HPTC Biogas Plant

High Performance
Temperature Controlled
Biogas Plant

BME GmbH y Deimel 1 y 84329 Wurmannsquick y Germany

Ph +49(0)9954 90 240 F +49(0)9954 90 241 Email bme_gmbh@t-online.de

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Table of Contents
Background of the Rottaler Modell (RM) HPTC Biogas Plant ....3
RM HPTC Biogas Plant in Brief..................................................4
Advantages of an HPTC Biogas Plant .......................................5
Feedstock and its Biogas Potential ............................................6
Feedstock Production with Energy Crops ..................................7
Why Temperature Controlled? ...................................................8
Basic Equipment of a HPTC Biogas Plant .................................9
Basic Layout Plan HPTC Biogas Plant..................................10
Economics ................................................................................11
Checklist for the Engineering of an HPTC Biogas Plant ..........12
Contact .....................................................................................13

BME GmbH y Deimel 1 y 84329 Wurmannsquick y Germany

Ph +49(0)9954 90 240 F +49(0)9954 90 241 Email bme_gmbh@t-online.de
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Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Background of the Rottaler Modell (RM) HPTC

Biogas Plant
HPTC High Performance, Temperature Controlled
Availability of energy is critical to economic and technical development. In developing
countries, the majority of the people have no access to energy and have therefore no
opportunity for developing and improving their lives.
To change this situation BME GmbH developed the high performance temperature
controlled biogas plant (HPTC) for the production of gas for cooking and in
combination with a genset for the production of electricity from biogas.
The HPTC biogas plant is a high performance, small and modular
biogas unit. Due to the special engineering and design a very
high biogas production is possible. Different volumes and
capacities are possible. The design is adapted to the demand
and circumstances of the living conditions in rural areas
especially in developing countries.

Production of thermal and electrical energy from biomass or organic waste and
production of fertilizer.
Different locally available biomass as organic waste from households, markets,
kitchen waste, villages or restaurants or from residues from food processing, but also
biomass from the fields can be used as feedstock for the HPTC biogas plant.
Due to the special design high fibrous material can be digested also.
Local resources in rural areas can be used for the production of energy crops such
as grass, sorghum or other available local plants. New jobs can be created for the
feedstock production and also for the operation of the HPTC biogas plant.
Availability of cooking gas and electricity causes development and enriches the
whole region. The value remains in the community.

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

RM HPTC Biogas Plant in Brief

HPTC High Performance, Temperature Controlled
Applications at
Products

Boarding schools, school kitchens

Villages
Restaurants
Cooking gas for households or big kitchens for schools or
orphan homesor similar applications
Electricity: The biogas can be used in a genset to replace up to
80% of the diesel to produce electricity.

Feedstock

Bio-Fertilizer: The digested feedstock is after the digestion a

highly valuable fertilizer.
Gras, Sorghum,
Market waste
Agricultural waste, Food processing waste
Fish waste
Kitchen waste
Oil press cake

System

Two-stage digestion system with

1) Hydrolysis and acidification
2) Methanisation

Performance

10-15 times higher than the manure biogas plants due to

1) temperature control
2) hydrolysis and acidification
3) high calorific feedstock

Digester volume

25 m3

Biogas production

Ca. 60 m per day (20 m net digester volume x 3 m biogas per

m digestion volume per day)
Methane content: 55-60%
60 m biogas x 60% =36 m methane.
Equivalent to 26 kg LPG or 90 kg wood (100% dry) or 36 litre
diesel

Temperature

Controlled temperature, 37C, insulation and solar heating

system

Digester/Biogas bag
material

Plastic bags with a 3 layer material

Safety devices

Flame arrester for blocking fire backstroke

Overpressure Valve for regulating the gas pressure in the gas
system
Solenoid valve for blocking the gas flow to the genset while not
producing electricity

Installation time

7 days

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Advantages of an HPTC Biogas Plant

Various kinds of biomass are suitable
The small biogas plants in developing countries are known for the digestion of cattle
or pig manure. The HPTC biogas plant can use the same feedstock and is not limited
to these kinds only. All kind of organic waste market waste, agro-processing waste,
etc is a good feedstock for the biogas production. Further more the farmers can
produce also energy crops like gras, sorghum or maize for biogas production.
Below you can see different kinds of feedstock available for digestion in HPTC
biogas plants.

Grass

Maize / Sunflower

Stems (banana i.e.)

Stems (cutted)

Sorghum

Straw

Leaves

Vegetable

Dry grass

Organic waste

Everywhere!
feedstock is available. In the suburbs of cities or remote villages. The HPTC offers
the opportunity to produce biogas everywhere. Independently from livestock!
Local Waste Management
Waste is a nuisance everywhere. There is no use and everyone dump it the results
are bad smell, diseases and water pollution. With the HPTC the organic fraction of
the waste can be used for producing energy and fertilizer. Coincidentally the bad
smell can be avoided.
Productive Use
Development especially in rural areas is blocked almost by a lack of energy. The
typical manure biogas plant doesnt produce enough biogas for the operation of a
genset. The HPTC provides enough biogas to run a genset for 10 hours a day. The
electricity fuels milling machines and other productive applications.
Savings for the Rural Community
Diesel is the main fuel for electricity production in remote regions. Diesel is expensive
and electricity from diesel drains the money from the villages. The HPTC uses local
produced feedstock. Electricity from HPTC gives income for the local farmers and
provides job opportunities for the local people.
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Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Feedstock and its Biogas Potential

The biogas potential of the feedstock differs from each other. Some organic
substances produce less biogas, some have a high biogas production rate.
The daily feeding rate of the HPTC biogas plant has to be adjusted to the available
feedstock and depends on how much biogas or electricity should be produced for the
daily use.
Daily Feeding Rate
The table shows the feeding rate of the feedstock for the daily maximum biogas
production of 60 m biogas per day. The biogas has a methane content of 60% and
this results in a daily methane production of 36 m.
Feedstock
cattle manure (liquid)
cattle manure (solid)
Grass (fresh)
Market waste
Vegetable waste/market waste
Fish processing waste
Food waste (from canteen
kitchen)
Park and garden waste (fresh)
Organic waste (domestic)
Oil seed residue (pressed)

Feeding rate

Dry
Matter

Volatile
Solids

Biogas

Methane
yield per day

kg/day
1030
330
470
400
400
270

%
8
25
21,1
25
25
30

%
80
80
91
90
90
90

m CH4/kg VS
0,55
0,55
0,4
0,4
0,4
0,5

m CH4
36
36
36
36
36
36

185
175
90
65

40
42
75
92

98
97
90
97

0,5
0,5
0,6
0,62

36
36
36
36

Source: Figures KTBL, own calculation

One m of methane has an energy content of 10 kWh; this is the same as 1 litre
diesel or 1 m natural gas.
The maximum dailys biogas production can replace
26 kg LPG (liquified petroleum gas) or
36 litres diesel or
90 kg of wood (100 % dry)
To produce a methane yield of 36 m per day feeding rates between 1030 kg and 65
kg per day are necessary depending on the kind of feedstock.

vegetable waste

fish waste

market waste

grass

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Feedstock Production with Energy Crops

Beside waste energy crops can be a source of feedstock for biogas production.
The table shows an example how to calculate the farmland demand to run a HPTC.
Qty.

unit

Methane production per day

Methane production per ton of grass
Grass as feedstock per day
Grass as feedstock per year

36
77
0,470
172

m
m
tons
tons

Grass yield per ha and year

Area demand for grass production

40-60 tons
4,3
ha
Fig.: Gas bag installation in Mombasa

With 1 ton of fresh grass 77 m methane can be produced. To reach the daily
maximum biogas yield around 420 kg of fresh gras as feedstock has to be harvested
and fed to the biogas plant.
For one year the HPTC needs 125 tons of fresh grass. The yield of one hectare
grassland is 40 tons per year. To run an HPTC around a year 4,3 hectares of land
are necessary.
With 4,3 hectares of land
a village can produce enough biogas for cooking of 50 families
a boarding school can replace the fire wood for the kitchen
a genset with the elcectrical capacity of 12 kW can run 10 hours a day and
gives electricity for 120 families (100 watt/family) or drives machines for
productive use like grain mills or oil mills.
During the dry season the fresh grass can be replaced by grass silage, which is
produced during the rainy season.

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Why Temperature Controlled?

A constant temperature is crucial for many biological processes. Biogas bacteria
come from cattle stomaches, which are mammals and require a constant body
temperature of 37 oC.
The biogas plants in developing countries are designed to digest cattle or pig manure
without any technical controll or heating system. Therefore the biogas yield per m
digester volume and day is very low. And these systems cant digest waste, energy
crops and other high calorific feedstocks.
Temperature controll for the HPTC
Temperature is one important key for a high performance digestion system and
therefore a high biogas production. Also temperature is important for a stable biology
in the digester.
To maintain a constant temperature on the mammal level without mayor fluctuations
to digester bag is insulated on the top. A solarthermal heating system with heating
coils in the digester heats the liquid.

Temperature in the Digesters

Activity at T oC in %
Activity at 35 oC

150

Thermophilic digestion
Temperature: ~ 55 oC

100
50

thermophilic

Mesophilic digestion
Temperature: ~ 35 oC

mesophilic

20

30

40

50

60

The picture shows the performance curve of biogas plants depending on the
temperature level. The optimum temperature is at 37 oC and 55 oC. Above and below
the performance is reduced.

Solar heating systems for HPTC biogas plants in Kenya and India

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Basic Equipment of a HPTC Biogas Plant

The Standard HPTC Biogas Plant is composed of:

25 m digester bag (with insulation)

20 m biogas storage bag
two 4 m hydrolysis units
overflow unit to store the recirculate / fertilizer
solar heating system to heat the digester
(heating pipes, circulation pump, solar control
system)
desulphurisation pump
bio filtering system for filtering the hydrolysis
gas generating in the hydrolysis unit
gas pipes
pipes (gas pipe, hydrolysis pipe to the digester,
overflow of the digester)
over pressure valve and condensation trap
others (roofage), civil engineering, ground
work
operating instructions and manual

Digester bag

Services:
installation of the HTPC biogas plant
workshop and training of the local staff
start up

Genset

Gas storage bag

Overflow units / Digester bag unit

Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Basic Layout Plan HPTC Biogas Plant

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Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Economics
The following calculation shows the comparison to LPG.
Revenue or Energy Savings in Comparison to LPG
quantity unit

Biogas production per day

Methane content
Methane production per day
Weight of methane
Methane production per day

60
60%
36
0,72
25,9

Volume of 1 LPG cylinder

Price of 1 LPG cylinder

m
kg/m
kg

13 kg
23 US$

Methane production in LPG cylinder

equivalent
Value of the biogas production in
comparison to LPG per day

country

Kenya
Kenya

2,0 cylinders LPG

45,9 US$

Value of the biogas production in

comparison to LPG per year

16.738 US$
13.391

Investment in a 25 m HPTC Biogas Plant

Cost in

Material and Installation

Operating Costs
Feedstock
Energy crop production per ha in
Hectare per year
Operator
Salary per month in

30.000

860
200
4,3
600
50
1.460

Profit per year

Payback period

11.931
2,5 years

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Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Checklist for the Engineering of an HPTC Biogas

Plant
Questions

Comment

Amount

Which feedstock is available?

Is the feedstock available throughout
the year?
If not, is there any possibility for
conservation and production of silage?
Biogas usage: thermal or electrical
use?
Local electricity price? (money per
kWh)
Local LPG price?
Electricity: Describe the demand curve
during the day. Highest demand?
Operator: Is a person as operator
available?
Temperature curve throughout the year
Soil: Which soil is at the planned site?
Sandy, clayey, rocky, firm, profound
How is the groundwater level?
Is the site free from floods?
Are craftsmen locally available for the
construction?
Other relevant comments?

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Rottaler Modell HPTC Biogas Plant

Contact
For questions to the HPTC Biogas Plant please
contact:
Dipl.Ing.agr. Walter Danner
bme_gmbh@t-online.de

Dipl.Ing.agr. Ulrich Gams

ugams@yahoo.de

BME GmbH
Deimel 1
84329 Wurmannsquick
Germany
+49 (0) 9955 90 240
+49 (0) 9954 90 241
bme_gmbh@t-online.de

Created by BME GmbH 2/2008

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