Case Studies in Biogas Production from Different Substrates

The present paper involves applicative research in the field of biogas production with the accent on small laboratory scale installations built for biogas production, preliminary testing of substrate for biogas production and combustion applications for biogas-like mixtures. The interconnected aspect of the presented material involves cumulative expertise in multidisciplinary fields of interest and continuous development of possibilities to determine the energetic potential of substrates subjected to biodegradable fermentation conversion for further applications. The research analyzed the combustion behavior of biogas with different methane/carbon dioxide ratio without and in the presence of specific catalysts. Also, laboratory analysis on biomass substrates for determining their physical and chemical potential for different applications was performed. The main conclusions are drawn revolve around the untapped potential of the different types of biomasses that are not commonly used in the production of renewable energy carriers, like biogas, and also the potential use of residual biomass in combustion processes for an enclosed life cycle from cradle to the grave. The study involving the use of catalysts in biogas combustion processes present possible solutions which can be developed and implemented for increasing the combustion quality by using relatively cost-effective materials for the production of catalytic materials.