Methane Power Plants L John Fry 1973-74

168 Pages·1973·5.13 MB·English

PRACTICAL

BUILDING OF METHANE
POWER PLANTS

FOR POWER and ELECTRICITY
NATURAL FERTILIZER * LABOR SAVING

RURAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIRST PRACTICAL BOOK ON HOW TO DESIGN
AND BUILD YOUR OWN DISPLACEMENT-TYPE METHANE-GENERATING PLANT, COMPLETE

WITH CHARTS, DIAGRAMS AND PHOTOS.

© AUTHORED by the pioneer aad innuvalor of the
‘ies, continubusly-opurated displacement digester
mathane plant

'¢ SHOWING how you can produce and cse your own
‘supply of free nergy and fectilzing material re-
falning nature's full nutricnt value, and how you
‘ean save laber while redueing the risk et eat
aeries,

‘© DISCLOSING never-beforr-revesied solution ta
fhe stum removal prublem before it becomes a
problem

‘* TELLING how it all started — and why

'* RECOUNTING successes and failures over 5 years
cf continuous operation.

{© INTENDED for serall and large farms, hamesteacs,
feediots, canneries, dairies. ete

© REVEALING plans. for a “Power Piant of the
Future”, 100 feet long, 25 feet in disinoter and
{eeing'50,000 cubic feet of gas dally Irom S tons
{ary weight of manure

FIGURES: |

FIGURES (on my 5. Aira farms
Erpra cont" Hea
Vout eses | SAPEF/by or

Sissr8 ber

. A E7Agitay on

Haze

{as savings. con rm 8
lis on Noga, i one
‘eorin baud ond podcts

FEATURING 3 question and answer section devat
ed to mostcommonly posed queries.
BROACHING the subject of human exerement as
23 raw material for methane power plants.
DEALING clearly and succinetly with technical
pects of the biblagieal process. and the faye
materials Used.

DESCRIBING the three main types af methane
rower plants: Ratch lead. vertical and hortranta,
fom inapensive. working models. 40 farn’-inte
grated power plants

ANALYZING the economies of methane power
plent operation.

PROMOTING a new-age luetnolagy wherein waste
‘organic matter is recycled to produce uel and
fertilizer thence food} whvle helping clean up the
‘environment.

SELLING for #12, (Oafarle rascents aa sates
teal)

NORMALLY sent back este, or add 6 towarda
‘tra (et 968) milng Costs

$2 addtional for oversea alma.

‘YOUR canceled check is your recip

‘SEND 2 money omer or chook

L, JOHN FRY
1223 North Nopat Street
Santa Barbara, Calif. 93103
METHANE DIGESTERS

FOR FUEL GAS AND FERTILIZER

L, JOHN
223 North Nopal Street
Santa Barbara, Calif. 93103

WITH COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR TWO WORKING MODELS

“Mevhane Digestera" is atva published, independent?
as Newsletter No. 3, Spring 1973, by The Yew AL
Institute, Hox 432, Woda ole, Yassachuaetts O25
Price $3.00,

2, fon Bry artworks Been Anne

Se eae Teuts Printing
Acknowledgments

ACKNOWL ENGE MENTS

1, Anlboay Knute:
Ictwond and Wedids Mee, Now ‘chery Dnaitete
Wer

John Shutdeworth, Gor, Mother Rach News

My thinks 36 also ta the thouivels of people mths
country we atv who have weilen at Tel phoned
Snowe offer enouragement, Maral suppart. an fee
‘eke an continuing wack,

by La John Fry
A vgtls eesurved under UCC,

No pac of ths huoke may’ te aeptaduved ia any form
fie hy ang means, eeeept for brief quetalioge 1
eviews, wil he writes perms ofthe sur.

LO Catsiog Card Number MELO%2S
SDN ESSE

Panshed by

(John Bry
Ton gat street
Santa Baer CA 99105

beDIeATIoN

Te my wife Jonn who worked ce supuort the family
‘while T struggled co bem out Uh potential beni.
AP bieuicne pou planta hesped 40 writs he book,
Lind entovraged ne thuush genes of feustation, To
toy daughters. Cora, Wendy aad Wee's fr hein materest
3rd forbeurance und to roy pavenls (both aowt
Eeewased” Bewe Dtet Pig, MA teambridee) bd
Elica Vey sor teaching ms to observe,

Printed by:

Standacd Printing
ana Bachata, Catifoenia

THIRD PRNTIRG.
HETARVF 913657=R5
for tant sg and Fertilizer

as FOF CONTENTS,

4 WnTeopucTion
IY BACKORIEND.-.--eess

HL HIsTaRy

I¥ B1oLogy 9 DIGESTION

BierSuccession in te Digester, : settee 8
Pca - _ Peery
Terperature. « : a sel
RaW Yes BIALS. . severe?
Higetiv'e Properties af Organic Matters “12
Morus Production and tie Livestock Unt t. ceed

Carhou Iu Hitregen Rati

Colzslating S/H 2a to cs ceveeeeee Ib
vl we sees sel
vin 7 seers 39
Raw Hatertale aml Design ceccecaecetecnerasssen tess 0
Laading fate, Lte ceceteeees
Hunting Cigascors : .
BIT USING G85... bee Rees

Etticiorey of Hgmtton Process feos eecceeeees et

1x USING SLEDGE ce as
A BUILDING & SUMP DIZESITA - TEE)
XU RUILSING AN TAHER TRL 01 G1 STH er
XIE NECESSITY 15 THE Mule Gm Se 46

it x

PLHCLS. vee been
Introduction

In thy Wletime 1 have been witness to the seramble
for fuel in many forms — from Namade sevuriag the
Ist tolgs of vegetation ina porehed Arivan desert
to despairing miners seratclong at the dreary recesses
ff Welbh coal mines, Thave seen Uo oll slicked beaches
‘hat ane cvsulls of today’ fortune hunts, The prospects
tre vorse, wilh grim pictures of ur planet tomn co pieces
(or hale ad yet mere coel, and irradiated with lethal
rmiclear milter {9m the secideot Ural is inesituble
cone og later, The crisis of fuel is stated in dewdly
terms wilh reference both. to ives aml econmnies of
nations

"This book shows another path — one Mother Nature
essed at the very beginning of time and one ton-ong
ignored. Taie pulk has always been a geallo approach
foward a prime requisite of this century — power. It
ig an eenlogically sound pa:

Micruseepie methane bacteria, among the castiest
focms of We on Uhis planet, are nicure’s ageals for
bovaking down wasles in conditons where ale camul
penetrate, such usin budles of water, Yet this preb toric
lie can tip solve cheee maior problems facing the
‘amih century: Fhe need for energy, for ferllieer, cud
{er atexd to one form of polluting. Teal help is al band
snow: 1018 available singly, mewpensively, and wilkout
‘great deal of further alla reser

The abundasrly available manute pendced hy ani
swale in the U.S, ouev digested in methane power plants,
‘ould supely all the puwer needs of every tractor and
‘coin bu this eounlzy. and il leave over 8% for
bother uses auch av erop diving. Or iL coxld supply 7%
fof tie natural gas consumed in GAT Gsaustic from
US. Bateau of Mines)

Telaim that back in 1957 [ pioneered a mesms lo tar.
ess, coulcol, and aceelerate nature's own melhods by
Studying the ideal conditions for the bacteria tu york
and multiply, and by adaptiag those principles to
Dracticul apalisstion, A drainage sump on my fata
provided a means tn observe methane bacter:a inaction,
Twas the exercise of that power of bscrvation that
led 10 4 chain of thanghts. Also, [son discovered chal
tnlike ether forms of Cermentacion whee a batch af
aw material goes through a vyele and siog, methane
fermentation continies indefinitely, g'ven regular foed
ing and she eight vonditions

Complex. space age leckiology is not required, The
produviva of methane gas through the fermentation
Of waste is rulabve'y simple and. although technical
treatises esi on the complex biclogica’ processes that
take place in methane digestion, ane noed nol Usk
‘hab these evembes are heyar the comprehension of
‘mere mortals, a only within Me Kon of iralaed sewitge
plan: engineers. Far from it) & lead hunter ia Borneo
feuld get fa understand that an inmer lube digester
requires the loading of just ono shoveltall of manure
per day to lunstion at peak performance, but thal fur
Shovels per day, ors (stall, would not work.

Anal manure rs ideally suited to the mechane
‘gestion process 1 that i i a Waste prodlct fo start
wlth, ibis Cnels gaound up and reals Cor the bacterlal

‘ttwoke", aid 1 is svailale a everlasting quantaty
— uulke’ the fossil fuels we have all squcudered for
so many evades, Manure is an efficiat source at
melhane gas: One pound of iL will veld five euble feet
df ges. This means that 191 tons (@ry weight) of manure
‘ould yield ome million cubie Fest af gas of 120 oF
lame ealing usable in all ways energy ie sed, Other
Urgunle rave materials alsn hold the polenUal:0 replace
anilluns uf bareels of ot. snported dally. However, there
are pilfals tp digestina, ands. this hook T wil. explain
haw o deal with trem,

My role ip all this 1s as an inrovator and it is my
sincere hope thal shis book will serve as a gulde to
Trospectiva bunkers of tethane pesser plants all over
the world. Seeing a plaut starting up has a peeulia,
singular fasemualisa fur me ane T know others. wis
to share i 1 eisvavered Long ago Usat though, auch
‘workon methane bacterial Uecomposilion had been dre
in lahoratories, and that sUll mote had gone inn the
welling of thenréinal aspecls. not much was known
boul the pravtira side of the eubject, Sa nn RAF.
plot, turued furmer, tamed inuovaloe, Vaffer yao, then,
the results af that pionparing work on the production
Gf methane yes from srimal ypanure, scartel some
years agn on my Soush African (atm where, besides
anvesting tie, effort and money Faisvovered L wonld
nave to Fell up my sleeves And not be afraid to get my
haus, wrists, nel evon elbass dict.

L. JOM FRY
Glossary of Terms

Algae: Primitive plants, one or many colled, usually
aquatic and capable of elaborating their foodstuffs by
photosynthesis,

Bacteria: Primitive organisms, generally free of pig-
ment, which reproduce by dividing in one, two or three
planes. They occur as single cells, groups, chains or
filaments, and da not require light for their life proces-
ses. They may be grown by speclal culturing out of their
native habltat, For purposes of this book, bacteria is
‘broken down into three sub-catagories:

Aerobie — bacteria which require free (elementary)

‘oxygen for their growth.

Anaerobic — bacterla which grow in the absence

of free oxygen and derive oxygen from breaking

down complex substances,

Pathogenic — bacteria which can cause disease
Buffer: ‘the action of certain solutions in opposing
change of composition, especially of hydrogen-ion con-
centration (measured by pH).

Digester: A tank in which solids are: stored for the
purpose of permitting anaercbic decomposition to the
point of rendering the product nonputrescible and inof-
fensive, Erroncously called digestr.

Effluent: liquid which flows out of a containing space.
In this cage processed slurry in the form of sludge
andior supernatant,

Fermentation: Anuerobie decomposition,

Humas: ‘The dark or carbonlferous residue in the soil
resulting froin the decomposition of vegetable tissues
of plants originally growing therein.

Eagoon, sludge: A shallow basin or natural depression
used for storage or digestion of manures (once called
a cesspool).

Liquor: Any liquid

Loading: The feeding in of raw material to a digester.
Loading Rate: The amount fed in relation to time.
Photosynthests: Synthesis by green plants of organic
compounds from water and carbon dioxide using energy
absorbed from sunlight.

Scrubbing: Removal of carbon dioxide, sulphur com-
Pounds, water vapour and other’ gases which arc
produced during the digestion in addilion to methane
Supernatant: Liquid lying above sludge, or above
(super] that which is dormant (mutant),
Mr. L. Jubn Fry beside a whree digester unit ho made in
L973. Gas holdes cen:
in the forcgruund weve For lading raw maturials. this unit
was taken down in

waler-heater on che right. Buckets

ecenty, atlont fon az ‘urrec to wether —ingsined ty hoon sane things about +
gelesen ae ee ane GUTS aber! ie

ew set sow'mauings Phttagrs 0 orgy Ot ‘eure, skis cnovledge 1 useless
nine afich cite coustucted eneaply tor eee

sae ctinbesctent: getsern be Tey Wave iatne watariatsts Once tte alegeeer
Siecle ase 42 inert Pe ne rity
Miioney ne Gooey cnglexe bas eva: Slade buen ce the BioToehees syslanss
Gr beste doesions sich a fog rech sor

Stoke materiel carte aagetzag "som the dn ths ncesisttge we would Vike ts 11}

aes oa,
eek te
hare ate

Sinks 1G."Sat an fs te digester stertag?
‘he "stiwers fo" eee uestions. eren'¢ larsy" ane 14) 2
preach Seat hast Fate Bi ee ides
eackanouno’e. 9

When organic material devays it yletds
useful by-products. The kind af by-product
depends on the conditions under which decay
takes place. Decay can be aerobic (with
oxygen). of anaerabie (without oxygen}. Any
kind of organic matter can be broken dow
either way, but the end products will be
quite different, (Fig. 1)

Tt is posstble to mimic and hasten the
natural anseropic process by putting organic

wastes (nanure and vegetable matter) "into
insulated, air-tight contafners catted di-
gesters. " Digesters are of two types: (I)

Batgh-losd digesters which are fiTled a1] at
‘Shee, seeled, and cuptiod when the raw wate
fal has. stopyet! producing gas; and (2) Car
Lnyous-load digesters whicn are ted a Tite
tle, regularly, £9 frat gas and fertilizer
are produced continously.

TNRLATSIC OFCAY
without oxygen)

ORGANIC. WASTES

The digester is fed with a mixture of wa-
ter and wastes, called "slurry." Inside the
digester, each caily toed of Tresh slurry
Flaws in'one end and displaces the previous
day's Toad which bacteria and ather microbes
have already started to digest.

Each Toac progresses down the Tength of
the dicester tea pcint where the methane
bacteria are active. At this point large
bubbles force their way to the surface where
the gos accumvlates. The cas is vory similar
to fotural gas. ard can be Lurned directly
for heat ard light, stored for future use,
or compressec to power heat engines.

Digesticr gradually slows dawn toward the
outlet erd cf the digester and the residue

basins to etretity into d¥atinct layers Fiy
2.

TEROBIC DECAY
(lth exygen)|

TN

na tiRa nggTIFICLAL neTURAL UpRTTetCLaL
vecay | Guts Alretight Plant Wastes, pen
under | of Biges ter Anivad Gola’, Compost
Water | anirs Dung FIle Piles
Soa Sea BACH
7 CARBON DtOXtDE CARBaN B1OK1 DE
Fea esHURE SLUDGE hms f= neue

FUG. End Products: of Crgante Decay
Sand and Inoryapic Materials at the bot-

tom, 1 USEABLE
Sludge, the spent sol‘ds of the original _pHaSeS -. RESOURCE
ranure reduced to about 40% of the volume it a
accupied in the raw state. Liquid or dry . coMBUSTIELE
Sludge makes an excellent fertilizer for GAS 4] BIO-GAS Gas
raps and pond cul tures. a —» rerriuizer
Supernatant, the spent Viquids of the scum
original slurry. Nove that the fertilizing LOUD INSULATOR
valle af the Tiquid is as great as sludge, SUPERNATANT |—>- pioLagICALLY
Since the dissolved solids rangin ACTIVE
‘Scum, a mixture of coarse Tihrous materi lpicesteo suupce |. eeaTiLizer
al, released from the raw manure, g2S, and soup {SPENT SLURRY!
Tiquid. The accunulation and renval of” scum
is one of the mst serious prublens with df= limonGanic soins |
gesters, Ip roderate anounts, scun cen act
as an insulation. Buc in larye amounts it es

can virtually Shut down a digester.

FIG.2 Layering of By-Products
Inthe Bi ge

For perspective, consider tne total fuel
value of methane that could be praduced from

the available organfe wastes fn the Untted
States.

I. Fuel Value of U.S. Methane Resources (From Ref. 1)
AL Organic wastes in US-/year se ee 2 billion tons (wet weight)
800 mfT1ion tons (ary weight}

Dry organic waste readily collectable... 0. ae 136.3 milion tens

°C, Methane available from "8"
(010,000 #¢2/ton)*

Fuel value of methane fron "C’ ee so - 1,360 triTtien OTUyyr
{1000 BTU/st?)

II, Fuel Consumption of U.S. Farm Equipment (Fron Ref. 2}
A. Total gasoline consumed (1965) 2... 2... eee + 7 EiTTivn yallers/year
BL Total energy consumed by "AY 0 ee «+ + 948 trillion BTU/year

(1 gallon gasoline + 135,009 BTU)
UI, Total U

- Natural Gs Consumption (1970)... + 19,000 tritien vu
TW. Total Us

Eneryy Consumption (1970) ce ee 64,666 tril ion stu

Urban refuses higher Tigure for anure and agricultural wastes,

Table 1. Total Fuel Value of U.S. Methane Resources Supp] fed
by Digestian of Readily Collectable, Dry, Ash-Free
Organic wastes.