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Biogas Yield From Dung Calculator

Work out biogas yield from dung instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Biogas Yield From Dung Calculator

Gas comes from volatile solids, not from wet weight. Cattle dung is 16-20% total solids of which about 80% is volatile, and each kilogram of volatile solids yields 0.2-0.3 m3 of biogas at 55-65% methane. Methane's calorific value of about 9.94 kWh/m3 converts that to usable heat.

Formulas

Biogas yield

VS = dung x TS % x VS share; biogas = VS x yield per kg VS

Energy

Methane = biogas x 60%; energy (kWh) = methane x 9.94

Worked example

With the default values below, Biogas Yield From Dung Calculator returns Biogas Production of 3.600. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Dung Inputminimum 0 kg/day
100 kg/day
Total Solids Contentaccepts 1–60 %
18 %
Volatile Solids Share Of TSaccepts 10–100 %
80 %
Gas Yield Per kg Volatile Solidsminimum 0.01 m3/kg VS
0.25 m3/kg VS

Results

Biogas Production
3.600
Volatile Solids Fed
14.400
Methane Produced
2.160
Thermal Energy Available
21.47

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Biogas yield
  3. 3Energy
  4. 4Biogas Production= 3.600
  5. 5Volatile Solids Fed= 14.400
  6. 6Methane Produced= 2.160
  7. 7Thermal Energy Available= 21.47

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Biogas mixtures with air are explosive. Gas piping, valves and appliances must comply with the applicable code and be leak-tested before use.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Biogas mixtures with air are explosive. Gas piping, valves and appliances must comply with the applicable code and be leak-tested before use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is fresh dung better than dried?

Drying loses volatile solids to the air and starts aerobic decomposition. Dung collected and fed the same day gives noticeably more gas per kilogram.

Does temperature affect yield?

Strongly. Mesophilic digestion peaks near 35 C; below about 20 C gas production can halve, which is why cold-climate plants are insulated or heated.

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