BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF METHANE FROM ENERGY CROPS

Laboratory studies at the University of Missouri‐Rolla have demonstrated the feasibility of producing methane by anaerobic digestion of various of crop materials, such as grasses and corn stalks. These studies indicate that up to 6.0 f3methane are produced/b crop material destroyed. Preliminary design and economic studies of a large methane plant show that the reactors represent the largest cost item and that efforts should be concentrated on defining reaction kinetics and reactor design. A process to produce 50 M̄ f3methane/day is described, and the preliminary design and economics are analyzed. Copyright © 1979 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.