BIO ENERGY FROM FRUIT &VEGETABLE WASTE BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

Abstract

In the present work the biodegradability of fruits and vegetable wastes and energy potentials have been studied and the parameter affecting the anaerobic digestion process has been analyzed. During the anaerobic digestion of fruits and vegetable wastes the stability of the process decrease as proceeds and it lowers the gas production and takes longer time to digest. It may be due the lack of nutrient in wastes, various process parameters such as cow dung (1:1), urea (10% of waste) being added to optimize the HRT and increases the gas yield rate. The volatile solid removal efficiency of vegetable waste was higher then vegetable. The pilot scale study was carried out on 50 liter plastic digester and gas production was observed by water displacement method. The amount water displaced from the water tank is equal to the gas generated. The amount of waste, water and cow dung fed in to the digester was in equal ratio of (1:1:1) for maximizing the gas production in digester. The bio degradability of fruit waste found to be 64% and for vegetable waste it was 78.4 %. The gas production observed to be 0.63m3/kg and energy recovered from the waste was 5.18 MJ/day. The anaerobic digestion of fruits and vegetable waste found to be most viable and cost effective method of organic waste disposal for urban and rural area’s where they are disposed to the lands for uncontrolled degradation process resulting in methane and other green house gas emission in to the atmosphere. The present work will help all academicians, rural and urban energy industry people in generating eco-friendly energy and maintaining environment too.