Enhancement of biogas generation using photovoltaic system for power generation

There is a great deal of environmental pressure in many parts of the world to ascertain how livestock waste can best be handled. Livestock manure, like cow dung in the absence of appropriate disposal methods can cause adverse environmental and health problems such as: pathogen contamination, odour, air borne ammonia, green house gases, etc. In this work, the utilization of biomass (cow dung) to produce biogas through anaerobic digestion for power generation is presented. The experiment was batch operated and was kept for 30 days. The enhancement technique for biogas generation is done through agitation process powered by a 12Volt, 750mAh UPS battery charged from a 5 Watt solar panel. The biogas composition is analysed using a Gas Chromatography. For power generation, the biogas was used for heating water through a normal LPG burner and the steam produced is used for running a turbine coupled with a 12volt DC generator.