Title: Biogas production from selected crop residues in Nigeria and estimation of its electricity value

Authors: S.O. Jekayinfa; Bernd Linke; Ralf Pecenka

Addresses: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria ' Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany ' Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany

Abstract: The production of biogas from peels of watermelon (WP), banana (BP) and potato (PP) was investigated in the laboratory scale using the simple single-state digesters of 1.5 L working volume. The digester was fed on a batch-basis with the slurry of WP, BP and PP containing average moisture content of 18% and operated at temperature of 35°C for 30 days. Measured biogas yields for WP, BP and PP were 0.46, 0.42 and 0.56 m³ (kg ODM)⁻¹ respectively after 30 days digestion time. Methane production from WP, BP and PP was 0.23 (49.8%), 0.24 (56.55) and 0.30 (53.2%) m³ (kg ODM)⁻¹ respectively. Results of this study suggest that 24,080 million and 38,520 million kWh of electricity can be generated from biogas at a low-end efficiency of 25% and at the high-end conversion efficiency of 40% respectively using only seven prominent energetically available crop residues in Nigeria.

Keywords: crop residues; biogas production; electricity generation; Nigeria; watermelon peel; banana peel; potato peel; moisture content; temperature; methane production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRET.2015.068593

International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology, 2015 Vol.6 No.2, pp.101 - 118

Received: 22 Nov 2013
Accepted: 18 Jun 2014
Published online: 25 Apr 2015 *

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