Work

Construction of an Automated Biochemical Potential Methane (BMP) Prototype Based on Low-Cost Embedded Systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion is a sustainable approach for waste treatment and renewable biogas production. A key parameter for large-scale applications is the Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP), which enables methane yield estimation and facilitates process scale-up. This study introduces an automated, low-cost prototype for BMP testing, comprising three 2-L reactors with provisions for future expansion. Control and data acquisition are carried out by low-cost embedded systems integrated with sensors for pressure, temperature, pH, and biogas flow. The system was evaluated using a mixture of pig manure and sludge from a local wastewater treatment plant. Real-time monitoring of temperature, pH, and biogas production was achieved. The heat exchanger, designed through transient energy balance modeling, increased the reactor temperature from 20 °C (lab temp.) to 38 °C in 400 s. Overall, the prototype demonstrated reliable performance, achieving rapid heating, stable monitoring, and precise biogas flow quantification through both displacement and pressure methods.

Source: Biomass

DOI: 10.3390/biomass5040068

Authors: Sergio Arango-Osorio, Carlos Alejandro Zuluaga-Toro, Idi Amín Isaac-Millán, Antonio Arango-Castaño, Oscar Vasco-Echeverri

Institution: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana

Language: English

Topic: Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207