Re: {AusBG} Request for help

[roger krizanec]

Hamish

 

I do work on a lot of ideas for solar thermal work,

 

35deg does not sound hard to manage (although i have not checked the cloud cover numbers for your area)

 

on the real cheap side initially in an area like mine (Adelaide) you could probably get some kind of simple black tube set up (like people do for pools)complete with and insulated tank (for storing some heat would be the important part) but then you will need to work out some kind of circulation system (may be possible to create a thermal syphon effect i.e. no pump) but getting it into the digester system (something i haven't thought much about) you can prob work out.

 

on the more serious side you could get a small evacuated tube or flat panel set up (the flat panel type could be a thermal syphon model - tank at top horizontally) but with this system your solar hot water will get very hot compared to 35deg. thats not a bad thing so long as you modulate what you send to the digester i.e. not too high.. then the balance in the tank volume and delta T becomes a store of heat... so you can maintain the digester temp hopefully all day and year round ! maybe even go for higher temp and increased digestion.. ensuring you dont loose to much heat from digester may be wise initialy too..

 

Prety interesting area and I am happy to help out for fun and send some solar schematic sketches or ideas if want to talk further and we could prob work out your heat requirment based on the digester shape,  material and your geographic location (some heat loss calcs required) then similar work on the solar source side...

 

From a mech engineer (thermal) point of view i would say:

 

first) ensure not loosing too much heat i.e. can the digester be insulated or in an enclosure such as a green house, light in and restrict heat loss...(is that silly?)

 

second) calculate just how much heat you need (worst case will be winter obviously) and youll need tank dimensions and data

 

third) look at simplest options first such as black tube and tank

 

fourth) investigatewhat of shelf can be used i.e. flat panel thermal syphon solar system - prob get second hand)

 

Kind Regards

 

 

Roger J Krizanec
DipEng, BBus(International), GradCertBus(sustainable), GSAP
Director
Sustainable Initiatives Pty Ltd
ABN: 96 132 922 859
ro...@sustainableinitiatives.com.au

0413 411 781

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On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 12:26 PM, Paul Harris <paul....@adelaide.edu.au> wrote:

Hi Paul, I am trying very hard to deal with some basic issues regarding the design of a small home digester fuelled by my house cow and calf.

 

I live in northern Victoria, so heating the unit and maintaining 35 c plus for a big part of the year is a problem for me, particularly because my house is powered by standalone solar.

I think  that a heating tape around the tank would have a significant impact on our home energy budget.

 

I am wondering if anyone has come up with an innovative heating design for colder climates or has some specks on heating tapes and their power usage?

 

I live in a straw bale home that I built, so I know that I could build an enclosure for the digester that would minimize heat loss.

I was thinking about a homemade hot water service on the roof of the digester shed that could attach to a water jacket around the unit?

 

I know that this is very small potatoes in the world of Bio Gas but any help would be appreciated.

 

 

Regards

 

Hamish

 

Hamish Fletcher | Director Service Development 

Primary Care Connect (formerly Goulburn Valley Community Health Service)

399 Wyndham Street |PO Box 1167 Shepparton  VIC  3632

T: (03) 5823 3200 |  F: (03) 5823 3299

W:  www.primarycareconnect.com.au

 

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--

[Jaya Nair]

Harnish
 
Have you already got a dgestor that feed from your cow and calf?? are you only looking for gas utilising mechanism? If you need  help with the digestor , i can help. As roger said , pool heating sort of mechanism would be good but if it placed inside the roof as well for room heating.
 
feel free to contact me if you need any suggestion
regards
jaya
 
 
 
Dr Jaya lakshmy Nair
Director
RAUM International Pty Ltd
27 Sovereign Avenue
Willetton, 6155

Phone: +61 8 9332 8415
Mobile: +61 403 433 239
 

---

Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:55:00 +0930
Subject: Re: {AusBG} Request for help
From: ro...@sustainableinitiatives.com.au
To: australian-...@googlegroups.com

[Hamish Fletcher]

Roger and Jaya  your e-mails have been a great help and a big encouragement. Thanks heaps for your advice.

I do have plans to build a well-insulated shed that will house the digester……I will definitely come back to you Roger when I get to the heating of the unit stage.

I will also have questions for you Jaya and the group about some other products I have seen on- line and if I need them for my home unit, like:

·         Bio Gas safety pressure release system,

·         air water separators,

·         Devulcanizers to get rid of H2S (?) in the bio gas.

·         Bio Gas pumps. The unit I hope to build will be about 30 meters from my house so I hope to pump the gas that distance to link it to a gas cooker either in my kitchen or in an outdoor eating space directly outside my kitchen (depending on safety issues)

For now I have a lot of building to do. I will also start collecting bits and pieces from a number of second hand yards in my area.

 

Thanks all

 

Hamish   

 

 

 

Hamish Fletcher | Director Service Development 

Primary Care Connect (formerly Goulburn Valley Community Health Service)

399 Wyndham Street |PO Box 1167 Shepparton  VIC  3632

T: (03) 5823 3200 |  F: (03) 5823 3299

W:  www.primarycareconnect.com.au