*I'll definitely build one of these within the next 5 years. I'll add it to my list of things to build. Everyone ask me again in 5 years if you see this comment!*
I’ve seen some people use double blow up mattresses to store the gas, if you can’t find bladders. Then you could tee them together to increase capacity. On the plus side, it would allow you to put a flat board on top of the stack and sandbag it to give the required pressure, instead of pumping!
I read "The Handbook of Homemade Power" when I was 14.. and studied deeply on these.. I had dug a hole in the yard, gotten barrels and many of the other parts, unfortunately, my parents made me fill the hole back in and I never finished. You have re-inspired me... Maybe I will build one of these for my farm sometime soon. There are 2 best temperature zones for anaerobic digestion 90 degrees F and 120-130 F. My thought is to tie this in to my greenhouse thermal mass system and use the excess heat to help better regulate the digester temps. Thanks for sharing!
I've been thinking of this for a while and was looking for a good "how to" video, so thanks - I can't give you enough upticks! All the ideas I had were complicating the whole thing far too much. This is simple and doable and I can't wait to get started. Best wishes.
@@gustav-adolfschildt I’m about to start building one, have several 330 totes available and even have a long piece of 6” pvc and 10” pvc female ends that I picked up on Craigslist for $20, any tips you can give me? 6” too big, 4” better? 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
best video on the subject right now I'm sleeping in my car, lost my home due to Hurricane Micheal when it hit Florida, On social security due to Parkinson. could not afford house insurance. Probably get me a utility building next month to live in and maybe a use RV in 6 months,, Just got power back yesterday got a tent set up as well Studying up on as many ways as I can that I can be off the grid,, I do have to have the power lines running to my new place, but I will be using my power as much as possible
Thank you so much for sharing. I have been eye balling this biogas stuff for awhile now. But trying to think about its viability here in Canada. I think after seeing this that I have found the solution here. This should complete my off grid system very nicely. Again thank you!!!!!
Top video. Looking forward to the video to teach how to scrub the gases produced of all impurities that will lead to the corrosion of pressurised storage and plumbing.
This is a great solution for off-grid living and I plan to build a system like this to manage off-grid waste. However I must point out that in several of your examples you show biogas stored in bags in areas where if they were exposed to a source of ignition a serious fire or explosion could occur. I feel that unless someone is properly trained in how to store gas safely they should not attempt it without professional help. these gas bags are only safe if stored outside and away from any buildings and should be fenced off with warning signs like you would find at a gas station. People could be seriously injured or killed by the amount of gas these bags can hold. Never store these bags inside a building. You should note this in your video. Other than that this is really great technology that should be used more. I am working on a way to use the waste gas to heat the digestor to keep the bacteria happy in a cold climate and make the process more effective than a septic waste disposal system.
I have considered this for my home, but the things I have read indicate a small amount of gas is produced in a household sized system. This lead me to think of what else it could be used for, and I came to the conclusion that a green/grow house, lit/heated by gaslight would make sense. When I search for information on growing plants by gaslight, I get either ancient information, or weed growers referencing that ancient information to use with electrical light. I think a building that processes compost through chickens and the chicken waste through a biogas system, while growing plants, and producing fertilizer, would be a good fit in lots of urban areas.
Would this work coupled with a black soldier fly cultivation unit? To use the worms to pre grind the biomass and use what nutrients they can for a more useful/valuable resource (food or feed), then make biogass from what remains?
Very scientific explanation. I like your T fix method to prevent vapour lock. For a while, I was thinking about a single solution to purify both CO2 and H2S through a sustainable method. How about using NaOH or KOH solution to bubble through first? H2S becomes Na2S/K2S+H2O and CO2 becomes Na2CO3/K2CO3+ H2O. Then we can add a water container to bubble through to remove alkalinity in the gas in case. You can make the system locally sustainable if you use KOH solution made from wood-ash.
If you use a hot water recirculating pump to limit how much water you waste in your house waiting for hot water when you turn on a faucet, I think you can add more loop so that you can heat the reactor. less water waste, no need to worry about the temps dropping
Thanks to Mashav 2017, I had a hands on training on this simple but very useful technology. I hope to use it basically solve sanitation problem and use the efflueut to plant vegetables
Great Video, but why are the pipes extended to the bottom of the tank? couldn't we cut the gas pipe under the top directly ? the waster water pipe be plugged on the side of the tank at mid height ? and the sludge pipe cut under the top too ?
Thomas - I'm kinda obsessed with this topic for the various food waste reduction, reduced carbon footprint, and alternative fuel reasons and have been watching a number of your well-done how-to's - thanks!! I'd love to see what setup you did for the under-sink version at 6:24 as something that would work for we house- and apartment-dwelling masses? I've been all over your Solar CITIES website, too...love the mission! Cheers
Love this design. I picked up a dozen IBC totes today and am using some for pig housing. I think I would do this design with a larger intake pipe, Something 6-12" in diameter. Would you foresee any issue with that? I'd like to be able to shovel manure into it. Also does the intake pipe need a cap? Great Work!
Awesome video, thanks! Quick question. I've built the 3ibc system. Now that it's all connected and producing gas, my slury out pipe is never exiting fertilizer. It does when I close off the gas as the pressure pushes it out. How do you balance this? Or do you occasionally close off the gas to get the fertiliser. Thanks!
Exactamente, lo que te ocurre es normal, ningún fluido va a ascender nunca por una tubería sin una fuerza que le obligue a ello. Si el consumo de gas es superior o igual al ritmo de producción la presión dentro del tanque va nunca a ser la necesaria para que el bioabono salga.
Great tutorial. Whatehver, If You are stuck with diffrent designs, remember the basics. Digestion takes place în a sealed container, in order to be able to collect the gas.
Hi Thomas, Interested in this gas collection system. Can I ask how you stop the pressure in the gas holder pushing back into the digester? I had an issue with slurry being pushed out of the feed and effluent pipes. Anyway all the best. Tanc
So I’m currently doing vermicomposting, bokashi ferment and basic thermocomposting. Very curious about this as an addition or adjunct. Curious what the tea that comes out looks like under a microscope and how much gas can be produced from one of these on average. Seems like the amount of fertilizer out is the same amount of food waste in roughly.
Would it be possible to build a digester out of a 12 inch PVC pipe and lay it horizontally? Feed it on one end, take the gas from the top and take the slurry from the far end? If so, this would open up a lot of possibilities as to where you could put it, and it would make it easier to connect it to your sink and its garbage disposal.
if the hole in the gas pipe is above the water line, how does the slurry escape through the third pipe? how is the slurry pushed up the compost-tea above the water mark?
The hole in the slurry pipe is half way up the tank, and below the liquid level. as you feed waste and H2O into the feed tube, the level of slurry will rise, and will run off through the slurry pipe. That the methane builds inside the airtight tank (above the liquid level), it will offset the "pressure" that will build as slurry is added, then exit through the runoff tube. If no gas is consumed and the methane storage bladder is aloud to reach max capacity, the slurry level will be pushed down as the methane increases in volume, until it is pushed out the slurry hole and the gas escapes there too.
I saw it in India and all it consists of was a square brick trough, a metal container with bottom removed, and the trough was filled with animal cow pat's and then the metal box put on top, a pipe came from the box to a cooker, and that was that. Brick+ box +pipe =free gas. Government in the UK would rather you died from cold than have anything free.
Good day, I have some questions... - Why does the digester have to be fed at the bottom? Will some of the fresh material you throw in not float in the pipe? - How long does it take to produce fertilizer at optimum temperature? - There are different grades/types of steel wool, which one do I use to clean the gas of SO2? - How do the microorganisms get into the digester? Or are they on/in the food scraps that are thrown in? - I’m aware that the fertilizer is produced in the middle but what can I do with what floats at the top of the tank and what sinks to the bottom? Thank you
Hi ToffaX, please post these excellent questions to our facebook group "Solar CITIES Biogas Innoventors and Practitoners" and we can answer them better.
so I'm guessing the fertilizer pipe doesn't exhaust gas because of the upper liquid layer of the compost creating a sort of "gas seal"? seems like it means it would take some time for the gas build up to start.
Hi, Good video! The way you feed it and draw off, the heights of your pipes where you draw off will be the the height of your liquid, how do you keep the fluid out of your gas line?
Gas generated floats on top of the fat-oil-grease or F.O.G; which will escape through the whole drilled on the blue pvc pipe near the top the IBC tank for maximum gas collection. As far as the fluid and gas getting mixed up goes, well they won't because the gas escape whole is up near the IBC upper wall, where the liquid fertilizer intake perforation is around the middle of the fluid within the system. And remember, if you feed five litters of new grounded food material into the biodigester, an equivalent of five litter of liquid fertilizer will be forced out...It is simply a mass balance kind of situation. I hope this helped clearify this system. DISCLAIMER- I don't work for this company; However I am a Hydraulic Engineer and I believe in knowledge sharing. Cheers!
I will be trying this at home. I have a newly (black) painted IBC. I live in the tropics and will be placing my biodigester outdoors. Is there a maximum temperature I have to worry about?
I’m about to move into my RV and would like to build my own biogas system. I’d like to feed it through my black and gray holding tanks. I’m in Florida so the weather is hot but for ease of feeding the digester should I bury the IBC tank next to the RV like I’ve seen in one of your videos? And where is a good source to buy the tank? And the gas storage bags? Thank you:-)
Excellent video!! Just a few questions: where can I order the bladder for gas storage? At what level or how long will it take to start producing gas? How was the food ground in the areas without electricity? Can I put animal (cow, dogs and donkeys) manure in it? Thanks for this, I will build this very soon.
LingahbytheSea I'll try to help. First I had the same question about gas bags as well as biogas appliances. They're easy to get in Asia especially India but no one seems to be importing them into the US. All the local gas bag producers are for industrial applications. In a pinch use car and truck tires. Used ones are dirt cheap or free and even new ones can be cheap. They can also be compressed to increase gas pressure. As to how long until they start producing usable gas? At least a couple of months depending on temperature and feed stocks, 2 to 3 months. It's a continuous feed set up so it's a one time issue. I'd try to load it up half way as soon as possible using whatever you can scrounge including grass clippings. As to grinding you can use hand crank meat grinders although I like the garbage disposals best of all. Spend the money and get the best you can get so they'll even take animal bones. It adds calcium to your compost. Grazing animals are best but any manure will work. If you are adding a lot of dog, cat and human manure add in grass clippings or another bulk source. You'll get better output and better compost. Some of the best are rabbit and guinea pig although full size pigs work as well. Just treat their waste like human and add bulking materials as a carbon source. Just keep the light and oxygen out like he says. You might add in a packet of septic tank microbes to get the process kick started. Not essential but it can speed up the start up.
This is awesome! Question though: The blue pipe, the gas extractor, how does it access the gas, as the hole drilled in it will be below the water line, set by the higher effluent exit pipe with the T join in it? Everything is so clear, but I can't figure that one out. Any help?
thanks for the tutorial, I'm collecting information to try one by myself. I've just one question: for the T that comes out for the liquid fertilizer, the top should remain cover until i feed the tank, or it just open all the time? i'm not getting that part, I'm thinking that oxigen will get in via that open T top... thanks again!
I believe if you make a seal for the top of slury out, it will create a ciphon and the contents of the digester will empty if you have the external pipe going into a bucket. The slury pipe has the hole half way down the IBC, so no oxygen can get in too, closed system.
You can keep it open, the water creates an airlock. But yes I would get a cap for it but drill holes in the side, almost like a chimney top so no rain can enter.
that's a cool video. one question: for waste water (which can be used as fertilizer) to flow the IBC liquid level would have to be above the waste water Tee. that level would be seen across the feed pipe and the gas pipe (possible siphon issue). you'd have to make sure the feed pipe and gas is higher than waste elbow. am i right? that's going to get really messy. it would be great if you had a waste pipe mid way up the IBC and decided to drain it depending on the level as seen in the feed pipe
The simplicity an ingeniuitz are extremenly ineresting. Here are two questions: 1) where are the bacterias coming from who will digest the food waste? 2) can animal or human feces be put into the digester as well? 3) I don't understand how the sludge gets pushed out unless the IBS is full to the top. 4) anz estimate of gas production per cubic meter or liter of food waste?
+Yves Baggi To answer your questions: 1) methanogenic bacteria can come from a variety of sources, such as animal manure and biogas start packs. However, it is worth noting that AD will start spontaneously, although it may take longer for the right bacterial community to develop. 2) yes they can, in fact, you should definitely use animal manure as it will fasten the initial process. In fact, many biodigesters in China, India and other developing countries are dependent from the input of animal waste to provide the required gas output. Human faeces can also be used in AD, in thi case one would refer to the process as co-digestion. However, when doing so one should then treat the digestate prior using in agriculture as some parasites and pathogens can still be present. IN case you have enough space and organic matter, thermophilic composting (that is reaching temperatures of above 60 degrees Celsius) is a good treatment solution. HOwever you should monitor your composting heap reaches the requires temperatures for several days. 3) The IBS needs indeed to be full before any digestate will come out 4) The digestate output depends on the feedstock: kitchen scraps usually provide a better generation rate than animal dung and/or human faeces, as they contain more nutrients for the bacteria. You can gave therefore between 100 and 200 liters of methane for every liter of kitchen waste.
Thanks a lot +John Doe super responses. One clarification though. What do you mean by AD? Probably something related to 'Digestion'. Thank you very much.
+goinghomesomeday1 Yes, I'm hoping to build one at our Montessori School. Although we'll have to manage smell property, or we'll get shut down.... but there is a poney club next door so we should be getting enough horse dung. I would also love to make one for our secondary residence. But it would need to be highly automated as it would not have waste matter for days in a row in the winter. Any recommendations?
I see you haven't been able to get rid of last years ibc digester. I'd like to see you do a video on how to deal with a tank that got too cold and is no longer active.
Great video tutorial. Question about the hydrogen sulfide byproduct from anaerobic digestion which can be an issue. Is this an issue for residential biogas generators? if so, how can this issue be mitigated.
Mitigation is via a gas scrubber. The bio gas produced bubbles through a container of water with bleach added, and then through another filled with wire wool. This process removes the hydrogen sulphide which corrodes steel plumbing fittings and compressed gas storage tanks, and removes the C02. The next vessel holds cat litter to absorb the H2O and dry the gas before passing clean and dry into the storage device. Unscrubbed gas burns orange like the flame in this video. Clean scrubbed gas burns colourless in daylight and blue in a dark environment. Loads of You tube vids show how to make a bio gas scrubbing system to attach to the digester.
3:48 about PLUG-FLOW digestor design. Wont material remain in the input pipe that will basically be full to the fill line? Does it require an air-tight push plunger? to start the system you must fill it to the fill line? Also, the exit fertilizer pipe is open at the bottom? it's touching the bottom? Any filters or scrubbers? Will a system like this work in Florida for a solo off grid where it will be fed by table scraps and human bathroom?
Der Dünger ist ein nährstoffreicher flüssiger Komposttee. Es ist stark, so dass Sie es mit Wasser etwa 10 zu 1 oder 20 zu 1 verdünnen müssen. Sie können es sich wie die Flüssigkeit vorstellen, die aus einem Wurmkompostsystem kommt. Die zermahlenen Lebensmittelabfälle werden verdaut und treten als dünne Flüssigkeit aus. Sie gießen das einfach in einen Eimer mit Wasser und tragen es dann auf die Erde auf. Wenn Sie unserer Facebook-Gruppe beitreten, können wir viel mehr ins Detail gehen! Ich hoffe dich dort zu sehen. facebook.com/groups/methanogens
Thanks for this awesome manual. I neeeed to build one ;-) One question. Would it make sense to add a second IBC to furthermore get the last bit of gas out of the effluent? So a 2 stage digestion..
add a 50/50 water/waste mix until the slurry level is over the slurry exit tube hole, just over half way at least. you won't get slurry until there is enough slurry volume to allow it to exit the runoff pipe though. so if you add slurry until the tank is full, you will get slurry faster. also you should fill the tank in order to eliminate as much oxygen as possible. Oxygen is counter productive to the methane process, so, fill the whole thing. I would initially fill the tank near full until methane starts to be produced (between a week or two if everything is done right) then add slurry on whatever basis it accrues for you. The max slurry level in the fill tube won't exceed the highest point of the runoff tube, unless maybe you have a blockage in the runoff tube for some reason.
One of the best designs I've come across. I have to ask tho, if I wish to store the gas in cylinders; do we need to pressurize the gas? Do I need special equipment or tool for that?
Yeah you both need to filter CO2 and H2S and compress it in medium size unf we cant store directly I thought to store like that too bast way is pvc bladders I guess if you don't have filter and compressor
It seems that the tank must overpressure itself to force the fertilizer high enough to run out of the T... The T is a foot above the tank... By the time THAT occurs, it is also overpressured enough to force liquid out the gas tube as well... What am I missing...
✌️I’m not sure if this is the answer but worth a try. The liquid fertiliser overflowed because when they put a bend instead of a T it caused a syphon effect which could happen without the whole tank being over pressurised. I could be wrong, happy to discuss.
I just wanna ask something about the fertilizer outlet pipe, isn't it using a 3inch pipe? because I'm confused with the 2inch Tee and a 2 inch pipe. Any clarification is appreciated. Thanks.
What is the average monthly gas output in pounds for a IBC tote digester? How long would it take to produce same amount of gas in a 20bl propane grill bottle.
From the other videos I have watched the answer depends on what you feed it and how large an operation you have. One video use 3 IBCs and I think they said it would last them a couple of weeks once the gas was built up.
propane bottles normally operate with higher pressurization (According to the publication NFPA58, a tank with 20 pounds of gas at 70°F has a pressure of 145 psi, at 90°F would have 180 psi, at 105°F would have 235 psi, and at 130°F would have 315 psi.). This process is not a high pressure system like propane bottle filling stations are. The bladders expand until methane expands the bladder to max capacity only, then the contents of the tank would be forced out the runoff tube. If you build a similar, more robust, closed system, you could get higher pressures though, but then there are also more safety considerations, and feeding more biomass into a pressurized tank would become a challenge too.
Can this design work on a pig farm receiving waste from the pens? Guess the question is what volume of pig pen waste slurry can be accepted before the IBC tote is overwhelmed.
I am having issues in that my slurry pipe is not producing. My tank is now full, but nothing is coming out of the slurry pipe. In fact it is so full that it has blocked by gas outlet, and is forcing gas out the seals. I have ran a rod down the pipe thinking their could be blockage, but this has not cleared the pipe. I have liquid in the pipe at the top of the IBC, but it isn't forcing it up and out. Can you explain the issue and the solution?
Just want to ask. So the digester is full? Bcoz the outlet dictates the level of water inside the tank right? And the gas pipe r we sure that its methane will come out and not the liquid?
I'm sorry but I am trying to build one of these thing and am a little unclear on a few things. The uniseal is 2" but the hole is 3" the pipe is 2"??? Would it matter if I used a 3" uniseal on a 4" hole for the inlet and a 3" pipe? I ask because the plumbing on my house runs 3" pipe. Do I have to use a 3" or 4" pipe for the outlet if I use a 3" inlet pipe?
Uniseals are difficult to come by. INstead use crazy glue mixed with fine dry sand while gluing the pipes to IBC. Use some sort of flange on the outside of IBC to increase the area of glued connection and therefore strengthening it. Good silicone should work as well.
*I'll definitely build one of these within the next 5 years. I'll add it to my list of things to build. Everyone ask me again in 5 years if you see this comment!*
4 years to go, clock’s ticking! :’)
Imagine how many hot meals you cook or have cooked for you in 5 years, how about this year?! 🙏
3 years left
Better start collecting the materials 😊
@@adamdoig1448 I call next years message😉😂
Already been 2 years better get started
The most informative video on this subject that I have found yet. Thank you.
this is gold. million of people should see and do this.
I’ve seen some people use double blow up mattresses to store the gas, if you can’t find bladders. Then you could tee them together to increase capacity. On the plus side, it would allow you to put a flat board on top of the stack and sandbag it to give the required pressure, instead of pumping!
Any possible links to videos on how to connect that to this system?
This is the best I have seen. Simple and informative and motivational at the same time. Very good.
This a trippy ass way to explain it in the opening. I like it. Simple construction instructions.
I read "The Handbook of Homemade Power" when I was 14.. and studied deeply on these.. I had dug a hole in the yard, gotten barrels and many of the other parts, unfortunately, my parents made me fill the hole back in and I never finished. You have re-inspired me... Maybe I will build one of these for my farm sometime soon. There are 2 best temperature zones for anaerobic digestion 90 degrees F and 120-130 F. My thought is to tie this in to my greenhouse thermal mass system and use the excess heat to help better regulate the digester temps. Thanks for sharing!
I've been thinking of this for a while and was looking for a good "how to" video, so thanks - I can't give you enough upticks! All the ideas I had were complicating the whole thing far too much. This is simple and doable and I can't wait to get started. Best wishes.
I am not sure if you build one already. If not try to build it with a 4" Feed in Pipe in the center and incorporate a stirrer
@@gustav-adolfschildt I’m about to start building one, have several 330 totes available and even have a long piece of 6” pvc and 10” pvc female ends that I picked up on Craigslist for $20, any tips you can give me? 6” too big, 4” better? 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Aside from the victimization 'hook' at the beginning, this was an extremely well done video. Straightforward and understandable.
best video on the subject right now I'm sleeping in my car, lost my home due to Hurricane Micheal when it hit Florida, On social security due to Parkinson. could not afford house insurance. Probably get me a utility building next month to live in and maybe a use RV in 6 months,, Just got power back yesterday got a tent set up as well Studying up on as many ways as I can that I can be off the grid,, I do have to have the power lines running to my new place, but I will be using my power as much as possible
THIS IS THE BEST DESIGN I HAVE SEEN SO FAR
I AGREE! THIS MAKES ME REALLY FEEL LIKE I CAN DO IT MYSELF!
agree been studying up on the subject uses materials that I can get a hole of
I'll pile on the accolades. Phenomenal video.
What a fantastic video, so well explained and inspiring.
one wonders how one missed this video... great job!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have been eye balling this biogas stuff for awhile now. But trying to think about its viability here in Canada. I think after seeing this that I have found the solution here. This should complete my off grid system very nicely. Again thank you!!!!!
concise, clear, and no bs! thank you!
Top video.
Looking forward to the video to teach how to scrub the gases produced of all impurities that will lead to the corrosion of pressurised storage and plumbing.
This is a great solution for off-grid living and I plan to build a system like this to manage off-grid waste. However I must point out that in several of your examples you show biogas stored in bags in areas where if they were exposed to a source of ignition a serious fire or explosion could occur. I feel that unless someone is properly trained in how to store gas safely they should not attempt it without professional help. these gas bags are only safe if stored outside and away from any buildings and should be fenced off with warning signs like you would find at a gas station. People could be seriously injured or killed by the amount of gas these bags can hold. Never store these bags inside a building. You should note this in your video. Other than that this is really great technology that should be used more. I am working on a way to use the waste gas to heat the digestor to keep the bacteria happy in a cold climate and make the process more effective than a septic waste disposal system.
I have considered this for my home, but the things I have read indicate a small amount of gas is produced in a household sized system.
This lead me to think of what else it could be used for, and I came to the conclusion that a green/grow house, lit/heated by gaslight would make sense.
When I search for information on growing plants by gaslight, I get either ancient information, or weed growers referencing that ancient information to use with electrical light.
I think a building that processes compost through chickens and the chicken waste through a biogas system, while growing plants, and producing fertilizer, would be a good fit in lots of urban areas.
Excellent, so inspiring, thank you! I can't wait to implement this on my off-grid finca
Would this work coupled with a black soldier fly cultivation unit?
To use the worms to pre grind the biomass and use what nutrients they can for a more useful/valuable resource (food or feed), then make biogass from what remains?
Very scientific explanation. I like your T fix method to prevent vapour lock. For a while, I was thinking about a single solution to purify both CO2 and H2S through a sustainable method. How about using NaOH or KOH solution to bubble through first? H2S becomes Na2S/K2S+H2O and CO2 becomes Na2CO3/K2CO3+ H2O. Then we can add a water container to bubble through to remove alkalinity in the gas in case. You can make the system locally sustainable if you use KOH solution made from wood-ash.
nice!
Can someone point to WHAT this would look like and how to do it. Thanks
You might consider marking the pipes above the top of the tank, to indicate which direction the cuts and holes below.
If you use a hot water recirculating pump to limit how much water you waste in your house waiting for hot water when you turn on a faucet, I think you can add more loop so that you can heat the reactor. less water waste, no need to worry about the temps dropping
You guys are amazing! This is absolutely priceless!
Hi, wonderful video. Very clear. It´s there a possibility to get a list of materials please? Thanks
in cold climates placing the digester in the ground surrounded by grass clippings would likely increase the heat of the tank.
I would use strawbales covered with something waterproof..very cheap and god insulator
Best video I have seen thus far. Many thanks.
Thanks to Mashav 2017, I had a hands on training on this simple but very useful technology. I hope to use it basically solve sanitation problem and use the efflueut to plant vegetables
Great Video, but why are the pipes extended to the bottom of the tank? couldn't we cut the gas pipe under the top directly ? the waster water pipe be plugged on the side of the tank at mid height ? and the sludge pipe cut under the top too ?
I had the same question. But since he uses a uniseal, it prevents the pipe from sliding further in. In other words, the height can be maintained.
Thanks a lot for this video! It the exact amount of intentionality and detail that I want! You rock.
Thomas - I'm kinda obsessed with this topic for the various food waste reduction, reduced carbon footprint, and alternative fuel reasons and have been watching a number of your well-done how-to's - thanks!! I'd love to see what setup you did for the under-sink version at 6:24 as something that would work for we house- and apartment-dwelling masses? I've been all over your Solar CITIES website, too...love the mission! Cheers
Love this design. I picked up a dozen IBC totes today and am using some for pig housing. I think I would do this design with a larger intake pipe, Something 6-12" in diameter. Would you foresee any issue with that? I'd like to be able to shovel manure into it. Also does the intake pipe need a cap? Great Work!
Michael Carey I now routinely use 4 inch pipes for inlet for the past 4 years. Works much better, yes.
How has this turned out for your farm?
Great job on the illustration.
Awesome video, thanks! Quick question. I've built the 3ibc system. Now that it's all connected and producing gas, my slury out pipe is never exiting fertilizer. It does when I close off the gas as the pressure pushes it out. How do you balance this? Or do you occasionally close off the gas to get the fertiliser. Thanks!
Exactamente, lo que te ocurre es normal, ningún fluido va a ascender nunca por una tubería sin una fuerza que le obligue a ello. Si el consumo de gas es superior o igual al ritmo de producción la presión dentro del tanque va nunca a ser la necesaria para que el bioabono salga.
That is for taking the time to share those folks 👍💓🙏
Incredible, inspiring and so informative thank you!
Great tutorial. Whatehver, If You are stuck with diffrent designs, remember the basics.
Digestion takes place în a sealed container, in order to be able to collect the gas.
Hi Thomas, Interested in this gas collection system. Can I ask how you stop the pressure in the gas holder pushing back into the digester? I had an issue with slurry being pushed out of the feed and effluent pipes. Anyway all the best. Tanc
So I’m currently doing vermicomposting, bokashi ferment and basic thermocomposting. Very curious about this as an addition or adjunct. Curious what the tea that comes out looks like under a microscope and how much gas can be produced from one of these on average. Seems like the amount of fertilizer out is the same amount of food waste in roughly.
Would it be possible to build a digester out of a 12 inch PVC pipe and lay it horizontally? Feed it on one end, take the gas from the top and take the slurry from the far end?
If so, this would open up a lot of possibilities as to where you could put it, and it would make it easier to connect it to your sink and its garbage disposal.
if the hole in the gas pipe is above the water line, how does the slurry escape through the third pipe? how is the slurry pushed up the compost-tea above the water mark?
gas that is produced pushes the slurry out
The hole in the slurry pipe is half way up the tank, and below the liquid level. as you feed waste and H2O into the feed tube, the level of slurry will rise, and will run off through the slurry pipe. That the methane builds inside the airtight tank (above the liquid level), it will offset the "pressure" that will build as slurry is added, then exit through the runoff tube. If no gas is consumed and the methane storage bladder is aloud to reach max capacity, the slurry level will be pushed down as the methane increases in volume, until it is pushed out the slurry hole and the gas escapes there too.
I saw it in India and all it consists of was a square brick trough, a metal container with bottom removed, and the trough was filled with animal cow pat's and then the metal box put on top, a pipe came from the box to a cooker, and that was that. Brick+ box +pipe =free gas. Government in the UK would rather you died from cold than have anything free.
Very good technique and presentation.
I love it was a great information i will do this once i got back from my country
Thank you for this video. It is exactly what I have been looking for. Now I can build one. Cheers
Great video!
I’m thinking of using this system for vermicomposting with some adjustments. Do you think that’s possible?
Thanks!
The gas would kill the worms. Worms would also drown.
Good day,
I have some questions...
- Why does the digester have to be fed at the bottom? Will some of the fresh material you throw in not float in the pipe?
- How long does it take to produce fertilizer at optimum temperature?
- There are different grades/types of steel wool, which one do I use to clean the gas of SO2?
- How do the microorganisms get into the digester? Or are they on/in the food scraps that are thrown in?
- I’m aware that the fertilizer is produced in the middle but what can I do with what floats at the top of the tank and what sinks to the bottom?
Thank you
Hi ToffaX, please post these excellent questions to our facebook group "Solar CITIES Biogas Innoventors and Practitoners" and we can answer them better.
Thanks for sharing.
Does the 2nd pipe have one hole or is it on both sides?
Again Thank you
so I'm guessing the fertilizer pipe doesn't exhaust gas because of the upper liquid layer of the compost creating a sort of "gas seal"? seems like it means it would take some time for the gas build up to start.
Hi, Good video! The way you feed it and draw off, the heights of your pipes where you draw off will be the the height of your liquid, how do you keep the fluid out of your gas line?
My thought as well. Did you ever figure it out?
Gas generated floats on top of the fat-oil-grease or F.O.G; which will escape through the whole drilled on the blue pvc pipe near the top the IBC tank for maximum gas collection. As far as the fluid and gas getting mixed up goes, well they won't because the gas escape whole is up near the IBC upper wall, where the liquid fertilizer intake perforation is around the middle of the fluid within the system. And remember, if you feed five litters of new grounded food material into the biodigester, an equivalent of five litter of liquid fertilizer will be forced out...It is simply a mass balance kind of situation. I hope this helped clearify this system. DISCLAIMER- I don't work for this company; However I am a Hydraulic Engineer and I believe in knowledge sharing. Cheers!
@@harissououro4335 o
Brilliant explanation and design, thank you for sharing!
Thank you from Zimbabwe. 2021 lockdown project.
I will do this for sure...
Hey, it's been 2 years. Have you tried? How did it go? Thanks
Did it work?
wonder why theres only comments from 3 years ago..must be shadow banned
As an avid follower of your channel, I'm curious, did you do this? Did I miss a video on it?
How much gas, if everything is optimized, should you get on a daily basis? Enough to heat an average sized house in a moderate climate for a day?
I will be trying this at home.
I have a newly (black) painted IBC. I live in the tropics and will be placing my biodigester outdoors. Is there a maximum temperature I have to worry about?
O my friend how I so agree with what you said at the start of your very well made video. God bless you and keep you and thank you 👍
BEAUTIFUL!!!Can't wait to build one!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
5 years later, how did it turn out?
I’m about to move into my RV and would like to build my own biogas system. I’d like to feed it through my black and gray holding tanks. I’m in Florida so the weather is hot but for ease of feeding the digester should I bury the IBC tank next to the RV like I’ve seen in one of your videos? And where is a good source to buy the tank? And the gas storage bags? Thank you:-)
I didnt go throught all the comments but is there a link to the pvc balloon, either make or buy? Thanks
Excellent video!!
Just a few questions: where can I order the bladder for gas storage?
At what level or how long will it take to start producing gas?
How was the food ground in the areas without electricity?
Can I put animal (cow, dogs and donkeys) manure in it?
Thanks for this, I will build this very soon.
LingahbytheSea I'll try to help. First I had the same question about gas bags as well as biogas appliances. They're easy to get in Asia especially India but no one seems to be importing them into the US. All the local gas bag producers are for industrial applications. In a pinch use car and truck tires. Used ones are dirt cheap or free and even new ones can be cheap. They can also be compressed to increase gas pressure.
As to how long until they start producing usable gas? At least a couple of months depending on temperature and feed stocks, 2 to 3 months. It's a continuous feed set up so it's a one time issue. I'd try to load it up half way as soon as possible using whatever you can scrounge including grass clippings.
As to grinding you can use hand crank meat grinders although I like the garbage disposals best of all. Spend the money and get the best you can get so they'll even take animal bones. It adds calcium to your compost.
Grazing animals are best but any manure will work. If you are adding a lot of dog, cat and human manure add in grass clippings or another bulk source. You'll get better output and better compost. Some of the best are rabbit and guinea pig although full size pigs work as well. Just treat their waste like human and add bulking materials as a carbon source. Just keep the light and oxygen out like he says. You might add in a packet of septic tank microbes to get the process kick started. Not essential but it can speed up the start up.
If you are using excrement you have to be mindful of pathogens.
... not if it's your own excrement, for your own end product
you think your shit does not have parasites etc?
This is awesome! Question though: The blue pipe, the gas extractor, how does it access the gas, as the hole drilled in it will be below the water line, set by the higher effluent exit pipe with the T join in it? Everything is so clear, but I can't figure that one out. Any help?
thanks for the tutorial, I'm collecting information to try one by myself. I've just one question: for the T that comes out for the liquid fertilizer, the top should remain cover until i feed the tank, or it just open all the time? i'm not getting that part, I'm thinking that oxigen will get in via that open T top... thanks again!
That's the same here...I dont get this part...if uve a solution, post it here pls...thx in advance bro! :)
I personally cover it, but mainly because I live in a place that rains a lot and I don't want it to fill with rainwater
I believe if you make a seal for the top of slury out, it will create a ciphon and the contents of the digester will empty if you have the external pipe going into a bucket. The slury pipe has the hole half way down the IBC, so no oxygen can get in too, closed system.
You can keep it open, the water creates an airlock. But yes I would get a cap for it but drill holes in the side, almost like a chimney top so no rain can enter.
Awesome video tutorial. I'm definitely going to make one to heat water.
that's a cool video. one question: for waste water (which can be used as fertilizer) to flow the IBC liquid level would have to be above the waste water Tee. that level would be seen across the feed pipe and the gas pipe (possible siphon issue). you'd have to make sure the feed pipe and gas is higher than waste elbow. am i right? that's going to get really messy. it would be great if you had a waste pipe mid way up the IBC and decided to drain it depending on the level as seen in the feed pipe
pls will any vegetable oil work to reduce the smile or only
vegetable oil citronella? by the way nice video thanks for the explanation.
hamzara adu , vegetable oil or citronela
The simplicity an ingeniuitz are extremenly ineresting.
Here are two questions:
1) where are the bacterias coming from who will digest the food waste?
2) can animal or human feces be put into the digester as well?
3) I don't understand how the sludge gets pushed out unless the IBS is full to the top.
4) anz estimate of gas production per cubic meter or liter of food waste?
+Yves Baggi To answer your questions:
1) methanogenic bacteria can come from a variety of sources, such as animal manure and biogas start packs. However, it is worth noting that AD will start spontaneously, although it may take longer for the right bacterial community to develop.
2) yes they can, in fact, you should definitely use animal manure as it will fasten the initial process. In fact, many biodigesters in China, India and other developing countries are dependent from the input of animal waste to provide the required gas output. Human faeces can also be used in AD, in thi case one would refer to the process as co-digestion. However, when doing so one should then treat the digestate prior using in agriculture as some parasites and pathogens can still be present. IN case you have enough space and organic matter, thermophilic composting (that is reaching temperatures of above 60 degrees Celsius) is a good treatment solution. HOwever you should monitor your composting heap reaches the requires temperatures for several days.
3) The IBS needs indeed to be full before any digestate will come out
4) The digestate output depends on the feedstock: kitchen scraps usually provide a better generation rate than animal dung and/or human faeces, as they contain more nutrients for the bacteria. You can gave therefore between 100 and 200 liters of methane for every liter of kitchen waste.
Thanks a lot +John Doe
super responses. One clarification though. What do you mean by AD? Probably something related to 'Digestion'.
Thank you very much.
+Yves Baggi you ate welcome. AD = anaerobic digestion
+goinghomesomeday1
Yes, I'm hoping to build one at our Montessori School. Although we'll have to manage smell property, or we'll get shut down.... but there is a poney club next door so we should be getting enough horse dung.
I would also love to make one for our secondary residence. But it would need to be highly automated as it would not have waste matter for days in a row in the winter.
Any recommendations?
+John Doe
Thank you again. I had hear of the anaerobic digestion. SO all these digesters are anaerobic then?
I see you haven't been able to get rid of last years ibc digester. I'd like to see you do a video on how to deal with a tank that got too cold and is no longer active.
thanks for the great vid. What's the best forum for questions on biogas systems?
Can the feeding pipe NOT touch the base of the tank, but feed the kitchen scraps to the middle depth instead?
Great video tutorial. Question about the hydrogen sulfide byproduct from anaerobic digestion which can be an issue. Is this an issue for residential biogas generators? if so, how can this issue be mitigated.
Mitigation is via a gas scrubber.
The bio gas produced bubbles through a container of water with bleach added, and then through another filled with wire wool. This process removes the hydrogen sulphide which corrodes steel plumbing fittings and compressed gas storage tanks, and removes the C02.
The next vessel holds cat litter to absorb the H2O and dry the gas before passing clean and dry into the storage device. Unscrubbed gas burns orange like the flame in this video.
Clean scrubbed gas burns colourless in daylight and blue in a dark environment.
Loads of You tube vids show how to make a bio gas scrubbing system to attach to the digester.
3:48 about PLUG-FLOW digestor design. Wont material remain in the input pipe that will basically be full to the fill line? Does it require an air-tight push plunger? to start the system you must fill it to the fill line? Also, the exit fertilizer pipe is open at the bottom? it's touching the bottom? Any filters or scrubbers? Will a system like this work in Florida for a solo off grid where it will be fed by table scraps and human bathroom?
How does this design differ from your previous design which used 3 IBC tanks? Was the pressure from the 3 tank system worth the effort? Thanks!
I dont understand the fertilizer... how does it work (please in simple englisch, i am from Germany)
Der Dünger ist ein nährstoffreicher flüssiger Komposttee. Es ist stark, so dass Sie es mit Wasser etwa 10 zu 1 oder 20 zu 1 verdünnen müssen. Sie können es sich wie die Flüssigkeit vorstellen, die aus einem Wurmkompostsystem kommt. Die zermahlenen Lebensmittelabfälle werden verdaut und treten als dünne Flüssigkeit aus. Sie gießen das einfach in einen Eimer mit Wasser und tragen es dann auf die Erde auf. Wenn Sie unserer Facebook-Gruppe beitreten, können wir viel mehr ins Detail gehen! Ich hoffe dich dort zu sehen. facebook.com/groups/methanogens
Great stuff, I'm yet to try this in Mzansi(S.Africa) My country men don't share information. Once again great stuff
I'm looking to maybe build one, is this designed just as good as prebuild ones?
Thanks for this awesome manual. I neeeed to build one ;-)
One question. Would it make sense to add a second IBC to furthermore get the last bit of gas out of the effluent? So a 2 stage digestion..
If you have the time, space, and money why not?
How much water should we put in the IBC before any wast goes in????
add a 50/50 water/waste mix until the slurry level is over the slurry exit tube hole, just over half way at least. you won't get slurry until there is enough slurry volume to allow it to exit the runoff pipe though. so if you add slurry until the tank is full, you will get slurry faster. also you should fill the tank in order to eliminate as much oxygen as possible. Oxygen is counter productive to the methane process, so, fill the whole thing. I would initially fill the tank near full until methane starts to be produced (between a week or two if everything is done right) then add slurry on whatever basis it accrues for you. The max slurry level in the fill tube won't exceed the highest point of the runoff tube, unless maybe you have a blockage in the runoff tube for some reason.
One of the best designs I've come across.
I have to ask tho, if I wish to store the gas in cylinders; do we need to pressurize the gas? Do I need special equipment or tool for that?
Yeah you both need to filter CO2 and H2S and compress it in medium size unf we cant store directly I thought to store like that too bast way is pvc bladders I guess if you don't have filter and compressor
Do you have a step by step instructions coupled with this video? Also could I use this to power my car!?
It seems that the tank must overpressure itself to force the fertilizer high enough to run out of the T... The T is a foot above the tank... By the time THAT occurs, it is also overpressured enough to force liquid out the gas tube as well... What am I missing...
✌️I’m not sure if this is the answer but worth a try.
The liquid fertiliser overflowed because when they put a bend instead of a T it caused a syphon effect which could happen without the whole tank being over pressurised.
I could be wrong, happy to discuss.
Hello, could you please tell me where in Swaziland you built the digester?
Thank you so much for such a great video explaining and proving this can be done :)
I just wanna ask something about the fertilizer outlet pipe, isn't it using a 3inch pipe? because I'm confused with the 2inch Tee and a 2 inch pipe. Any clarification is appreciated. Thanks.
Can you feed the gas to a compressor? Still using the bag as an in-between?
What is the average monthly gas output in pounds for a IBC tote digester? How long would it take to produce same amount of gas in a 20bl propane grill bottle.
From the other videos I have watched the answer depends on what you feed it and how large an operation you have. One video use 3 IBCs and I think they said it would last them a couple of weeks once the gas was built up.
Odis Hi, can you provide video link for the system with 3 IBC C tanks?
propane bottles normally operate with higher pressurization (According to the publication NFPA58, a tank with 20 pounds of gas at 70°F has a pressure of 145 psi, at 90°F would have 180 psi, at 105°F would have 235 psi, and at 130°F would have 315 psi.). This process is not a high pressure system like propane bottle filling stations are. The bladders expand until methane expands the bladder to max capacity only, then the contents of the tank would be forced out the runoff tube. If you build a similar, more robust, closed system, you could get higher pressures though, but then there are also more safety considerations, and feeding more biomass into a pressurized tank would become a challenge too.
Can this design work on a pig farm receiving waste from the pens? Guess the question is what volume of pig pen waste slurry can be accepted before the IBC tote is overwhelmed.
PVC Balloon, where you get it? you ever try store the gas in metal container?
In transmitting of the gas to the kitchen could any type of pipe be use
holy shit so many great ideas for sustainability. I personally love the idea of using hot shower waster water for heating of the biogas generator
Thank you very much for sharing with us all your knowledges about biogas. Thanks for your practical and clever ideas.
Isnt this essentially a septic tank only with a funnel from the kitchen added?
I’m wonder if you can use this on a home septic system?
I am having issues in that my slurry pipe is not producing. My tank is now full, but nothing is coming out of the slurry pipe. In fact it is so full that it has blocked by gas outlet, and is forcing gas out the seals. I have ran a rod down the pipe thinking their could be blockage, but this has not cleared the pipe. I have liquid in the pipe at the top of the IBC, but it isn't forcing it up and out. Can you explain the issue and the solution?
Thanks for the response. It did start flowing a few days after I posted.
What paint are you using... I painted my IBC black, and it flaked off in big chunks within a year... I roughed up the surface and primed it too...
Just want to ask. So the digester is full? Bcoz the outlet dictates the level of water inside the tank right? And the gas pipe r we sure that its methane will come out and not the liquid?
Could someone explain how you would have fertilizer output when you have a hole halfway up the fertilizer output pipe?
Hi Thomas, this's great, do you have special training session for people outside your location?
I’d be interested in that class too
I'm sorry but I am trying to build one of these thing and am a little unclear on a few things. The uniseal is 2" but the hole is 3" the pipe is 2"??? Would it matter if I used a 3" uniseal on a 4" hole for the inlet and a 3" pipe? I ask because the plumbing on my house runs 3" pipe. Do I have to use a 3" or 4" pipe for the outlet if I use a 3" inlet pipe?
I don't think it matters how you seal the pipes, silicone would do the job, just mach the hole close to your pipe size..
awsome?
Uniseals are difficult to come by. INstead use crazy glue mixed with fine dry sand while gluing the pipes to IBC. Use some sort of flange on the outside of IBC to increase the area of glued connection and therefore strengthening it. Good silicone should work as well.
this is wonderful
how can i get trained for this or buy a training video or book
Yea, I want some hands-on training too!
Me three please as i want to build this in my home country
It says what to do on this vid
zini.
is the tank is too full. I want one at home and need to be trained. do you have video ?