hello from a lurker in the UK, working with small scale AD. My friend Kealan's comments (he's in Canada) Best wishes, Yassen
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: kealan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 5 December 2011 20:34 Subject: Re: [Biofuel] The compression and storage of biogas in LPG like cylinders To: Yassen Roussev <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hey Yassen Thanks for forwarding this. If you can post to this list, my comments would be: Stay away from air compressors!! They are not gas tight, they are not made for flammable gasses, and their motors likely create sparks. So using an air compressor for flammable gasses is very dangerous. A better option is to use a compressor that is hermetically sealed and designed for flammable gas. Such a compressor is available on the small scale for this purpose from refrigerator, air conditioner, and freezer compressors that use R-22, R-50, R-290, and R-600, which are chlorodiflouromethane, methane, propane, and butane respectively. I would still be very careful with this compression equipment, and look at relevant gas regulations in your country. In canada they are through the CSA, canadian standards association, called digester gas and landfill gas regulations - and can be downloaded from their website (costs money) - however it is well worth it if it means you don't blow yourself up. There is also a requirement in canada that it is installed by a gas fitter, and is inspected by the safety authority. There are many other issues to be aware of when compressing and using biogas, my best advice is to read the CSA regulations even if you're not in canada, they explain everything in good detail, including what equipment, piping, venting and other safety devices should be used. On 5 December 2011 05:16, Wynand Theron <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks for your replies! I'll let you know what happened and which option I > took. > > @ Keith; It is a prefab unit that you can buy from Agama Energy in Cape > Town. I connected it to the house's sewer system (mainly toilets) The rest > like washing machine water and shower water was redirected to the garden to > reduce the amount of non value adding water to the digester. There is 5 > people sewerage going to the digester and I add 20kg cow manure to it > everyday. I also add 25liters glycerol per week. > > It is making gas like a charm! At the moment more that I can use! Just have > to install the gas upgrading system now and the maybe see for the > compression thing.. > > Regards, > Wynand > > On Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >wrote: > > > Hi Wynand, Jason and all > > > > Jason's right, IMHO, I wouldn't do it. Harold Bate did though: "Note > > the high-pressure compressor with which Bate fills a storage bottle > > (lower left of photo) to a pressure of 1,100 pounds per square inch." > > -- Put a Chicken in Your Tank > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/methane_bate.html > > > > There's been some scepticism about some of Bate's claims, but IIRC > > they concerned production rates and fuel efficiency, not compressing > > the gas, and anyway I'm a bit sceptical of the sceptics. I do agree > > that biogas isn't an ideal fuel for transport, but that's not what > > we're discussing here. All you're after is a safe container. > > > > Truck or tractor inner tubes might be your best bet: > > > > 10. Inner Tube Storage > > 1. Gas can be stored in one or a number of truck inner tubes, stacked > > on each other and interconnected with "T" pieces (Fig. 20). Check for > > leaks and patch if necessary. > > 2. A weight, such as pieces of lumber, are placed on the topmost tube > > to create pressure. > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library.html#methanefry > > > > By the way, Wynand, would you mind telling us a bit more about your > > biogas system? > > > > All best > > > > Keith > > > > > > >you will have to dedicate a compressor with a totally enclosed, > > >blast rated motor to this job. > > > > > >compressing methane can be insanely dangerous if there is any oxygen > > >in the system. you have to let the compressor run without collecting > > >any of the gas to completely flush the lines, monitoring the > > >compressor temperature is also a good idea, (though i seriously > > >doubt a shop compressor would ever make 500*C). > > >there can be no sparks or flame sources, and it would probably be a > > >good idea all around to do this outside with a good breeze. > > > > > >inspect, inspect, inspect. > > > you must be absolutely sure of your equipment at all times, if > > >something goes wrong it can be like a bomb going off. > > >the very best failure scenario is: your equipment breaks. > > >the very worst scenario is: you get pasted to the landscape and > > >destroy everything around you. > > > > > >personally, i would pass on this one. > > > > > > > > >> Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 09:09:08 +0200 > > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >> To: [email protected] > > >> Subject: [Biofuel] The compression and storage of biogas in LPG > > >>like cylinders > > >> > > >> All "sustainablers", > > >> > > >> I have recently started with making biogas (all credit to nature, i > > merely > > >> watch..). The plan was to only utilize it for household needs but > > there is > > >> too much. A guy owning a powder coating business recently asked me if > > he > > >> could buy some..well yes! My plan is to use a general 50liter air > > >> compressor and to just pump it into the standard LPG cylinder.. > > >> > > >> Do any of you have experience with compressing biogas or could maybe > > help > > >> me with lessons learnt? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated > > >> greatly! > > >> > > >> Kind regards, > > > > Wynand > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Biofuel mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 > > messages): > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20111205/1f230683/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > [email protected] > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > -- Yassen Roussev - Slona +44 78 246 97 809 mobile +44 191 265 88 60 home Visual http://www.flickr.com/photos/slona Sound http://soundcloud.com/helictite http://www.myspace.com/helictite Work http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2187190 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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