Re: DIG-L: digester accidents

["Martijn Jonker" <JR@gastec.nl>]

The spark may also come from electrostatic charging, especially 
when the tank is not earthed or is made from plastic, without 
earthing strips. Pumping out operation creates turbulence and 
therefore electrostatic charging. This is in fact a general problem in 
industry with any kind of explosive mixture handling.

Regards,

Martijn Jonker


On 11 Apr 02, at 13:35, Simm wrote:

> I haven't heard of any accident in relation to a biogas plant.
> 
> I have heard a few times of explosions of manure storage tanks that were
> pumped out and this way air was sucked in, which resulted in an explosive
> athmosphere. I still wonder where the spark may have come from that is
> also needed... in there. Maybe someone lit a cigarette near an outlet.
> 
> The best place to ask for more details are insurance companies I guess. I
> did that probably six or seven years ago, and was told that such manure
> pumping incidents happen about twice a year in Germany. That company had
> not seen a case with a biogas plant neither. 
> 
> Anthony Simm
> 
> At 11:37 AM 4/10/02 -0400, Marty Climenhaga wrote:
> >Hello all,
> >
> >I am trying to get some info on AD accidents - most references I see talk
> > about the possibility of explosion, but I haven't heard of specific
> >instances and I'm trying to get a handle on whether they are rare,
> >extremely rare, never happen or happen more often than you'd think but
> >aren't widely publicized.
> >
> >I am wondering who has heard of an explosion, fire or other accident
> >involving an anaerobic digester in any application, whether industrial,
> >wastewater, farm, or low-tech biodigesters in developing countries.  Can
> >anyone point me to somewhere to look?
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From:	renertech [SMTP:renertech@xtra.co.nz]
> >Sent:	Monday, April 08, 2002 7:13 AM
> >To:	digestion@crest.org
> >Subject:	Fw: DIG-L: energy conversion
> >
> >Oops!   Forgot to add the attachment.  So Sorry.  I also added in a few
> >more comments to the message below.  Ken C. ----- Original Message -----
> >From: renertech To: digestion@crest.org Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002
> >10:48 PM Subject: Re: DIG-L: energy conversion
> >
> >
> >Dear Michael, I had replied to a couple of other requests off line, but
> >it looks as if the New Zealand Farmer biogas system is interesting to
> >many more, so I am replying to you on the network.  Because the first guy
> >as from the US of A, I did the figures in Imperial rather than metric. 
> >If you can't decipher them then I guess I could do a rerun??    Because
> >of the low prices for petroleum fuels over the last 15 years, there are
> >not too many plants still working, but those that are will be watching
> >the present OPEC price hikes with great interest.  Most of these farmers
> >take the intermediate pressure methane of stripped biogas and  use a long
> >stroke hydraulic cylinder to compress it up to 3000psi in one compression
> >stroke. 
> > Then they have the usual  CNG conversion kit on their motor vehicles and
> > 
> >run around on their own homemade CNG.  I might also say that  using the
> >UASB technique, you don't need to use up half of your gas to heat the
> >system to mesophyllic temperatures.  Biogas can be made at temperatures
> >as low as 10-15oC   If you look at the publications page on my website, 
> >you will see a report there on making biogas from coffee wastes which
> >gives most of the details. Sincerely, Ken Calvert. Renertech. 159
> >St.Andrew St. Invercargill. New Zealand. 9501 Phone. +64 3217 7015 Fax.  
> >   +64 3217 7032 E-Mail   renertech@xtra.co.nz Webs   www.coffee.20m.com
> >----- Original Message -----
> >  From: Michael Kottner
> >  To: renertech
> >  Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 8:17 PM
> >  Subject: Re: DIG-L: energy conversion
> >
> >
> >  Dear Ken,
> >
> >  I would be more interested in your system of gas stripping, especially
> >  to 
> >take out the CO2 under low pressure. How is it done and is it still done
> >in New Zealand as in Germany we are looking always at very complicated
> >devices when it comes to CO2 stripping ? Could you send some more
> >information, bacause farmers here are interested in low tech approaches.
> >
> > << File: ATT00009.html >>  << Message: Re: biogas stripping etc. >>  << 
> >File: ATT00011.txt >> 
> >
> >Digestion List Archives:
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> >
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> >http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1010424940_7.html
> >
> >Beginners Tour of Biogas
> >http://WWW.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~pharris/biogas/beginners
> >
> 
> Digestion List Archives:
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> 
> Digestion List Moderator:
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> http://www.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~pharris
> List-Post: <mailto:digestion@crest.org>
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> 
> Other Digestion Events and Information:
> http://www.bioenergy2002.org
> http://crest.org/discussiongroups/resources/biomass/biogas/BIOGASMK.pdf
> http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1010424940_7.html
> 
> Beginners Tour of Biogas
> http://WWW.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~pharris/biogas/beginners
> 
> 



Digestion List Archives:
http://www.crest.org/discussion/digestion/200202/

Digestion List Moderator:
Paul Harris, paul.harris@adelaide.edu.au
http://www.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~pharris
List-Post: <mailto:digestion@crest.org>
List-Help: <mailto:digestion-help@crest.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:digestion-unsubscribe@crest.org>
List-Subscribe: <mailto:digestion-subscribe@crest.org>

Other Digestion Events and Information:
http://www.bioenergy2002.org
http://crest.org/discussiongroups/resources/biomass/biogas/BIOGASMK.pdf
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1010424940_7.html

Beginners Tour of Biogas
http://WWW.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~pharris/biogas/beginners