Assessment of biogas production from mixtures of poultry waste and cow dung

Abstract

The increase price of cooking gas and high rate of deforestation (firewood) has led to search for an alternative source for cooking. This study was carried out to produce biogas from cow dung and poultry waste as well as the respective co-digestion of cow dung and poultry dung as alternative fuel for cooking. Four-liters digester and gas collection system were designed and fabricated using locally available materials. The digesters were used to digest cow dung and poultry dung respectively as a single substrate as well as to digest cow dung and poultry dung respectively. The respective materials were collected locally. They were fermented, digested and analyzed in accordance with standard methods for the single substrate. The total volume of gas produced was recorded for different mixtures of cow and poultry waste. The total volume of gas produced ranged from 222 cm3 (20g cow dung plus 60g poultry waste) to 258cm3 (80g cow dung plus 0g poultry). The result shows that cow dung produces more gas than the poultry waste. Therefore, it is recommended that biogas factories or industries should be established that make use of the abundant animal waste. This will reduce the over-dependence on other forms of energy.