What is the process of harnessing methane gas?
A mixture of microorganisms breaks down the complex organic material in manure or other substrates such as crop residues, grains, sugars, and lignocellulose (wood and plant materials) into simple sugars, organic acids, carbon dioxide and hydrogen when no oxygen is present. Other microorganisms in the mixture then convert these simple compounds into methane. The process has to take place in a container that does not allow air to enter and that has an outlet for the gas produced. The process takes place at about 100F in most digesters. This is called a mesophilic temperature range. It also proceeds at ambient conditions in lagoons and marshes where anaerobic conditions occur; however, since the temperature is somewhat lower, the rate of gas production is also lower. In some digesters, the temperature is elevated to about 140F, which is in the thermophilic temperature range.
