. The

lowest outside temperature in winter is ϑA = −20 °C (humid soil)). The substrate
with its specific heat capacity of cSU = 4.2 kJ/kg·°C has thus to be heated from 20 °C
to 50 °C, i.e. ca.. ∆ϑSU = 30 °C.
The bioreactor walls shall be insulated with a layer (sBR = 0.1 m thick) of polysty-
rene. The heat transmission coefficient of polystyrene is λBR = 0.05 W/m·K.
Although the substrate surface does not reach the ceiling of the bioreactor, the
complete wall shall be taken into consideration when calculating the heat losses;
heat losses through the ceiling are negligibly low, because the ceiling is in contact
with gas and/or air inside and outside.
The heat transfer coefficients inside at the wet bioreactor wall shall be assumed
to be (αBR)i = 4000 W/m2·°C for agitated liquid and outside to (αBR)a = 400 W/m2·°C
for humid soil; Then the k-factor can be calculated:

k BR = 1 /((αBR)i + sBR/ λBR + (αBR)a ) = 1 /(1 / 4000 + 0.1 / 0.5 + 1 / 400)

= 0.5 W/m2 ⋅°C

The maximum temperature difference between substrate and environment is

∆ϑBR = ϑBR − ϑA = (50 °C) − (−20 °C) = 70 °C
The heating medium (warm water) shall cool down from ϑHE = 70 °C to ϑHA = 60 °C
and the temperature difference can be calculated

∆ϑH = ϑHE − ϑHA = 10 °C

The flow rate of the heating medium in the heating pipe shall be vH = 1 m/s.
The heat transfer coefficient inside and outside the heating pipes shall be
asumed to be the same (αH)i = (αH)a = 400 W/m2·°C for slowly flowing liquid; The
heating pipe is well heat-conducting and therefore negligible in the calculation;
then the k-factor for the heating pipe wall can be calculated

k H = 1 /(1 /((αH)i + (αH)a) = 1 /(1 / 400 + 1 / 400) = 200 W/m2 ⋅ °C

The average temperature difference between heating medium and substrate in the
bioreactor is
∆ϑBH = (ϑHE + ϑΗΑ)/2 − ϑBR = 15 °C

Design
Heat for heating the substrate:
QSU = M
G ⋅ cSU ⋅ ∆ϑSU = 11.5 Mg/d ⋅ 4.2 kJ/kg ⋅ °C ⋅30K = 17 kW
Surface area of the bioreactor, which conducts heat:
ABR = π · DBR2/4 + π · DBR · HBR = 250 m2
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412 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant

Heat losses of the reactor:

QBR = kBR · ABR · ∆ϑBR = 0.5 W/m2.°C · 250 m2 · 70 °C = 8.8 kW
Necessary heat: QV = QSU + QBR = 17 kW + 8.8 kW = 25.8 kW
Necessary heating liquid V
w , for heat supply to the bioreactor:
V
w = QV /(c w ⋅ ρw ⋅ ∆ϑH) = 25.8 kW/
(4.2 kJ/kg.C ⋅1000 kg/m3 ⋅10 C) = 6.14 m3/ h
Diameter of the heating pipe:
DHR = (V
w / v H ⋅ 4/π = (6.14 m3/ h/1m/s ⋅ 4/π) = 0.046 ≈ 0.05 m
Length of the heating pipe: LHR = QV/(kH · ∆ϑBH · π ·
DHR) = 25.8 kW/(200 W/m2.°C · 15 °C · π · 0.05 m = 55 m

The result of the calculation is, that a pipe with three windings of a diameter of
DW = 8 m is sufficient. Because sinking layers and a disturbance of the heat transfer
must be taken into consideration, a higher number of windings should be
chosen.

Aeration

Aeration with an air flow rate V
L referring to the biogas flow rate V
BR of
V
L /V
BR = 0.04 is sufficient for desulfurization. Oil-free compressed air shall be
blown in at a pressure of pk2 = 6 bar. The velocity of the air in the air pipe shall be
vL = 2 m/s.
Design
Blown in air:
V
L = V
L/V
BR ⋅V
BR = 0.04.976 m3/ d = 1.63 Nm3/ h
Diameter of the air pipe:
DL = (V
L/ v L ⋅ 4/π) = (1.63 Nm3/ h/2m/s ⋅ 4/π) ≈ 0.02 m

Compressor with pressure vessel of volume VK = 0.05 m3

Design
Volume rate of the compressor:
V
K = 1.7 Nm3/ h
Pressure head
from pK1 = 1 bar to pK2 = 6 bar (there is to be assumed friction in the pipe)
Capacity of the compressor:
PK = 0.5 kW

Gasholder

A low-pressure gasholder of plastic foil shall be used

The relationship of the volume of the bioreactor to the volume of the gasholder
shall be (VBR/VGS) = 1 : 2. The ratio VBR/VGS is the usual value (between 1 : 1 and
1 : 3).
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Residue storage tank 413

Design
Volume of the gasholder: VGS = VBR/(VBR/VGS) = 431/(1/2) = 862 m3.

The gasholder enables the storage of the biogas production of nearly 1 day.

Engine
.
The biogas-energy content shall be Espec = 6 kWh/m3.
The biogas plant shall be equipped with an ignition oil Diesel engine in the
CHP. 9% by weight of ignition oil shall be added to the biogas in a ratio of
M
OIL/ M

BR = 0.09. The energy content of the ignition oil is EOILspec = 10 kWh/kg.
Efficiency of the engine:
Electrical efficiency: hel = 30%
Thermal efficiency: hth = 50%

Design
Consumption of ignition oil assuming a density of the biogas of d* =
1.11 kg/m3:
M
BR = V
BR ⋅ δ * = 976 m3/d ⋅1.11kg/m3 = 1083 kg/d
M
OIL = M
BR ⋅ (M
O /M

BR ) = 1083 kg/d ⋅ 0.09 = 97.6 kg/d
Yield of energy:
Etot = Espec ⋅V
BR + EOILspec ⋅M

OIL
= (6 kWh/m3 ⋅ 976 m3/ d + 10 kWh/kg ⋅ 97.6 kg/ d)/24 h/d = 284 kW
Eel = Etot ⋅ ηel = 284 ⋅ 0.3 = 85.4 kW
Eth = Etot ⋅ ηth = 284 ⋅ 0.5 = 142.0 kW

Nominal capacity of the engine with a reserve of 30%:

E = 111 kW

Residue storage tank

A vertical cylindrical tank of concrete shall be used as residue storage tank.

The residence time of all residue in the storage tank shall be tE = 100 d, according
to the period in which the soil is frozen, when the residue could not penetrate into
the soil, would possibly flow into rivers, and would deteriorate the water quality.
It has to be taken into consideration that some water ( V
E = 2.5 m3/d ) from the
residue tank is fed back into the bioreactor.
A factor fVB = 1.1 is chosen to take into consideration the volume for air and fix-
tures in the storage tank. The storage tank shall have the same height as the
bioreactor.
Design
Volume:
G/ ρ − V
E)⋅ t E ⋅ f VE = (11.5 Mg/d/1Mg/m3 − 2.5 m3/ d)⋅
VE = (M
100d ⋅1.1 = 9990m3 .
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414 Attachment I Typical design calculation for an agricultural biogas plant

Height: HE = 5.5 m
Diameter: DE = 15 m

Power and heat consumption of the entire plant

Table A.2 Calculated energy consumption of the plant.

Energy consumer Abbreviation Energy

Agitators (2 pieces) (PBRR)tot 13.4 kW

Pump PVP 0.6 kW
Screw conveyors for maize and grass (PSC)tot 0.8 kW
Air compressor PK 0.5 kW
Total power consumption EEel 15.3 kW
Heat losses via the bioreactor wall QBR 8.8 kW
Heat for heating the substrate QSU 17.0 kW
Total heat consumption QV 25.8 kW