Biogas Power Generation

Ever since 1752, when Ben Franklin flew his kite in a thunderstorm, electricity has powered most of the major industrial and technological innovations in common use today. Consequently, the more widely electricity applications spread, the more intense the exploration for — and exploitation of — natural resources to fuel electrical generation. A century of this expansive exertion, however, took a toll on the health of the global atmosphere: the burning of fossil fuels yielded the massive release of carbon dioxide that may destructively affect our climate. A promising solution to this worrisome phenomenon is a greater emphasis on biogas power generation.

Power usage in the U.S. and the world

Over the last half-century, global electricity consumption has more than tripled, according to statistics compiled by the World Bank. In the United States of America, Texas leads in terms of net generation: 483,201,031 kilowatt-hours in 2019 per the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With electric cars and other battery-sourced technology on the horizon, the demand for electrical energy will likely rise further. Presently, the vast majority of electricity produced in the United States is done so by means of fossil fuels. Of the 17 percent of electricity made with renewable sources, hydro-electric and wind power produce the lion's share of it.

How biogas is different

In understanding biogas power generation, it is important to draw a distinction between biogas and biomass. Both originate with organic matter — wood chips, crops, vegetation, compost and waste, e.g. Whereas biomass produces energy through the direct combustion of such materials, however, the biogas process of gas production is multi-stepped and more gradual. When organic matter is cut off from oxygen, it is subject to anaerobic digestion. This happens as very specific bacteria begin to break down the chemical compounds and form new ones. In subsequent chemical reactions, the end-product gases of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are formed. The resulting CH4 is — after purification and processing — the combustible component.

Getting electricity from biogas

Electricity from biogas can be generated in much the same way it is from natural gas. A combustion engine burns it as fuel, producing mechanical energy. Based upon the principle of electromagnetic induction, the mechanical movement is converted into electricity when a magnetic field is formed through the interaction of moving and stationary components. Although the biogas is consumed like a fossil fuel, there is no new CO2 released. This is because it emits only CO2 that would have been released by the organic matter were it simply left on its own to decompose. Furthermore, the remaining digestate, i.e. that leftover matter at the end of the biogas generation process is in demand as a rich and nutritious fertilizer for agricultural crops. Needless to say, these virtues promote biogas as a superior means of producing electricity while preserving the environment.