Bio-digester Capstone Project

As an undergraduate student, I was involved in the development of a compartmentalized anaerobic bio-digester. This device constituted barrels filled with an optimal solid waste to water ratio for renewable methane gas production. Utilized by our sponsor, Penergy Solutions, each barrel is able to adjust the necessary pH conditions for methane production via separate bio-digestion stages and temperatures. The solar thermal collector panel provides additional heat to water as a working fluid originating from a water heater, which is then pumped around the digester to keep optimal temperatures as consistent as possible with respect to bio-digester phases and seasonal variation. The gas is then processed through a scrubbing system to minimize sulfur concentration and stored in biogas bag. Our final design was presented at an engineering design showcase at Penn State (poster shown below), and submitted as a paper to our sponsor. The final patent, which is designated as US Patent #US9005443B2, was approved in April 2015.