Browsing by Author "Gayathri, Gorla"
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ThesisItem Open Access Investigation on the viability of using Biocomposite materials for the construction of cost-effective Biogas plant(G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar-263145, 2023-02) Gayathri, Gorla; Singh, JayantUtilizing natural fiber-reinforced composite materials in the construction of biogas plants was the primary focus of the current investigation. This was accomplished with the objective of enhancing the thermal stability of biogas plants and allowing them to operate continuously throughout the year. Additionally, the investigation aimed to reduce the environmental dumping problems that are caused by synthetic fiber-reinforced biogas digesters and plastic digesters over the course of their lifetimes. The surface roughness of selected natural fibers improved by the alkaline treatment. According to an ultimate analysis, physically activated biochar (PAC) at 600 °C and chemically activated biochar (CAC) at H2SO4 impregnated 450 °C both have high carbon contents, but PAC has 82.16 percent and CAC 57.40 percent. As the fiber content increases by 3 to 9 percent in the loose fiber-reinforced biocomposites, the density, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and diffusivity decrease with fiber content whereas the percentage of water absorption, tensile strength, and flexural strength increase with the increased fiber content (3 to 9 percent). In contrast to the loose fiber reinforced composites, the weaved bamboo fiber sheet laminated composites’ density and thermal properties increase with the increase of the number of layers of sheets whereas the tensile strength and flexural strength decreased by increasing the number of layers (2, 4 and 6 layers). A significant difference was observed in each treatment for strength parameters and thermal parameters at 5 percent level significance and a p-value less than 0.05 was achieved in all cases of pair-wise comparison, suggesting that at a 95 percent confidence level, the reinforced fiber and reinforced charcoal composites exhibited good mechanical and thermal properties. Composite resistance test at 3600 h for biocomposites shows a beneficial impact by ecological zones (digested slurry, water, and soil) and no surface degradation for all selected biocomposites. The resistance test (3600 h) increased biocomposites' compressive strength. Thermal degradation tests show that polyester fiber-reinforced biocomposites are more stable than epoxy ones. PR/Bm/9 (374 °C) was the most stable. At finite element analysis, the 5mm thickness digester exhibits good thermal and stress distribution. The polyester resin reinforced with 4 layers of weaved bamboo fiber sheet laminated composite was optimized for biogas digester construction and with the following optimal properties: 5 mm thickness, 1.22 g/cc density, 48.54 MPa tensile strength, 10.98 MPa flexural strength, 0.11 w/mk thermal conductivity, and 646 j/kg.k specific heat. Biocomposite cylindrical biogas digester designed for 0.1 m3 capacity with a total volume of the digester was 0.372 m3, height: diameter ratio of 714 mm, and 5 mm thickness. The inlet and outlet angles were 45 and 60 degrees. The hydrostatic pressure inside the digester was 0.0147 MPa and the earth pressure on the digester was 0.001152 MPa at saturated clay soil conditions. The biogas digester was evaluated in the winter season at the psychrophilic range (10 to 29 °C) by dairy cattle manure, and the findings showed that the internal temperature was steady compared to the ambient temperatures, producing an average of 0.00223 m3 of biogas per day at a gas pressure of 12 cm of the water column. During the 55-day digestion period, a total of 0.12 m3 of biogas was produced. The optimized biocomposite material act as an insulation material for the biogas digester. The total cost of metal mold was Rs.5767.68 /- and the total cost of biocomposite biogas digester was Rs.16465.89 /-. However, before being recommended, the long-term performance of the proposed biocomposite biogas plant must