Methane gas process and apparatus
AssigneeBio-Gas Corporation
InventorOliver W. Boblitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for manufacture of methane gas from sewage sludge or other organic waste comprises a digester tank system, a solar heating unit and conduit means to use hot air from the solar heater to heat the digester tanks. The new methane gas manufacture methods provided by the apparatus operate with water slurries of organic waste at a temperature of about 100.degree. - 140.degree. F to produce about 11 cu. ft. of gas per pound of organic waste and a dewatered residue that may be used as fertilizer.
Claims5
Apparatus for the manufacture of methane gas comprising:
- a plurality of digester tanks arranged in series,
- first conduit means connecting said tanks for fluid flow between them, pump means to provide fluid flow through said first conduit means,
- agitator means for mixing liquid material contained within said tanks,
- a substantially air-tight enclosure surrounding said tanks,
- a solar heater to heat a stream of air passing through the heater,
- second conduit means connecting said enclosure with said solar heater for passage of a stream of air from said enclosure to said solar heater,
- third conduit means connecting said solar heater to said enclosure for passing a stream of air heated in said solar heater into said enclosure for indirect heat exchange with liquid material contained within said tanks,
- fourth conduit means connected to said enclosure to remove methane gas produced in said tanks therefrom,
- fifth conduit means connected to the last digester tank in said series to remove liquid material from said last tank, and
- sixth conduit means connected to the first digester tank in said series to introduce liquid material into said first tank.
In the method of producing methane gas by anaerobic digestion of a slurry of water material at a pH of between about 6 and 8 and a temperature between about 100.degree. to 140.degree. F wherein methane gas produced by bacterial action upon the heated slurry is collected and dewatered solid residue for use as fertilizer is obtained, the improvement which comprises exposing a metal screen to rays of the sun passing through a transparent panel spaced apart from said metal screen forming a first longitudinal passageway therebetween, said panel defining the sunward side of a gas-tight chamber, said chamber having a second longitudinal passageway substantially parallel to said first passageway defined by the shadow side of said metal screen and the spaced-apart back of said chamber, passing air through said first passageway, then through said second passageway, next passing the resulting heated air in indirect heat exchange with slurry undergoing anaerobic digestion and finally recycling said air to said first passageway for continuation of said procedure for heating of the digesting slurry using solar energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.