Pumps and mixers for world's largest biogas research plant
2 Mar 2010
More than 50 Landia mixers and pumps have been installed at the University of Aarhus Research Centre in Foulum, Denmark, home to the world’s largest biogas plant for research purposes.
Mixing and pumping almost 30,000 cubic metres pa of pig, cow and mink slurry for three AD plants on the 550 hectare complex, the equipment must ensure that the dry and liquid matter are properly mixed in a total of 15 tanks; preventing pipes from becoming blocked.
Mixing of the slurry, which can be combined with maize and grass grown on the university’s grounds, must ensure that the slurry does not separate. The resulting material helps researchers achieve the most effective methods for optimising biogas production. The new mixers must also facilitate rapid release of the gas, particularly as particle sizes have been greatly reduced.
From the animal houses of some 300 pigs, 350 cattle and around 2,000 mink, slurry is first sent to an intermediate station, then onto the biogas plant. This covers a distance of up to 1km or more by the low kW Landia pumps (mainly 3kW mixers and 15kW pumps), which also reduce energy costs at Foulum.
Heat produced from the biogas is utilised on site at the research centre, whilst the electricity produced is sold to the national grid.
The biogas plant is capable of producing around 850,000 cubic metres of methane gas, which is utilised for heat and electricity at the Research Centre and also sold to a nearby thermal power station.
Situated in north central Jutland, the facility at Foulum can be used by scientists and private companies - Danish and overseas - for projects in biogas production and slurry separation. The test plant itself contains four reactors, as well as a dosing system for feed-in of solid products such as forage remains and floor bedding, making the plant one of the most advanced and flexible test facilities in the world.
The largest unit of the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS), Research Centre Foulum’s work also includes major study of animal husbandry and plant production.
