Methane Gas Recovery
Methane gas recovery is a branch of methane production in which methane is recovered from a variety of sources including manure, landfills and wastewater processing facilities. This type of methane is sometimes referred to as biogas.
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Anaerobic Digestion
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One of the primary reasons for the production of biogas is a process of anaerobic digestion of waste materials (such as manure or trash) by bacteria. As the bacteria consume waste material, they generate methane.
Digester
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Digester technology is used to process animal or food production waste by tightly controlling the digestion process in an oxygen-free, temperature-controlled environment. The accumulated methane can be converted into electricity, notes Oregon.gov.
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Wastewater
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Wastewater, which contains municipal sewage, is often managed using anaerobic digestion with the methane being used on-site for heating purposes.
Landfill Wells
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Methane gas recovery from landfills is complex, requiring that wells be dug and that an interconnected series of pipes be put in place to collect and direct the gas. Oregon.gov reports that once the gas has been collected, it must be dried and filtered prior to being burned for electricity.
Benefits
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According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methane is a greenhouse gas. By collecting it rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere, the overall impact of human activity on the environment is reduced while creating energy from an abundant source.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Conan
