Research biogas plant

The research biogas plant extends the range of application-oriented research being carried out at the DBFZ. Its aim is to better understand processes and improve the efficiency of biogas production. The dimensions of the fermenters allow experiments to be conducted on a technical scale, thus ensuring good transferability of results into practice.

The facility features two independent lines with identical capacity which can be operated as a multi-stage system. The first line is a wet fermentation with a main fermenter in the form of a continuous stirred tank with a central agitator. The second line can optionally be run with a main fermenter of identical design or with a plug-fow fermenter. A post-digester with a gas reservoir cover collects the fermentation residues from both lines and routes them to the fnal post digester.

The biogas is used in a CHP (combined heat and power) plant with an electric power output of 124 kW to cover the facility’s own energy demands. Surplus power can be fed into the DBFZ grid. The generated heat is used solely to meet in-house demands. For substrate supply, small amounts of silage can be stored on-site. To measure the gas production volumes precisely, individual fermenters are fitted with permanent covers. Terminal units in the pipeline system and at the gas capture point permit sampling and the installation of measuring instruments.