Design, Implementation and Testing of a Biogas Analyzer

Abstract

Biogas is an ideal fuel for sustainable energy and an alternative to wood energy in sub-Saharan Africa. Its valorisation in rural areas is limited to cooking despite its enormous potential for electricity production. However, the inaccessibility of biogas analyzers to assess the quality of biogas and trigger its use in an engine is one of the main obstacles to this new trend. The aim of this work is to develop a simple and inexpensive portable digital device capable of analysing any biogas together with its production parameters. To achieve this, a prototype analyser using an Arduino card fitter with sensors was designed and built, then experimented with biogas produced from cow dung. Sampling tests were carried out after 4 and 10 days of loading 10-liter bioreactors with cow dung. A Better flammable biogas production was recorded at 10 days of loading with 66.41% methane (CH4), 32.43% CO2, and 1.14% water vapour (H2O). This biogas analyser was quite efficient and could identify gases produced by the methanization process while controlling the bioconversion parameters. Nonetheless, the biogas obtained can be purified for more efficient use.