Page last updated 30/08/2018
The KVIC design uses a metal gas holder that floats in the slurry. Biogas is stored and used as the drum rises and sinks in the slurry. The Dome design uses a fixed dome made from masonry (brick or concrete) over the digester. Gas storage is obtained by pushing slurry into a reservoir pit, which flows back as gas is used. This is called the “displacement” or “hydraulic” principle. There are three versions of the dome design: 1. The “Janata” or “cast in place”, with a dome made from concrete (GGC 2047 in Nepal); 2. The “Deenbandhu” or “non-mould rolling dome”, with a dome made from bricks. 3. The “Suntala” plant, with a dome cast over a metal mould. There are two ways of defining the size of a biogas plant, the first is the expected daily gas production, the second is the internal volume. The daily gas production depends on the feed material and slurry temperature, so is not an absolute measure. The total internal volume (tiv) can be calculated from the dimensions of the plant. The shape and dimensions are given for three different designs: 1. The floating drum KVIC design; 2. The fixed dome Deenbandhu design made of brick; and 3. The fixed dome GGC 2047 design, made from concrete.
Technical design
Floating drum biogas plant as used in Nepal Concrete dome biogas plant being built in Nepal Brick dome plant being built in Bangladesh
Concrete dome biogas plant Nepal
Suntala dome biogas plant India
The displacement principle showing how gas is stored in a dome plant
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Page last updated 30/08/2018
Technical design
The KVIC design uses a metal gas holder that floats in the slurry. Biogas is stored and used as the drum rises and sinks in the slurry. The Dome design uses a fixed dome made from masonry (brick or concrete) over the digester. Gas storage is obtained by pushing slurry into a reservoir pit, which flows back as gas is used. This is called the “displacement” or “hydraulic” principle. There are three versions of the dome design: 1. The “Janata” or “cast in place”, with a dome made from concrete (GGC 2047 in Nepal); 2. The “Deenbandhu” or “non-mould rolling dome”, with a dome made from bricks. 3. The “Suntala” plant, with a dome cast over a metal mould. There are two ways of defining the size of a biogas plant, the first is the expected daily gas production, the second is the internal volume. The daily gas production depends on the feed material and slurry temperature, so is not an absolute measure. The total internal volume (tiv) can be calculated from the dimensions of the plant. The shape and dimensions are given for three different designs: 1. The floating drum KVIC design; 2. The fixed dome Deenbandhu design made of brick; and 3. The fixed dome GGC 2047 design, made from concrete.
Floating drum biogas plant as used in Nepal Brick dome plant being built in Bangladesh Concrete dome biogas plant being built in Nepal
The displacement principle showing how gas is stored in a dome plant