He also has traveled to some other churches and schools to check into
things that could be done to assist them, and also possibly the communities
they serve. His biggest project now is
making a biogas processor. It can take
decomposing kitchen waste and convert it into methane. It is hoped that this can replace the need
to buy firewood and/or charcoal and help to clean up the community that would
just throw this stuff out on the road.
Also it is a cleaner burning fuel and will not have the harmful effects
that burning over an open fire can have.
If you have any interest in this
project or would like to help in some way, please send Ray an email, he
welcomes any input.
Nice unit.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried using manure instead of kitchen waste.
Human or chicken manure should decompose faster and give you more gas.
I started the process with manure. I even have access to pig manure. I have found that this unit as set up is best used as a demonstration /test system. It is a bit small for functional use. The nice thing is, it is not difficult to expand the system. Not sure if it would be worth the cost though. In the States it might be more affordable, The debate rages on...
DeleteI have looked at the possibilities for Liberia. There is a problem with both waste management and lack of electricity.
ReplyDeleteI liked the idea because it solved both problems and made it possible for Industrial growth. The biggest expense is in the generators. I don't think it could ever be affordable on a household level but it might be possible on a village or community level. I live in Wisconsin and dairies have been installing them to deal with both waste management and to supply electricity.
The biggest problem other than cost is skilled operators especially with as explosive as methane is.
It is hard to say what the cost would be there. It is hard to find methane generators any where. How hard is it to convert a generator to methane?
There are a lot of hits on Google for converting a gasoline engine(liquid fuel) to a gas (propane, natural gas, methane) engine. There appear to even be kits available and some articles seem to just run the gas of choice into the intake. Most appear to assume a higher pressure than we would be dealing with. There are also a few that seemed to be for cars, but I'm not sure that is viable for now. I agree that generators would most likely be out of the price range for individual homes. Biogas in that environment is more suited to cooking and using the affluent in the garden/farm. However, as you point out, if there was a larger community that used the process together, it might be worth a shot. I would love to be a part of something like that. It is worth noting that I have not looked into power generation from biogas a great deal. I know it is possible, but for the communities I will/am serving, cooking(not using firewood) and sanitation are the greater concerns. It is on my radar, and should the opportunity come up, I'm all for it.
ReplyDeleteOne word of caution, the biogas process also creates a small amount of a highly corrosive acid that will eat an engine if not addressed. Most articles I have read on the matter indicated the solution is to simply run the gas through steel wool or metal shavings from a machine shop before running into your engine.
Justin Williams spoke at my church a few months ago and told us about the school. What other projects are you working on?
ReplyDelete