Digester to produce methane gas from organic waste - fermented in plastic lined channel warmed by solar panels

摘要

The digester comprises an anaerobic digestion channel which is loaded with organic matter at one end. The matter flows continuously along the channel and is discharged, after fermentation, at the other end. Pref. at intervals along the channel, recycling pumps extract fermenting material from just below the surface and reinject this material near the base of the channel at a point upstream of the extraction point. The channel is pref. in the form of a tubular sleeve of plastic sheeting into which pipe couplings are bonded for connecting to the recycling pumps. The tubular sleeve is pref. encased in a metal framework extending along and on top of a drainage gulley. Pref. a heater is fitted underneath fermentation channel. The channel is pref. aligned in an east-west direction. Solar panels for heating the channel can be resited freely on the south- facing, top edge of the channel to form a lean-to shelter. The shelter may be used to house pumps, control gear etc. Prodn. of methane gas from organic waste which can be used as agricultural fertiliser after fermentation.