Bio-gas is considered as an environmental friendly and renewable energy. In the process, methane gas CH4 is produced and burnt in a Gas Turbine. How come it is considered as environmentally friendly?
Dear Sir,
Biogas production can reduce the pollution potential in wastewater by converting oxygen demanding organic matter that could cause low oxygen levels in surface waters. Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorous are conserved in biogas effluents and can be used to displace fertilizers in crop production.
While combustion of biogas, like natural gas, produces carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, the carbon in biogas comes from plant matter that fixed this carbon from atmospheric CO2. Thus, biogas production is carbon-neutral and does not add to greenhouse gas emissions. Further, any consumption of fossil fuels replaced by biogas will lower CO2 emissions.
that's certainly a nice answer. May I extend this to ask how the efficiency of a bio-gas power plant is determined. Is it the efficiency of the gas turbines or we should consider the supplied bio-matter etc.? thanks
Biogas is used as fuel so you can use the calorific value of biogas instead of natural gas and calculate the 1st and 2nd law efficiency of power plant. However if you want to calculate the biomass conversion efficiency then you have to use stoichiometry.
Regards,
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