The Effect Of Particles Size On Biogas Production

Abstract

The study on the effect of particles size on biogas production has been conducted. Substrates consisted of pre-treated water hyacinth with drying and grounded to fine particles of (0.001and 0.05 mm) and chopped water hyacinth to small particles of (1.0 and 2.5 mm). The reactor digesters were operated at mesophilic temperature ranges of 25 °C to 32 °C with retention time of 23 days. Results showed that highest biogas production occurred with the most finely grounded substrate (0.001 mm) which recorded 0.39 liters of biogas with 70 % CH4 followed by the grounded particles of 0.05 mm yields 0.34 liters with 66 % CH4 .while the lowest biogas production was observed from the chopped particles of 2.5 mm producing 0.24 liters of biogas with 55 % CH4. Further observation revealed that methane yields increased by 21 % when the substrates were pre-treated by grinding into very fine particles compared with the chopped substrate. The results suggest that small particle size favours methane yield.