Anaerobic digestion in rural China

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · BioCycle

OSTI ID:458625

Henderson, J P ^[1]

---

1. City of Vancouver (Canada)

The People`s Republic of China has been promoting underground, individual, anaerobic digesters to process rural organic materials. This strategy has resulted in approximately five million household anaerobic digesters installed in China today. Simple reactors provide energy and fertilizer for Chinese farms and villages. Another benefit includes improved household sanitation. Reactor design has evolved over time. In the standard modern design, effluent is removed from the reactor at the top of the water column, meaning that supernatant is collected rather than sludge. Additionally, no mixing of the system occurs when effluent is removed. In some systems, a vertical cylindrical pull-rod port is added to the base of the effluent port. Effluent is removed by moving the pull-rod - simply a wooden shaft with a metal disk on the bottom - up and down in the port. A bucket can be placed directly under the pull-rod port, simplifying effluent removal, while the movement of the wooden shaft provides some mixing in the reactor. The gas primarily is used for cooking and lighting. A digester can provide approximately 60 percent of a family`s energy needs. Effluent from the reactors is an odorless, dark colored slurry, primarily used as an agricultural fertilizer. 3 figs.

• OSTI ID: 458625
• Journal Information: BioCycle, Journal Name: BioCycle Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 38; ISSN 0276-5055; ISSN BCYCDK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOREACTORS
CHINA
ENERGY SOURCES
FERTILIZERS
GASEOUS WASTES
MANURES
METHANE
PRODUCTION
USES