INEXPENSIVE, ARDUINO-BASED DEVICE FOR ON-LINE, AUTOMATIC, REAL-TIME
MEASUREMENT OF METHANE COMPOSITION AND BIOGAS FLOWRATE FROM ANAEROBIC
DIGESTERS
- Shunchang Yang,
- Spyros Svoronos,
- Pratap Pullammanappallil
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is widely used for waste treatment and for biofuel
production in the form of biogas from dedicated energy crops. Proper
operation and control of anaerobic digesters require knowledge of biogas
flow rate and methane composition of biogas. Methane content of biogas
from an anaerobic digester was measured on-line by modifying an off-line
measurement device, previously constructed by the authors, that uses a
hydrocarbon sensor (MQ-4) and a pressure/temperature/humidity sensor
(BME-280) integrated with an Arduino Uno. This modified on-line sensor
was programmed to automatically measure methane composition by
self-regulated introducing biogas sample and evacuating the device. It
also equipped with a function of biogas flow chamber which could
calculate the cumulative biogas production over a time interval. Methane
composition (v/v) could be measured every three hours. Measurements made
by this device agreed within an average absolute difference of 0.81 ±
0.58 % with measurements by a gas chromatograph equipped with a thermal
conductivity detector. The volumetric flow rate was directly expressed
on a moisture-free basis at standard temperature and pressure. The total
cost of this device was under US $140. For an additional US $7, the
device can be upgraded with an LED display that toggles between
composition and flow rate.