CALCULATION OF BIOGAS PLANT

1.1 Plant size parameters.

Although size calculations can become very complicated, for domestic application the following parameters suffice to
arrive at a practical plant size range

Parameter Explanation Values used

Waste food / Theoretically, the waste food / water ratio depends on the total The TS values suggest a waste food / water ratio
water ratio solids (TS) concentration of the waste food, whereby optimum of a little under 1: 1 for waste food. For practical
fermentation results are claimed at 6 to 7% TS. reasons. A 1: 1 ratio has the advantage that
households can easily measure the amount of
required process water.
Specific gas The specific gas production of waste food depends on the type For, typically 1 kg of waste food fed to a digester
production and quality of waste food. produces about 110 litres of biogas per day.
Values for other substrates will differ.
Minimum gas Depending on construction costs and gas demand pattern. One cubic meter of biogas daily will render 2.5 to
production 3.5 stove hours. This could, depending on
suffice for e.g. breakfast and lunch preparation,
and would then provide a meaningful
contribution.
Hydraulic The hydraulic retention time (HRT) is the period the waste Typical HRTs for domestic (simple) biogas plants
Retention Time food/water mix fed to the installation remains in the plant. As the are 20 to 30 days for warm climates.
fermentation process works better at higher ambient
temperatures, installations in warmer climates can work with a
shorter HRT and vice versa. As a longer HRT requires a larger
digester volume, plants become more expensive to construct.
Gas storage Biogas is generated continuously, but consumption in households For the gas storage volume, a fixed share of the
volume typically takes place during 3 or 4 periods during the day. The maximum amount of daily generated gas, 60% is
generated gas needs to be stored in the installation. taken

Plant size range calculations

The minimum daily substrate feeding (min sub fee1) is the number of waste food that can be found during one day.
According to the cafeteria owner, minimal waste food that can be collected is about 20 kg.
ii. A feeding of waste food of 20 [kg waste food / day] requires with a 1:1 waste food to water ratio an equal amount of
water. The minimum feeding (min fee1) to the plant thus arrives at 40 [ltr / day].

iii. For the situation in which the daily feeding corresponds with the minimum feeding amount for which the plant will
be designed, the hydraulic retention time is maximal (HRT max). The required digester volume (dig vol1) is equal to
the hydraulic retention time multiplied by the daily feeding: dig vol1 = HRTmax x min sub feed.
Or: dig vol1 = 40 x 30 = 1200 [ltr]

iv. For the situation in which the daily feeding corresponds with the maximum feeding amount for which the plant will
be designed, the hydraulic retention time is minimal (HRTmin). The maximum feeding (max feed), then, equals the
digester volume divided by the minimum hydraulic retention time: max feed = dig vol / HRTmin
Or: max feed = 1200 / 20 = 60 [ltr/day]

v. A maximum feeding of 60 [ltr/day], with a waste food / water ratio of 1:1, then requires a maximum substrate
feeding (max sub feed) of 30 [kg/day].

vi. The maximum gas production of this installation equals the maximum substrate feeding (max sub fee1) multiplied
by the specific gas production: max gas prod1 = max sub feed x spec gas prod.

Or: max gas prod1 = 30 x 0.040 = 1.2 [m3 biogas/day]

vii. The required gas storage volume for this plant then is 60% of the maximum daily gas production.

Or: gas stor vol1 = 0.6 x 1.2= 0.72 [m3]

viii. The resulting main dimensions of plant size 1 then are:

Digester volume: 1.2 m3
Gas storage volume: 0.72 m3
Total plant volume: 1.92 m3
Plant design
A simple plant design similar to the designs in Vietnam (KT), Cambodia (modified Dheenbandu) or Tanzania
(modified Camartec) is used for this example.

Formulas used:
2
V dome = /3 π R3
V cylinder = π R2h
V dome cap = π/ x h x (3a2 + h2)
6
V dome segment = π/ x (3R12 + 3R22 + h2) x h
6

In this hemi-spherical design, the digester volume is the volume under the lower slurry level (LSL), and the gas
storage volume is the volume between the lower and higher slurry level (HSL).

For all plants with internal gas storage, the gas storage volume in the plant is equal to the volume of the
compensation volume
 Plant lay out Biogas Practice Area

Compensation volume

Gas storage volume

Digester volume

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

2.1 Total plant volume

As pic 1 shows, part of the dome volume, over the higher slurry level, is not used by a well-functioning installation.
The volume, often referred to as “dead volume” is required, however, to accommodate the floating layer on top of the
slurry. In addition, when gas production is less then nominal (cold seasons) or when gas is slowly leaking, the higher
slurry level can rise (up to overflow level). For that reason, the total plant volume used for dimensioning should be
higher than the plant size range volume results. For this example, 20% addition is allowed for this dead volume.
Hence, taking plant size 1 for the example, the total plant volume (digester + gas storage + dead volume) arrives at
1.92 x 1.2 = 2.304 m3.

Dome radius Biogas Practice Area

Dead volume

Gas storage volume

e
m
do
R

Digester volume

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

2.2 Dome radius
The dome radius, R dome, follows from: R dome = (V tot / 2/3 π)1/3. For plant size 1, then:

R dome1 = (2.3 / 2/3 π)1/3 = 1.03 [m]

2.2 Calculating digester volume dimensions

This calculation serves to find the upper level of the digester volume, or the height of the lower slurry level (LSL) in
the dome. For this, the digester volume (calculated at 1.2 m3 in 1.2.1 iii) can be seen as the total dome volume minus
the volume of the “dome cap”. In this way V dig cap1 = V dome1 – V dig1.
Or: V dig cap1 = 2.3 – 1.2 = 1.1 [m3]

Digester volume dimensions Biogas Practice Area

a
h

e
m
do
R

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

To apply the formula V dome cap equals π/6 x h x (3a2 + h2), the dome (R dome = 1.03 [m]) has to be draw precisely
on scale. Through “trial and error”, then, you should find when h = 0.7 [m] a will be 0.9 [m],

and V dome cap1 = π/6 x 0.7 x (3 x 0.92 + 0.72) = 1.06 [m3] .

The digester volume, then, results in V dig1 = Vdome1 – Vdome cap1

Vdig1 = 2.3 – 1.06 = 1.24 [m3] which is close to the design volume of 1.2 [m3]. The LSL equals Rdome1 minus h;
LSL1 = 1.03 – 0.7 = 0.33 [m]
2.3 Calculating gas storage volume dimensions
The gas storage volume should be at least 0.72 [m3] (see 1.2.1 vii).

The volume of a segment of a sphere is:

V segment = π/6 x (3R12 + 3R22 + h2) x h
R1 is equal to a(from 2.3); R1 thus equals to 0.9 [m].

Gas storage volume dimensions Biogas Practice Area

R2
h

R1

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

To find R2 you’ll have to use the drawing again, and measure h and R2. You’ll find that when h = 0.35 [m] then R2 =
0.7 [m] and
Vseg1 = π/6 x (3 x 0.92 + 3 x 0.72 x 0.352) x 0.35 = 0.73 [m3].

2.4 Plant dimensions

From the above follows for plant size 1 that:
R dome = 1.03 [m]
LSL = 1.03 – 0.7 = 0.33 [m]
HSL = 0.33 + 0.35 = 0.68 [m]

Whereby:
The LSL is also the height of the manhole entry in the plant (beam height or, for Vietnam, outlet pipe height)
The HSL is also to floor level height of the compensation chamber.

2.4 Overflow height.

The height of the overflow determines:
- the maximum pressure in the plant;
- the extent to which slurry can reach into the gas dome pipe, and;
- of course, the height determines the dimensions of the compensation chamber.

For the positioning of the overflow, there are two schools of thought:
1 The overflow should be positioned under the bottom of the dome pipe. This will avoid slurry reaching
the bottom of the gas dome pipe. Slurry can reach the bottom of the dome pipe when plants are leaking
gas or when, for temperature reasons or other, the gas production is significantly lower than the gas
consumption over a prolonged period of time.
2 The overflow should be positioned higher than the bottom of the dome pipe. This allows a higher
maximum pressure in the plant and makes the compensation chamber dimensions more economic.
Slurry entering the dome pipe, then, is an indication of a mistake in the construction of the operation of
the installation, and should be remedied.
In this example, the overflow is placed 5 cm under the top of the dome.
Hence: oh1 = 1.03 – 0.10 = 0.93 [m].
2.5 Pressure height check
The pressure height is the maximum pressure that the installation can produce. This maximum pressure is limited by
the LSL; when pressure increases to the point whereby the LSL is pushed down further below the beam / outlet pipe
level, biogas will escape through the compensation chamber.

Overflow and pressure height Biogas Practice Area

ph
oh

LSL

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

As shown in the picture, the pressure height (ph) is the difference between overflow height (oh) and LSL.
ph1 = 0.93 - 0.33 = 0.60[m].
2.6 Compensation chamber dimensions
The volume of the compensation chamber (V cc) shall be equal to the plant’s gas storage volume. In case of “size 1”,
then, V cc shall be 0.72 [m3]. Following the earlier position that the overflow level should be lower than the top of the
dome, the compensation chamber height (cch) is the difference between the overflow height (oh) and the higher
slurry level (HSL) (= compensation chamber floor level).

For the example size 1, the compensation chamber height then is 0.93 – 0.68= 0.25 [m].

Compensation chamber dimensions Biogas Practice Area

Rcc
Gas storage volume

cch
oh

HSL

Compensation volume

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)

Assuming a cylindrical compensation chamber, the radius of the compensation chamber (R cc) follows from:
R cc = (V cc / (π x cch))1/2.
Or: R cc1 = (0.72/ (π x 0.25))1/2 = 0.96 ≈ 1[m]

2.7 Inlet floor and inlet pipe

To avoid reflux, the inlet floor height (ifh) should be higher than the overflow height ( oh). For the example for plant
size 1, ifh is 0.10 [m] higher than oh.
To avoid biogas escaping through the inlet pipe, the top of the inlet entering the dome should be below the LSL. At
the same time the inlet pipe height (iph) should not be too close to digester floor to prevent obstruction by debris.
Typically, the iph should be about 0.15 [m] above the digester floor.
Finally, the inlet / pipe layout should allow entering a long stick in case of inlet pipe blockage.
Inlet floor and inlet pipe Biogas Practice Area

cch
ifh

oh
iph

(Source: Felix ter Heegde, 2010)