Biogas, Alternative Energy Sources

Scarcity of fuel oil, which is caused by rising world oil prices are significant, has prompted the government to invite the community to overcome the problem of energy together (Kompas, June 23, 2005).
The increase in the price reached 58 dollars the United States this includes extraordinary because usually occurs during winter in the countries that have four seasons in Europe and the United States. This problem is complicated as it is said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a meeting with the governors in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, dated June 22, 2005, and urge people to save energy across the country.
These savings should in fact we have since the first move because the supply of fuel derived from petroleum is a fossil energy source that can not be updated (unrenewable), while demand continues to rise, so did the price so there is no balance of demand and supply stability. One way to save on fuel oil (BBM) is looking for alternative energy sources that can be updated (renewable).
Fuel requirements for low-income and poor populations, particularly in rural areas, mostly filled with kerosene, which is perceived as affordable subsidized by the government. But because it is used for industrial or other business, sometimes there is a shortage of petroleum supplies in the market. Besides those living near the forest area trying to find firewood, both of dry twigs and not infrequently also cut down the trees in the forest are forbidden to cut down, so that eventually threaten the preservation of nature in the surrounding forest area.
Actually, an alternative energy source is available. For example, solar energy in the dry season or dry season, wind and water energy. Hydropower is the most widely used in the form of hydroelectric power (hydropower), but for other energy sources do not seem significantly.
Other renewable energy that can be generated by appropriate technology that is relatively more simple and suitable for rural areas is biogas energy by processing waste bio or bio mass in airtight device called a digester. Biomass can be a waste of manure and even human feces, the remains of crops such as straw, husks and leaves a sort of vegetables and so on. However, largely composed of animal manure.
Biogas Technology
Methane gas formed by the fermentation process is anaerobic (without air) or methane by bacteria called anaerobic bacteria and bacterial biogas that reduce waste that contains organic material (biomass) to form methane (CH4) which when burned to generate heat energy . Actually, in certain places this process occurs naturally as a gas explosion incident that formed under a pile of garbage in the Final Waste Disposal (Landfill) Leuwigajah, Bandung regency, West Java, (Kompas, March 17, 2005). Methane gas with liquefied petroleum gas (liquidified petroleum gas / LPG), the difference is that methane has a C atom, whereas the more LPG.
Culture of Egypt, China, and ancient Rome have been known to take advantage of this natural gas is burned to generate heat. However, the first to associate this with the fuel gas decomposition process vegetable material was Alessandro Volta (1776), while Willam Henry in 1806 identified that can burn such gases as methane. Becham (1868), pupil of Louis Pasteur and Tappeiner (1882), shows the microbiological origin of the formation of methane.
At the end of the 19th century there is some research done in this field. Germany and France to do research on the period between two World Wars and several units of biogas plants using agricultural waste. During World War II, many farmers in the UK and continental Europe that make small digester to produce biogas which is used to drive a tractor. Because fuel prices getting cheaper and easily acquired in the 1950's use of biogas in Europe abandoned. However, in developing countries will need a cheap source of energy is always there and always available. Biogas production activities in India have been made since the 19th century. Tool's first anaerobic digester was built in 1900. (FAO, The Development and Use of Biogas Technology in Rural Asia, 1981).
Other developing countries, like China, Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea, has conducted various research and development of bio-gas generators with the same principle, namely to create an airtight instrument with principal parts consist of digester (digester), holes income and expenditure of raw material waste products of digestion sludge (slurry) and bio-gas distribution pipes are formed.
With certain technologies, methane gas can be used to drive turbines that generate electricity, run the refrigerator, hatching machines, tractors, and cars. Simply put, methane gas can be used for cooking and lighting using a gas stove as well as LPG.
Biogas generators
There are two types of tools or digester biogas plant, which is of type float (floating type) and fixed dome type (fixed dome type). Floating type was developed in India which consists of wells in the upper digestive and placed upside-down drum floating of iron that serves to accommodate the gas produced by the digester. Wells constructed by using materials commonly used to make the foundation of the house, such as sand, bricks, and cement. Since developed in India, the digester is also called the Indian type. In the year 1978/79 in India there are l.k. And 80,000 units during the period 1980-85 to 400,000 units targeted to the development of this tool.
This type of digester dome was built by excavating the soil and buildings made with brick, sand, and cement-like cavity is air tight and structured like a dome (hemispherical dots). This type is developed in China so called dome type or types of China (see figure). In 1980 as many as seven million units this tool has been built in China and its use to include moving and agricultural equipment for electric power generators. There are two types of small size for households with a volume of 60-10 cubic meters and large type for groups of 60-180 cubic meters.
India and China are two countries that have no petroleum energy sources so they are very active for a long time to develop alternative energy sources, including biogas.
In the digester methane bacteria to process waste or biomass and produce bio-methane biogas. With a pipeline that is designed in such a way, the gas can flow into the stove is located in the kitchen. Gas can be used for culinary purposes and others. Biogas is produced by mixing the waste which is composed largely of cattle dung with small pieces of plant debris, such as straw, etc., with plenty of water.
For the first time it would take approximately two weeks to a month before the beginning of the gas produced. The mixture is always added every day and occasionally stirred, while that has been processed through the channel expenditure incurred. The remainder of the waste that has? Digested? by bacteria or bacterial methane biogas, called slurry or sludge, have the same nutrient content of organic fertilizers as well as mature compost that can be directly used to fertilize crops, or if it will be stored or sold can be dried in the sun before it is inserted into the in the sack.
For starters it would cost to build the plant (digester) biogas is relatively large for the rural population. But once established, the tool can be used and produce biogas for many years. For the size of 8 cubic meters of dome type tool, suitable for farmers who have 3 or 8 cows or goats, 100 chickens on the side also has adequate water resources and waste biomass crops as a complement. Each unit is filled as much as 80 pounds of cow dung mixed with 80 liters of water and pieces of other wastes can produce 1 cubic meter of biogas that can be used for cooking and lighting. Biogas is suitable to be developed in areas that have abundant biomass, especially in the centers of rice and livestock production in Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, Bali, and others.
Biogas plants built also suitable for the dairy farm or chicken farm with cattle feces drainage design into the digester. Housing complexes can also be designed to channel the sludge on biogas processing facility together. Many developed countries are implementing this system as part of efforts to recycle and reduce pollution and waste management costs. So it can be concluded that biogas has many benefits, which produces gas, preserve the environment, reduce pollution and improve hygiene and health, as well as producing quality organic fertilizer.
To reap significant results, it takes a mass movement, directed, and planned include technology development, counseling, and mentoring. In the long run, the movement can help save biogas development of petroleum resources and forestry resources. Regarding the financing may be gradually transferred some fuel subsidies for the construction of biogas units. Through this path, it may appeal the government to invite the community to work together to solve the energy problem can be partially realized.