Simplicity Hits the Gas: A Robust, DIY Biogas Reactor Holds Potential in Research and Education in Bioeconomy

Abstract

Biogas is a promising and robust renewable energy that holds potential as clean energy in the context of the current climatic emergency. Biogas has the immense advantage of coupling waste management and clean energy production. In other words, it is not only a renewable energy source, but also a central tool in recycling a vast range of waste products from the agroindustry. Despite its potential, the process is microbiologically complex and is usually carried out in both industrial and pilot laboratories, utilizing a variety of reactors and systems. In this work, we present a very simple, Do It Yourself (DIY) biogas fermenter that we have designed, operated, and characterized. We propose this technology as both an inexpensive proxy for biogas reactors in academic and private laboratories and as an effective dissemination tool to foster the knowledge and potential of biogas as a key technology to contribute to the development of a global bioeconomy.

Operation of a Pilot-Scale Biogas Plant Made of Textile Materials and Application of Its Results to a Full-Sized Demonstration Plant

“…Furthermore, there are numerous experiments with plastic biogas reactors used for educational purposes in laboratory-scale settings [17,18] and for households and small farms with volumes under 10 m 3 [19,20] in different countries around Asia, Africa and South America [20]. The applied plastic materials include fiber-reinforced plastics, soft plastics and hard plastics [20].…”