Comparative Kinetic Evaluation and Bio-energy Potential of Anaerobic Co-digestion of Cow Dung with Invasive Water Hyacinth and Agro-industrial Cassava Peels | Chapter 8 | Engineering Research: Perspectives on Recent Advances Vol. 12

 

Third-world areas are facing a two-fold problem in terms of how the organic waste streams can be handled and how they can be provided with predictable and decentralised energy. This research paper is a comparative kinetic evaluation of the anaerobic co-digestion of cow dung (CD) with 2 different high-carbon feedstuffs, cassava peel (CP) and water hyacinth (WH), on the stability, performance, and fuel quality of biogas produced under mesophilic batch anaerobic digestion. Three digestion systems were operated for 30 days: cow dung alone (CD), cow dung with cassava peel (CD+CP), and cow dung with water hyacinth (CD+WH). Daily monitoring of temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), and gas yield provided insights into microbial activity and substrate behaviour. All digesters maintained constant mesophilic conditions (25 - 32 °C) and buffered pH values (7.2 - 8.9) for most of the retention period, with a final decline (≈5.2 - 6.1) marking substrate depletion. Co‑digestion markedly improved biogas productivity compared to mono‑digestion. The CD+WH blend produced 4,810 L of biogas (72.8% increase), with steady gas release linked to the gradual breakdown of lignocellulosic material. The CD+CP blend achieved the highest yield at 5,042 L (81.1% increase), driven by the rapid fermentation of cassava starch. Gas composition analysis showed methane concentrations peaking at 61.0% in CD+CP, compared with 52.0% in CD alone. However, all raw gases contained critically high hydrogen sulfide (5,000 - 8,000 ppm). A low-cost, locally designed and fabricated iron-oxide scrubber used during this work successfully eliminated H2S by reducing the concentration from about 8000 ppm to 0 ppm. Post-scrubbing flammability tests confirmed high-quality fuel, with co‑digested gases producing strong blue flames characteristic of methane-rich biogas. Beyond energy recovery, the study also demonstrated the agronomic value of the digester effluents. The nutrient-rich slurry was applied as fertiliser to plants, improving soil quality and supporting healthy growth, thereby closing the resource loop between waste management, energy generation, and agriculture. In addition to energy recovery, the nutrient-rich digester effluents were applied as fertiliser, improving soil quality and supporting plant growth. The findings demonstrate that co-digestion of cow dung with cassava peel or water hyacinth enhances biogas yield, methane content, and process stability while generating valuable organic fertiliser. This integrated approach supports decentralised renewable energy and sustainable agriculture in biomass-rich regions.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Stephen Oyelami
Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

 

Otaraku J. Ipeghan
Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

 

Akuma Oji
Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

 

Please see the link:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/erpra/v12/6953

 

Sustainable Biofuel Production from Agricultural Waste: Advances in Biochemical and Thermochemical Conversion Pathways | Chapter 8 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 6

Introduction: Agricultural waste represents an underutilized renewable resource with significant potential for biofuel production. As global energy demands increase and climate change concerns intensify, the need for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels has become critical. Agricultural residues and by-products offer a promising feedstock option that avoids competition with food production while addressing waste management challenges. These materials, primarily composed of lignocellulosic biomass, can be converted through various biological and thermochemical processes to produce liquid biofuels and biogas, potentially contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation efforts while supporting rural economies.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the latest advancement in the production of biofuels from agricultural waste.

Materials and Methods: The study examines various types of agricultural waste, including crop residues, animal manure, and agro-industrial by-products, analysing their composition and suitability for biofuel production. Different conversion pathways are investigated, including fermentation, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification. The research evaluates pretreatment methods, enzyme production pathways, and synthesis processes for various biofuels like ethanol, butanol, and diesel substitutes. Case studies of operational plants and feasibility studies are analysed to assess technical and economic viability at commercial scale. Environmental impact assessments focus on greenhouse gas emissions, soil nutrient cycling, and sustainability metrics.

Results: The analysis reveals that agricultural waste can be effectively converted to biofuels through multiple pathways, each with specific advantages and challenges. Fermentation and anaerobic digestion show promising results for bioethanol and biogas production, while thermochemical processes demonstrate potential for producing advanced liquid fuels. Case studies indicate that commercial-scale operations are technically feasible, though economic viability varies with feedstock availability and processing efficiency. Environmental assessments show significant greenhouse gas reductions compared to fossil fuels, with additional benefits in waste management and soil nutrient recycling when properly implemented.

Discussion: While agricultural waste shows promise as a biofuel feedstock, several challenges must be addressed for widespread adoption. These include feedstock logistics, seasonal availability, and heterogeneous composition affecting conversion efficiency. Pretreatment technologies and process optimization remain critical areas for improvement. Economic viability depends on scale, technology selection, and policy support. Environmental benefits are significant but require careful management of soil health and nutrient cycling. Future research should focus on improving conversion efficiencies, developing integrated biorefinery concepts, and establishing sustainable supply chains.

Conclusion: Agricultural waste represents a viable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel production when integrated with appropriate conversion technologies. The review finds that while technical feasibility has been demonstrated at various scales, continued advancement in pretreatment technologies, process efficiency, and supply chain management is needed. Environmental benefits are substantial, particularly in greenhouse gas mitigation and waste management. Success in commercialization will require supportive policy frameworks, improved technology integration, and demonstration of long-term sustainability. The sector shows significant potential for contributing to renewable energy goals while supporting agricultural waste management and rural development.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Francis Mekunye
Auburn University, Alabama, USA.

 

Peter Makinde
Ohio University, Athens, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v6/3285

Sustainable Solution to the Food Waste Disposal at Workmen Camp | Chapter 4 | Research and Developments in Engineering Research Vol. 7

The object concerning this research is to discover sustainable resolution to the food waste disposal at workmen camp.In current age, food appliance for grinding garbage at workmen camp is one of the bigger problems being confronted via many countries with its own government the world over. In the workmen colony at Chittapur, kalaburagi locality, Karnataka State, India, a chain of kitchens were constructed for browning purpose and some of limited canteens were also worked. Big quantity of drink waste was collected regularly from these eateries and disposed at a faraway place. Food waste is well degradable in nature, except that disposed correctly it causes environmental pollution. Hence, it is very main to identify tenable environmental method to order food waste at laborer camp. An anaerobic digestion plan was adopted. And built an anaerobic digestion arrangement with a capacity of 500 kg per epoch at workmen camp. This establishment is the first show up the construction manufacturing at workmen camp in India. An Anaerobic Digestion has been acknowledged as one of high-quality options that are available for doctoring food waste, in the end it produce methane smoke   and compost accompanying nutrients. Biogas is a combination of CH4 and CO2 about (55:45). Micro-economical benefits by energy and manure substitutes and macro-financial benefits through decentralizing energy era and environmental protection is the main benefit of biogas plant using fare waste at the workmen camp. Biogas generated maybe used for thermal requests such as boiling or for generating power. The digested slurry is a well sustained organic fertilizer and can be used as soil manure. Plant was designed to handle 500 kg of cuisine waste /day. 27 kg LPG was produce from 500kg of kitchen waste and bearing organic fertilizer with plant micro and large-scale nutrients. This maybe used for increasing plants and in agriculture. The annual income has generated Rupees of 10.62 lakh and the annual payment was Rupees of 1.8 lakh. The net benefit of Rupees 8.82 lakh. Payback period is 2.1 years. This process controls the loud noises and fulfilled the idea of reduce, talk over again and energy improvement. This establishment is the first come into sight the construction manufacturing at workmen camp in India. It controls the environmental pollution and fulfilled the idea of Reduce, Reuse, and Energy Recovery.

Author(s) Details:

G. Reddy Babu,
Department of Civil Engineering, Seshadri Rao Gudlavalleru Engineering College, Gudlavalleru-521356, Andhra Pradesh, India.

G. Madhava Kumar,
Chief Manager-EHS, Siemens Large Drives India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RADER-V7/article/view/11704

Advanced Thermophilic Fermentation of Wood Wastes with Nitrogen-rich Agricultural and Other Organic Wastes for the Production of Biomethane/Renewable Natural Gas Globally | Chapter 1 | Research Advances in Microbiology and Biotechnology Vol. 4

 Improved thicket management formed of the collection of tree mortalities and of the pruning of tree stands can yield a big, but as of now mainly un-utilized biomass property that can be employed as well high in nitrogen content land wastes such as animal manures to produce inexhaustible natural gas via a organic process.  The novel process mimics the well-known forest digestion to poison gas employed by lower termites but operating at thermophilic temperatures. The adaptation process of renewable forest to green or bio-poison gas, designated as “Wood to Methane 3+2” exists of five (3+2) steps. The initial “3” steps of the process include (a) forest maceration to 1 mm pieces, (b) aerobic hyperthermophilic (70o) hydrolysis of the homogenized combination of wood and manure accompanying the aid of thermophilic fungi (Humicola insolens and Sporotrichum thermophile), and (c) the anaerobic thermophilic (55oC) co-digestion of the feedstock into biogas. The definitive “2” steps consist of (d) the improve of the generated biogas into “basic” bio-methane fuel by way of a three-stage commercial sheath separation plan along with the sequestration of the colorless odorless gas, and (e) the conversion of the isolated carbon dioxide into “subordinate” bio-methane fuel accompanying hydrogen produced by wind-stimulate water electrolysis in a thermophilic (55oC) anaerobic trickle bed catalyst employing hydrogenotrophic archaea (Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus). An optimally patterned, modular, industrial type plant treats occurring 12,000 mt (metric tons) of forest wastes (80% TS) and 12,000 mt of suitable animal manures (10% TS) and create 7.6 million Nm3 of primary and subordinate bio-poison gas fuel along with biography-fertilizers amounting to 2,800 mt of green liquid as ammonium nitrate, 1,000 mt of potassium concentrate and 3,500 mt of phosphate-rich humic soil amendment, has a negative 10,000 mt colorless odorless gas footprint and demands 25 MW of wind power.  The caused renewable natural gas maybe employed essentially or along with green hydrogen as an state-of-the-art, renewable, negative carbon conveyance fuel. The available appropriate waste-wood possessions globally are adequate to supply as much as 1/5 of the world’s energy basic needs in the 2nd half of the 21st century.

Author(s) Details:

John G. Ingersoll,
ECOCORP INC., Arlington, VA-22202, USA.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RAMB-V4/article/view/10127

Kinetic Study and Model Development for Cumulative Biogas Production from Cattle Dung | Chapter 5 | Advanced Aspects of Engineering Research Vol. 15

 Methane, carbon dioxide, and traces of numerous trace elements make up biogas. It is produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as cattle manure, and it is influenced by a number of factors that affect the population and activity of the bacteria that produce biogas. One of the many factors that influences biogas production from cattle manure is temperature.

At temperatures ranging from 35°C to 55°C, with each step of 5°C, the influence of temperature on biogas production from cattle dung was tested. A mathematical model developed in this work is used to assess the effect of temperature on the rate of biogas production from cattle manure.

To develop the new mathematical model, the temperature influence is added to the modified Gompertz model. At temperatures ranging from 35°C to 55°C, the new model was found to be capable of predicting biogas production from cattle manure. The new model's results are found to be substantially connected with the current study's experimental data.

Author (S) Details

Dr. Manjula Das Ghatak
Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, Yupia, Papum Pare, India.

Prof. Pinakeswar Mahanta
Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, North Guwahati, Assam, India.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/AAER-V15/article/view/1741

Characterization of Mesophilic Biodigestion of Cow Dung and Mango Peel in Relation to Bioenergy Batch Study | Chapter 11 | International Research in Environment, Geography and Earth Science Vol. 9

 The purpose of this study was to determine the anaerobic biodegradability potential of mango processing solid waste as well as its methane potential (measured as methane yield) using different mass ratios of mango peel and cow dung. Fruit and vegetable wastes are highly biodegradable wastes that could be used to generate biogas through a biological process. At 8% TS and a ratio of 1:10, a maximum methane yield of 3.581 m3 CH4 / Kg VS degraded was obtained. The inclusion of cow Dung accelerated biogas production and increased methane productivity. The reductions in volatile solids ranged from 96 to 98 percent across the entire BMP test. The specific gas production for mango peel was higher for the 1:10 ratio at 8% TS (5.3926 m3 biogas / Kg VS added and 5.5093 m3 biogas / Kg VS des) than for the 1:2 ratio at 4% TS (2.3422 m3 biogas / Kg VS added and 2.4535 m3 biogas / Kg VS des). As a result, when compared to other values, the mango peel's specific gas production, The codigestion with cow dung for the 1:10 at 8% TS was greater. This result was compared to the ability of MP and cow dung to digest anaerobically on their own. The organic waste from mango peels is composed of easily biodegradable organic materials, which contributed to a higher biogas yield.

Author (s) Details

Dr. S. Anhuradha
Department of Chemical Engineering, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/IREGES-V9/article/view/1515

Kinetics of Methane Production from Co-digestion of Agricultural Wastes | Chapter 4 | Current Strategies in Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology Vol. 2

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is widely used for treatment of organic waste for biogas production. Codigestion of agricultural wastes with various substrate combinations is one of the ways to increase and stabilize biogas yield. The influence of co-substrates on kinetics of methane production in anaerobic fermentation of pig and manure slurry was studied by performing a series of laboratory experiments using food waste, biowaste and winemaking waste as co-substrates. Experiments were performed in the laboratory reactors of «Hohenheim» biogas testing system in batch mode at the temperature of 37ºC. Methane production rate was used to evaluate co-digestion of agricultural slurry. Research results showed that co-substrates gave significant effect to methane production kinetics. The kinetic parameters of methane production i.e. potential yield of methane (P), maximum methane yield rate (Rm) and duration of lag-phase (λ) were analyzed using modified Gompertz equation. Technical time to produce 95% of potential methane yield was investigated and efficient period of anaerobic digestion was calculated. The potential production of methane was reached in lag-phase duration (λ) of about 10-15 days. Maximal methane production rate was reduced 2-3 times in codigestion than in mono-digestion of pig and cattle manure during anaerobic digestion for 35 days. 

Author (s) Details

Karlygash Korazbekova
Department of Chemistry, Biology and Geography, Y. Altynsarin Arkalyk State Pedagogical Institute Arkalyk, Kazakhstan.

View Book :- http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/206

Commercial Biogas Production from Domestic Solid Waste | Chapter 8 | Emerging Trends in Engineering Research and Technology Vol. 2

This chapter presents a study on the investigation of the potentials of commercial biogas production from biodegradable waste in Benin metropolis. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved characterization of solid waste generated and determination of the quantity of potential feedstock for biogas production in Benin metropolis and the second phase was determination of the amount of biogas obtainable from biodegradable waste in the metropolis. The results from the study showed that an average daily generation rate of 0.358 kg per person per day (ppd.) of solid waste is generated in study area. Food waste accounted for about 78.5% of the generated solid waste representing 0.281 kg per person per day (ppd.) and a total daily food waste generation of about 305.1 tonnes. Based on this value for food waste the obtainable biogas was estimated to be 28,836.91 m3 of biogas per day. This volume of biogas can provide cooking gas for about 26 thousand families per month in Benin metropolis or alternatively can be utilized to generate about 49.0MW of electricity per day.

Author (s) Detail

E. P. Akhator
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

D. I. Igbinomwanhia
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

A. I. Obanor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

View Book: - http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/170