The Production of Biogas from Cow Dung for Powering a Motor Vehicle Tyre Tube

Abstract

Biogas production from cow dung for powering a tyre tube was investigated, using a 20litre capacity prototype biogas digester, fabricated in the Lagos state university (LASU) research laboratory. The experiment was batch operated and daily gas yield from the digester was monitored for 21 days. The ambient and slurry temperatures, PH were also monitored. Two important aspects of the biogas itself is digester and starter. This Research aim to fabricate a digester that can be used to convert a cow dung into methane for powering a tyre tube and the objective to determine whether cow dung from ranch can produce methane. In this study a mini biogas digester fabricated and tested for organic waste, thirty-five (35) kg of the cow dung, water and starter was used. (The starter that used in this study is silica gel). The cow dung inserted into the digester through the inlet pipe, and kept for three weeks. The ratio of cow dung water is 1:2. The result obtained from the biogas production showed that methane has 67.9%. This result show that these waste could be a source of a renewable gas if managed properly since the waste sluggishly continued gas production after 21 days retention time.