Study on Biogas Energy Production from Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Anaerobic digestion (AD) technology for methane production is a more efficient method for energy generation from biomass compared to other biological and thermo-chemical conversion processes (Yi Zheng et al. 2014). This paper presents the experimental results of the anaerobic digestion of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) (L.)  and methane content of each of the treatments, T1 and T2 (<1-year cactus at 27^oC and 37^oC), T3 and T4 (1-year cactus at 27^oC and 37^oC), T5and T6 (2-year cactus at 27^oC and37^oC), T7 and T8 (3-year cactus at 27^oC and 37^oC) were performed. From 500g of cactus it was found that the amount of biogas production and quality was highest in T2 (3500ml of biogas and 49% CH4) and T4 was the second highest in the amount of production and quality (3400ml of biogas and 45% CH4). T7 produced the minimum biogas production and quality (2500ml of biogas and 33% CH4). Moreover, compare to other source of energy, cactus produced a good volume of biogas but low in quality due to its C: N ratio. Thus, Cactus can be digested alone or it can be one of the feed stock for co-digestion process. This could give better quality biogas.