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DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF AN AFFORDABLE TARPAULIN-BASED
BIOGAS SYSTEM FOR ECO-FRIENDLY COOKING IN COMMUNITIES
WITH LIMITED ENERGY RESOURCES
I o o A. Sampson
Depa men o Science Technology, Akwa Ibom S a e Poly echnic
Iko Osu ua, Akwa Ibom S a e, Nige ia | +234 806 399 0815 |✉ i o [email protected]
Inyang J. Udo
Depa men o Science Technology, Akwa Ibom S a e Poly echnic
Iko Osu ua, Akwa Ibom S a e, Nige ia| +234 706 347 1343 |✉ [email protected]
Umo en F. Alphonsus
Depa men o Physics Educa ion, Fede al College o Educa ion
Bichi, Kano S a e, Nige ia | +234 803 834 2071 | ✉ umo en [email protected]
ARTICLE
INFO
ABSTRACT
Pape ID: IJASTR-
68DE510BC8688
Recei ed: 2025-09-06
Published: 2025-10-07
DOI:
h ps://dx.doi.o g
/10.5281/zenodo.17
284467
Page No: 229-242
Fo low-income a eas, biogas echnology o e s a long- e m answe o he
p oblems o ene gy po e y and en i onmen al damage. Sus ainable ene gy o
cooking was he ocus o his esea ch. A pliable HDPE chambe se ed as he
sys em's p ima y housing, and i was i ed wi h an o ganic biomass in ake, an
e luen discha ge ou le , and a gas ou pu ha linked o a simple h ee-s age
pu i ica ion uni made up o wa e , silica gel, and i on sponge. Unde ba ch
diges ion se ings, h ee kinds o o ganic eeds ock we e subjec ed o anae obic
diges ion: cow dung, cassa a esidues ( u u and ga i), and ui was e. Due o i s
consis en me hanogenic ac i i y and balanced ca bon- o-ni ogen a io (25:1), cow
dung p oduced he mos biogas (430± 2.0 L/kg VS) ou o all he subs a es
e alua ed du ing a 34-day hyd aulic e en ion ime (HRT). The acidi ica ion, as
shown by a dec ease in pH om 6.88 o 6.78, was he main cause o he ui was e
p oducing he lowes yield (200 ± 5.0 L/kg VS). Using sandbag ballas , he sys em
was able o keep he p essu e s able (0.15-0.25 Ba ) while ope a ing unde passi e
sola hea ing (29-32°C). Gas leakage was limi ed, a less han 2%. G eenhouse gas
emissions migh be educed by 2.1 me ic ons o CO₂ equi alen each yea , and
he me hod could help slow down de o es a ion by 1.5 me ic ons pe amily pe
yea . Al hough he e is a lack o long- e m es ing and me hane quan i ica ion, he
echnology ne e heless p o ides a good way o p oduce clean ene gy
decen alized in a eas wi h limi ed esou ces.
Keywo ds: Anae obic diges ion, Biogas p oduc ion, Cassa a esidues, Cow dung,
F ui was e, Renewable ene gy
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Resea ch
A ailable online on
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ISSN 2249-9954
Ci e This Pape : I o o Akpan Sampson Inyang John Udo and Umo en F iday
Alphonsus(2025). "DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF AN AFFORDABLE TARPAULIN-
BASED BIOGAS SYSTEM FOR ECO-FRIENDLY COOKING IN COMMUNITIES WITH
LIMITED ENERGY RESOURCES". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH (IJASTR), ol. 15, no. 5, 2025, pp. 229-242.
DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17284467
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INTRODUCTION
Accessible and sus ainable ene gy solu ions a e despe a ely needed, as seen by he ongoing
p oblem o ene gy po e y in eme ging na ions, especially in sub-Saha an A ica. Due o hei
accessibili y and a o dabili y, households in many u al and pe i-u ban a eas s ill p ima ily use
adi ional biomass uels o cooking and hea ing, such as i ewood, cha coal, and ag icul u al
was e (IEA, 2020). Howe e , human heal h, en i onmen al sus ainabili y, and socioeconomic
de elopmen a e all se e ely ha med by his eliance. Ine ec i e ene gy con e sion and he
elease o haza dous pollu an s occu when biomass is bu ned o e open lames o in c ude
s o es. One o he main causes o espi a o y ailmen s is exposu e o indoo ai pollu ion,
especially o women and child en who spend a lo o ime nea ki chen a eas (B uce e al.
2000). Fu he mo e, he ex ensi e uelwood collec ion exace ba es clima e change and
jeopa dizes he ecological esilience o sensi i e a eas by causing de o es a ion, soil e osion,
and biodi e si y loss (FAO, 2010)
The magni ude o his ene gy issue is conside able, as almos 2.4 billion indi iduals globally
do no ha e access o clean cooking acili ies, wi h mo e han 900 million in sub-Saha an A ica
depending on adi ional biomass uels. In addi ion o he heal h consequences, as home ai
pollu ion is esponsible o a ound 3.8 million p ema u e dea hs each yea , his ene gy po e y
signi ican ly cons ains social and economic g ow h p ospec s. Women and child en, who
gene ally assume he du y o uel collec ion, equen ly in es 15-30 hou s pe week ha es ing
biomass, ime ha could be alloca ed o educa ion, money gene a ing, o communi y
engagemen .
Biogas echnology p o ides a easible and sus ainable subs i u e o adi ional biomass
u iliza ion. Biogas sys ems p oduce a combus ible gas mix u e, p ima ily consis ing o me hane
(CH₄) and ca bon dioxide (CO₂), h ough he anae obic diges ion o o ganic ma e ials,
including animal manu e, ood was e, and ag icul u al esidues. This gas can be u ilized o
cooking, hea ing, and elec ici y gene a ion. Mo eo e , biogas gene a ion acili a es e icien
was e managemen , dec eases g eenhouse gas emissions, and gene a es nu ien -dense
diges a e app op ia e o ag icul u al use (Appels e al. 2008). The biogas p oduc ion p ocess
in ol es ou biochemical s ages: hyd olysis, acidogenesis, ace ogenesis, and me hanogenesis,
in which complex o ganic compounds a e sys ema ically decomposed by a ious mic obial
communi ies (Chand a e al. 2012). This biological p ocess is a ec ed by a ious ope a ing
pa ame e s, including empe a u e, pH, ca bon- o-ni ogen a io, o ganic loading a e, and
hyd aulic e en ion du a ion. Op imizing hese pa ame e s is essen ial o maximizing me hane
yield and gua an eeing p ocess s abili y, especially in small-scale sys ems designed o
esiden ial use.
No wi hs anding i s po en ial, he implemen a ion o biogas echnology in low-income and
ene gy-de icien egions is s ill cons ained. Subs an ial ini ial in es men , insu icien
echnical skills, and socio-cul u al obs acles impede ex ensi e implemen a ion, pa icula ly in
dis an egions (Bond & Temple on, 2011). Fu he mo e, nume ous cu en biogas sys ems a e
ei he o e ly in ica e o p ohibi i ely expensi e o he in ended use s, o cing he c ea ion o
s eamlined, economical designs adap ed o local condi ions. Al hough adi ional ixed-dome
and loa ing-d um diges e s a e ex ensi ely u ilized in poo na ions, hey equen ly necessi a e
conside able inancial commi men , speci ic building expe ise, and ongoing main enance.
Cos -e ec i e al e na i es, including as bag diges e s and plas ic ubula diges e s, ha e
su aced as mo e a ainable solu ions o esou ce-limi ed en i onmen s (Mulinde e al. 2013).
None heless, hese sys ems o en encoun e di icul ies wi h du abili y, gas s o age capaci y,
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and compa ibili y wi h es ablished cooking echniques, hence cons aining hei long- e m
iabili y and consume adop ion.
This esea ch ackles hese de iciencies by c ea ing and assessing an economical, a paulin-
based me hane diges e app op ia e o dispe sed ene gy p oduc ion. The sys em was
cons uc ed wi h locally sou ced ma e ials and unc ioned unde ba ch diges ion se ings
u ilizing h ee p e alen biomass eeds ocks: cow dung, cassa a was es ( u u and ga i), and
ui e use. The esea ch e alua ed biogas p oduc ion, sys em p essu e consis ency,
empe a u e egula ion, and undamen al gas pu i ica ion, emphasizing eplicabili y, cos -
e ec i eness, and communi y signi icance. This s udy illus a es he iabili y o a s eamlined
biogas sys em ha co esponds wi h he esou ce limi a ions o u al amilies, he eby
enhancing he exis ing knowledge on localized enewable ene gy echnology. The esul s o e
p agma ic insigh s in o sus ainable ene gy gene a ion, emphasizing he necessi y o policy
assis ance, communi y in ol emen , and addi ional esea ch o enhance biogas implemen a ion
in ene gy-sca ce a eas.
This esea ch is signi ican as i aims o b idge echnological and socio-economic gaps by
c ea ing an a o dable, use - iendly biogas sys em ha employs locally sou ced ma e ials and
o ganic was e s eams. This p ojec in ends o democ a ize access o clean cooking ene gy by
concen a ing on a a paulin-based design ha ea u es s aigh o wa d building and
main enance needs, speci ically a ge ing homes below he po e y line ha canno a o d
adi ional biogas sys ems. The compa a i e examina ion o a ious eeds ocks o e s essen ial
insigh s in o subs a e selec ion and managemen , illing a signi ican knowledge gap in he
op imiza ion o small-scale biogas sys ems in opical en i onmen s. This esea ch co esponds
wi h mul iple Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs), speci ically SDG 7 (A o dable and
Clean Ene gy), SDG 13 (Clima e Ac ion), and SDG 3 (Good Heal h and Well-being) (UN,
2015). The e ec i e deploymen o con ex ually sui able biogas echnology can g ea ly
enhance ene gy a ailabili y in unde se ed popula ions, while concu en ly acili a ing clima e
mi iga ion by dec easing biomass usage and cap u ing me hane om o ganic was e. Mo eo e ,
he shi om con en ional biomass combus ion o clean cooking uels di ec ly ackles a
signi ican public heal h issue in de eloping na ions, po en ially enhancing espi a o y heal h
ou comes and alle ia ing he disease load linked o household ai pollu ion.
REVIEW OF RELATED WORKS
Manonmani e al. (2017) conduc ed an expe imen al in es iga ion o he biogas p oduc ion a e
in a labo a o y-scale biogas diges e model o he e ec i e con e sion o ood was e (s a ch-
ich ma e ials) gene a ed om a uni e si y campus. The s udies we e conduc ed o e a du a ion
o 40 days, and he gas gene a ion a e was quan i ied using he wa e displacemen me hod.
The pH o cow dung and ood was e was o iginally measu ed and co ec ed o nea neu al,
hen g adually ele a ed o acidic le els be o e s abilizing again a neu al pH, which acili a ed
biogas p oduc ion. The o al solids pe cen ages we e 69.86, 93.56, and 25.67 o cow dung,
ood was e, and diges ed slu y, espec i ely. The pe cen ages o ola ile subs ances we e 52.5,
86.3, and 18.9 o cow dung, ood was e, and diges ed slu y, espec i ely. The pe cen ages o
ola ile a y acids we e 285, 356, and 365 o cow dung, ood was e, and diges ed slu y,
espec i ely. The biogas p oduc ion a e consis en ly ose o e ime, eaching i s maximum
yield a e 20 days.
Budiyono e al. (2018) in es iga ed biogas gene a ion om o ganic was e, aiming o assess he
in luence o subs a e ype and con en on he olume o biogas gene a ed. They u ilized ui
was e (including o anges, apples, papayas, and oma oes), bo ine umen, u ea, bo ine manu e,
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Na2CO3 bu e , NH4HCO3 bu e , and dis illed wa e , inco po a ing modi ica ions in subs a e
ma e ials, F/W a ios, and bu e ypes. Enhanced biogas p oduc ion was seen wi h he
inco po a ion o cow manu e and Na2CO3 bu e a a 1:2 F/W a io compa ed o he a iable
u ilizing NH4HCO3 bu e and he absence o cow dung. The a iables using cow dung a a
1:1 a io o F/W, u ilizing a Na2CO3 bu e , yielded supe io esul s compa ed o hose
employing he same bu e wi hou cow dung, as well as hose wi h a 1:1 a io o F/W ha
included bo h cow dung and he Na2CO3 bu e . Va iables wi h iden ical eed and absen cow
dung supplemen a ion gene a ed highe biogases han hose u ilizing he NH4HCO3 bu e , a
a 1:1 a io o eed o wa e , and also wi hou cow dung addi ion.
De essa e al. (2015) in es iga ed biogas p oduc ion om a combina ion o ui and ege able
was e wi h cow dung in an anae obic diges e . The o al solids, ola ile solids, mois u e con en ,
and ash con en o he ga bage we e analyzed. The eed ing edien s we e a ocado, papaya,
mango, oma o, banana peel, and cow manu e. Di e en olumes o diges e s we e u ilized o
biogas p oduc ion, and he combus ibili y o he gene a ed gas was assessed. The anae obic
diges ion o ui and ege able was e combined wi h a ious o he was e ma e ials equi ed 55
days o p o ide biogas, indica ing comple e diges ion.
Da Sil a e al. (2022) in es iga ed he quali y o biogas p oduced in a small-scale biodiges e
u ilizing ood was e decomposi ion om a uni e si y se ing. A mobile labo a o y examined
he composi ion o he p oduced biogas. The indings indica ed ha his subs a e and i s
he e ogenei y possess signi ican po en ial o biogas p oduc ion, wi h me hane (CH4) con en
anging om a minimum o 58.46% o a maximum o 68.41%, and an a e age o 65.44%. The
biogas analysis e ealed a low CO2 concen a ion o 38.02%, a maximum o 44.39%, and an
a e age o 38.55%. The smalles alue o hyd ogen in he composi ion was 7.41 ppm, he
maximum was 13.42 ppm, and he a e age was 9.63 ppm.
Kabeyi and Olan ewaju (2022) conduc ed a s udy on biogas p oduc ion and applica ions,
ou lining he a enues o u ilizing biogas in he ene gy ansi ion h ough powe gene a ion and
uel manu ac u ing. I was obse ed ha diesel engines, gasoline engines, u bines,
mic o u bines, and S i ling engines p esen iable al e na i es o con e ing biogas in o ene gy
as p ime mo e s. Thei esul s indica ed ha biogas uel may be u ilized in bo h spa k igni ion
(pe ol) and comp ession igni ion (diesel) engines, albei wi h di e ing le els o modi ica ions
o adi ional in e nal combus ion engines. Fu he mo e, hey asse ed ha biogas can be u ilized
in uel cells o di ec powe con e sion and as a p ecu so o hyd ogen and anspo a ion uel
p oduc ion, ep esen ing a c ucial a enue o de elopmen o sus ainable ene gy. En iched
biogas o biome hane can be s o ed in con aine s o injec ed in o gas supply ne wo ks o
u iliza ion as enewable na u al gas.
Pola ci e al. (2016) conduc ed s udies unde con olled condi ions om July o Decembe . The
daily quan i y o incoming solid was e o he biogas p oduc ion acili y (kg), ene gy gene a ion
(MW), and me hane gas ou pu we e quan i ied. Fu he mo e, empe a u e and ela i e
humidi y we e analyzed. The daily solid ash p ocessed anged om 4,494 o 7,239 kg. The
solid was e yielded a minimum me hane ou pu o 43.33 m³ and a high o 54.91 m³, co ela ing
o a minimum elec ici y gene a ion o 1.58 MW and a maximum o 5.85 MW du ing a single
day.
METHODOLOGY
This s udy employed a p agma ic, design- ocused me hodology o c ea e and assess a a paulin-
based biogas sys em ailo ed o small-scale cooking ene gy uses in ene gy-de icien a eas. The
me hodology included sys em design and ab ica ion, eeds ock cha ac e isa ion, ba ch
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anae obic diges ion expe imen s, gas pu i ica ion, and pe o mance assessmen unde
mesophilic condi ions.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The biogas diges e was ab ica ed om high-densi y polye hylene (HDPE) a paulin as shown
in igu e 1. The a paulin, measu ing 0.5 mm in hickness, was chosen o i s a o dabili y,
lexibili y, and gas impe meabili y. The oom was cons uc ed in a cuboidal o m (2 m × 1.5 m
× 1 m), esul ing in a o al olume o 3 m³. PVC pipes wi h a diame e o 50 mm we e u ilized
o he in ake and ou low po s, whe eas ein o ced ubbe ubing wi h a hickness o 10 mm
anspo ed gas om he chambe o he pu i ica ion uni . To ensu e s uc u al in eg i y and
sa e ope a ion, a basic p essu e s abiliza ion de ice inco po a ing ou 5 kg sandbags and a
p essu e elie al e ( h eshold: 0.25 Ba ) was implemen ed. The chambe 's seams we e
he mally used a 300°C and e alua ed o leaks by hyd os a ic es ing and soap solu ion leak
de ec ion. A p essu e gauge (0–0.5 Ba ange) and a me cu y-in-glass he mome e (0–100°C
ange) we e placed o obse e in e nal condi ions.
P essu e Guage
The mome e
Fig. 1: Image o he Biogas Diges e Inle , showing he in eg a ion o a p essu e
gauge and he mome e o moni o ing sys em p essu e and empe a u e
condi ions.
FEEDSTOCK SELECTION AND PREPARATION
Th ee ca ego ies o o ganic subs a es we e chosen based on hei a ailabili y, biodeg adabili y,
and signi icance o local was e s eams. The o ganic subs a es included esh cow dung om
ca le a ms, cassa a p ocessing was es (Fu u and Ga i ash), and ui was e (pineapple,
wa e melon, and banana peels). The subs a es we e mechanically pul e ized o pa icle sizes
o 1–2 cm and combined wi h wa e in a 1:1 a io o a ain o al solids (TS) o 10–15%. The
slu ies we e homogenized using an indus ial mixe and adjus ed o a neu al pH (6.5–7.5)
using NaOH o HCl. Physicochemical es s we e pe o med o asce ain mois u e con en ,
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ola ile solids (VS), and ash concen a ion by es ablished d ying and igni ing me hods (APHA,
2017). Each es was conduc ed in iplica e o ensu e accu acy and ep oducibili y.
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND BIOGAS PRODUCTION
The anae obic diges ion expe imen s we e pe o med u ilizing a ba ch mode sys em. In each
ial, 10 kg o slu y (5 kg subs a e and 5 kg wa e ) was in oduced in o he diges e and sealed
o a p ede e mined hyd aulic e en ion ime (HRT) o 30–34 days o cow dung, and 24 days
o cassa a esidues and ui was e. Biogas ou pu was assessed u ilizing a calib a ed we gas
me e (Ri e TG05, ±1% accu acy), and cumula i e yield was s anda dized pe kilog am o
ola ile solids (L/kg VS). Measu emen s we e documen ed bi-daily be ween 8:00 AM and 6:00
PM. Tempe a u e was eco ded hou ly (6:00 AM–6:00 PM) wi h an in e nal he mome e ,
whils gas p essu e was documen ed daily u ilizing a Bou don ube gauge. The pH o he slu y
was assessed bi-daily u ilizing a digi al pH me e (Hanna HI98107, ± 0.01 esolu ion).
BIOGAS PURIFICATION
The gas ha was p oduced wen h ough a h ee-s age pu i ica ion p ocess ha included an i on
sponge (Fe₂O₃·H₂O) o emo e hyd ogen sul ide, silica gel beads (Type B) o abso b mois u e,
and a dis illed wa e chambe o sc ub any esidual gas. The low was egula ed h ough each
s age o he p ocess wi h b ass needle al es, and he ma e ials ha we e used o pu i ica ion
we e ei he eplaced o egene a ed a egula in e als ( o example, silica gel hea ed a 150°C
once a week).
DATA ANALYSIS AND QUALITY CONTROL
A cen alized Excel shee was used o eco d all expe imen al da a, including biogas olume,
p essu e, empe a u e, and pH. Biogas yield was compa ed be ween subs a es using IBMSPSS
28 and a one-way analysis o a iance (ANOVA). Pos -hoc compa isons we e conduc ed
using Tukey's HSD es , and ou lie s we e iden i ied using G ubbs' es (p < 0.01). T iplica es
o each subs a e ial we e pe o med. To ensu e ha no exogenous gas was p oduced, a con ol
diges e ha solely con ained wa e was used. The ins umen s we e adjus ed once a week, and
whe e alues we e absen , hey we e illed in using he mean impu a ion me hod.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This sec ion delinea es he e icacy o he a paulin-based biogas sys em unde ba ch diges ion
ci cums ances u ilizing h ee dis inc subs a es: cow dung, cassa a esidues (Fu u and Ga i),
and ui ash. The esul s encompass biogas yield, sys em s abili y (p essu e, empe a u e,
pH), and he e icacy o he pu i ica ion sys em. All indings a e examined abou hei
signi icance o ene gy accessibili y in esou ce-limi ed en i onmen s.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FEEDSTOCKS
All h ee subs a es' physicochemical cha ac e is ics a e lis ed in Table 1. The bes -pe o ming
componen was cow dung, which had a balanced ca bon- o-ni ogen a io (25:1), a high
mois u e con en (75.2%), and an 85.4% ola ile solids (VS) concen a ion. I is possible ha
he mode a e gas ou pu was caused by he cassa a esidues' g ea e C/N a io (35:1). The low
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VS con en (70.3%) and somewha acidic PH o ui was e, despi e i s subs an ial simple suga
con en , made diges ion di icul .
Table 1. Feeds ock physicochemical p ope ies
Subs a e Mois u e (%) Vola ile solids, VS
(%)
C/N a io To al solids (g/kg)
Cow dung 75.2 ± 2.1 85.4 ± 3.2 25:1 248 ± 12
Fu u and Ga i 68.3 ± 3.5 78.9 ± 2.8 35:1 210 ± 15
F ui was e 80.5 ± 4.2 70.3 ± 3.7 20:1 195 ± 18
BIOGAS YIELD COMPARISON ACROSS SUBSTRATES
The e is a la ge ange o biogas yields obse ed o a ious eeds ocks and e en ion pe iods.
Acco ding o Table 2, he biogas yield a a 34-day HRT is 430 ± 2.0 L/kg VS o cow dung,
250 ± 5.0 L/kg VS o cassa a esidues a 24 days, and 200 ± 5.0 L/kg VS o ui was e.
Figu e 2 shows he biogas gene a ion o each subs a e o e ime. Based on he da a p esen ed
in he image, i is clea ha he ma e ials used in his esea ch had he ollowing o de o
pe o mance: Fu u and Ga i (24 days), F ui was e, and inally, cow dung. Biogas ou pu a ies
non-linea ly wi h ime (in days) ac oss all ins ances. The ideal me hanogenic ac i i y suppo ed
by he cow dung's balanced nu i ional p o ile and well-bu e ed pH condi ions is he eason
o i s ou s anding pe o mance. While ui was e is highly biodeg adable, i has acidi y
symp oms ha p e en me hane gene a ion.
Figu e 2: Cumula i e biogas yield cu es o di e en subs a es
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Table 2.Cumula i e biogas yield
Subs a e HRT (Days) Mean ± SD
Cow dung 30 411.0 ± 3.5
34 430.0 ± 2.0
Fu u and Ga i 20 190.0 ± 5.0
24 250.0 ± 5.0
F ui was e 20 150.0 ± 5.0
24 200.0 ± 5.0
pH STABILITY AND DIGESTION PERFORMANCE
Acco ding o Table 3, he pH end shows ha a e diges ion, cow dung kep a consis en
sligh ly alkaline pH (7.40 ± 0.02), which is pe ec o me hanogenesis. The sligh inc ease in
pH obse ed in u u and ga i esidues du ing diges ion is mos likely caused by he bu e
e ec s ha esul om he con e sion o ola ile a y acids (VFAs). Pi alls associa ed wi h
acidogenesis and inadequa e ola ile a y acid (VFA) con e sion o me hane a e indica ed by
a dec ease in P in ui was e ( om 6.88 o 6.78).
Table 3. P e- and Pos -diges ion P
H
Values o each subs a e
Subs a e PH Mean ± SD
Cow dung Be o e 7.12 ± 0.03
(30-day HRT) A e 7.40 ± 0.02
Fu u&Ga i Be o e 6.99 ± 0.05
(24-Day HRT) A e 7.32 ± 0.03
F ui was e Be o e 6.88 ± 0.04
(24-Day HRT) A e 6.78 ± 0.04
CHAMBER AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
The diges e chambe 's ope a ional s abili y was assessed by con olling he empe a u e, gas
p essu e, and leakage. Conside ing he impo ance o sus ainabili y, e iciency, and cos -
e ec i eness, hese me ics a e c ucial o e alua ing he pe o mance o he cons uc ed
chambe . In his s udy, he a paulin-based sys em was chosen because o hese conce ns. The
passi e sola hea ing made possible by he ma e black coa ing keeps he in e io empe a u e
wi hin he mesophilic ange (29-32°C), as shown in Table 4. Thanks o he sandbag ballas
mechanism, he sys em was able o keep he p essu e a be ween 0.15 and 0.25 Ba e y
eliably. Th oughou he expe imen s, leakage es s con i med ha gas loss s ayed below 2%.
Use obse a ions (no smell and consis en lame cha ac e is ics) p o ed ha he simple
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pu i ica ion sys em success ully dec eased he le els o hyd ogen sul ide (H₂S) and mois u e.
Table 4: Chambe Ope a ional Pe o mance Me ics
Pa ame e Cow dung
(30 Days)
Fu u and
Ga i
(24 Days)
F ui was e (24
Days)
A g emp. (°C) 32.5 ± 1.8 30.2 ± 2.1 29.8 ± 2.5
P essu e (Ba ) 0.19 ± 0.03 0.15 ± 0.04 0.14 ± 0.05
P
H
Be o e
diges ion 7.12 ± 0.03 6.99 ± 0.05 6.88 ± 0.04
P
H
A e diges ion
7.40 ± 0.02 7.32 ± 0.03 6.78 ± 0.04
Leakage a e (%)
< 2 < 2 < 2
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF BIOGAS YIELD
To e alua e he s a is ical signi icance o changes in biogas yield be ween subs a es, a one-
way ANOVA es was used. The e is a s a is ically signi ican di e ence (p < 0.001), acco ding
o he esul s in Table 5. Cow dung has a subs an ially la ge yield han cassa a esidues and
ui was e, acco ding o Tukey's HSD pos -hoc es , p o ing ha he subs a e is supe io .
Table 5: ANOVA Summa y o biogas yield ac oss subs a es
Sou ce d
Sum o
squa es
Mean
squa e
F- alue p- alue
Subs a e
3 28,450
9,483 18.7 < 0.001
Residual
16 8,120 507.5 - -
To al 19 36,570
- - -
DISCUSSION OF KEY FINDINGS
The esul s con i m ha low- esou ce communi ies can bene i om localized clean ene gy
p oduc ion using a biogas diges e made o inexpensi e a ps. Because o i s good
physicochemical quali ies and s eady mic obiological composi ion, cow dung is he mos
eliable eeds ock. S a egies o minimize acidi ica ion, such as PH bu e ing o co-diges ion,
a e necessa y due o he lowe pe o mance o ui was e. F om an enginee ing pe spec i e,
he sys em shows g ea p omise o deploymen on a household o small communi y scale
because o i s low leakage a e, p essu e s abili y, and ease o manu ac u e. Consis en
wi h p e ious esea ch in u al ene gy applica ions, cow dung pe o ms be e han o he
subs a es (Ga i e al. 2016). Acco ding o p e ious esea ch on mesophilic diges ion o ca le
dung, he biogas yield in his s udy, which was 430 ± 2.0 L/kg VS, is wi hin he p edic ed ange
o 350-450 L/kg VS (Gu e al. 2022). One eason o he ela i ely high yield is ha cow manu e
