Producing Methane Gas from Swine Manure in a Pilot-Size Digester

With today's emphasis on energy conservation, the recovery of the energy in manure is desirable. In January 1974, research was started at the University of Missouri on the recovery of energy from swine manure. The initial studies were conducted with laboratory fermenters and a 0.2-m/sup 3/ digester. This paper describes a pilot-size digester operated under the variable conditions expected on a farm. The work has demonstrated the long-term practicality and stability of swine-waste digestion at high loading rates. The results also were used as the basis for designing a farm-size digester.