Development of a biogas plant

To meet the rural domestic energy needs, a design for 1-2 m(3) Himshakti biogas plant is developed and evaluated. This design is also suitable for the topography with soils of stony strata and can be partly installed with locally available stones. 1 m3 and 2 m(3) biogas plants cost Rs. 6491 ($138.1) and Rs. 9984 ($214.4), respectively If the stones available from excavation of soil are used for the construction of the plants, the costs of these plants can be lower by 9%. The developed design of the plants can be easily installed and is structurally more stable due to the larger thickness of its digester wall and less strain in its dome structure when operated under identical conditions. On an annual average, the rate of daily biogas produced per kg cattle manure fed to the developed 1 m(3) and 2 m(3) Himshakti biogas plants was found to be 13.83% and 17.02%, respectively, higher compared to 1 m(3) Deenbandhu biogas plan presently propagated and suitable for clay soils. On per unit digester volume basis, these plants were also found to produce a higher rate of 18.1% and 34.3% biogas compared to the later plant. The developed, more stable, and efficient design of plant needs propagation in rural areas word over specially the Indian sub-continent.