Developmental and Characterization Study of a Biogas Plant for Powering of a 32KW Generator

Nigeria is currently facing a devastating energy crisis as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy on fossil fuels. There is now a concerted effort by energy researchers to finding alternative, sustainable energy sources. This study exploited Biogas as a green fuel that both contributes to the availability of sustainable energy and assists in reducing global warming. The objective of this study was to check the quality of the biogas in running a gas powered retrofitted 32Kw power generator for electricity supply. For this purpose, the compatibility of the biogas with this generating set was observed to determine the outcome. The result showed that the 32Kw power generator just like all Internal combustion engines have high quality fuel requirements. Presence of some component especially hydrogen sulphide (H2S), CO2 and water vapor in biogas posed a serious threat to the engine performance as well as the life span of the engine. Therefore, when the system was ran on a biogas partially cleaned of the undesirables, a 60% cost reduction, when compared to the use of petrol (premium motor spirit) was recorded. This work recommends refining of the gas in a refining system that incorporates desulphurization, condensation and carbonization. Refining (gas cleaning) will not only eliminate the undesirable components of the gas, but improves the overall fuel gas quality and combustion outcomes.