Thesis Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The uses of energy have evolved as humans have changed patterns of energy
consumption. Energy is a critical requirement for economic development and specifically to
improve the conditions that influence all aspects of human welfare. However, the majority of
people in the Philippines have no access to reliable and affordable domestic energy sources.
Various reports have now estimated that the world’s gas reserves could run out in just over 50
years. Organic waste sent to landfills decomposes and produces methane gas emissions,
according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), nearly 1.3 billion tons of food
including fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, bakery, and dairy products are lost along the food supply
chain. The amount of food waste has been projected to increase in the next 25 years due to
economic and population growth. It has been reported that the annual amount of urban food
waste in Asian countries could rise from 278 to 416 million tons from 2005 to 2025.
Approximately 1.4 billion hectares of fertile land (28% of the world’s agricultural area) is used
annually to produce food that is lost or wasted. Apart from food and land resource wastage, the
carbon footprint of food waste is estimated to contribute to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
by accumulating approximately 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year.
Food Waste is a biodegradable waste discharged from various sources including food
processing industries, households, and hospitality sector. Conventionally, this food waste, which
is a component of municipal solid waste, is incinerated or dumped in open area which may cause
severe health and environmental issues. Incineration of food waste consisting high moisture
content results in the release of dioxins which may further lead to several environmental
problems. Also, incineration reduces the economic value of the substrate as it hinders the
recovery of nutrients and valuable chemical compounds from the incinerated
substrate. Anaerobic digestion can be an alluring option to strengthen world’s energy security by
employing food waste to generate biogas while addressing waste management and nutrient
recycling (BioMed Research International Volume, 2017).
An important solution to the energy problem emerged is the use of food waste-based
energy. Researchers have been working for years to develop methods to turn food waste into a
viable and economic energy source. A so-called Biogas is produced through an anaerobic
digestion of organic waste (or biomass) and can then be burned to produce energy which can be
used for cooking. Biogas upgrading is a widely studied and discussed topic and its utilization as a
natural gas substitute has gained a significant attention in recent years. The production of
biomethane provides a versatile application in both heat and power generation (Dimitrova,
2019).
The market situation for biogas upgrading has changed rapidly in recent years, making
the membrane separation gets significant market share with traditional biogas upgrading
technologies. Biogas becomes one of the solutions to meet the energy need in rural areas of
developing countries. Biogas also has benefits in mitigating and overcoming organic waste issue.
Anaerobic decomposition of biogas is a suitable and efficient technology for food and organic
waste management. Many programs had been done to promote the implementation of biogas
technology in developing countries (Pertiwiningrum,2018).
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aims to produce biogas out of food waste. In this research, leftover foods from
Pangasinan State University canteen and neighboring canteens are used as substrates for biogas
production. Bones were carefully separated from the substrate of biogas.
The machine consists of a digestion chamber, a dome, an inlet, an outlet for biogas, an
outlet for slurry and a grinder to decompose the food waste quickly. Arduino Uno is the micro-
controller to be used to monitor the pH level, temperature and the methane produced by the
machine to regulate the gas that will contain in the tank.
The first stage of digestion process is hydrolysis. This step is very important for the
anaerobic digestion process since polymers cannot be directly utilized by the fermentative
microorganisms.
In the second stage acidogenesis (fermentation), acidogenic bacteria transform the products of
the first reaction (such as sugars and amino acids) into carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and
organic acids. The principal acidogenesis stage products are acetic acid (CH3COOH), propionic
acid (CH3CH2COOH), butyric acid (CH3CH2CH2COOH), and ethanol (C2H5OH).

In the third stage, acetogenic bacteria convert the organic acids that resulting from the
second stage and the rest of the acidogenesis products into acetic acid, hydrogen, and carbon
dioxide. Glucose and ethanol among others are also converted to acetate during the third stage
of anaerobic digestion process.
The fourth and final stage is called methanogenesis. In this stage, methane is produced
by bacteria called methanogens (also known as methane former) in two ways: either by means
of cleavage of acetic acid molecules to generate carbon dioxide and methane or by reduction of
carbon dioxide with hydrogen. Methane production is higher from reduction of carbon dioxide,
but limited hydrogen concentration in digesters results in that the acetate reaction is the primary
producer of methane.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The result will serve as an energy which can be used for cooking. Also, it aims to lessen
food waste that can contribute to pollution.
Furthermore, this study tackles the importance for the following:
School Canteens and Home Kitchens. The machine will provide optimum efficiency to the
kitchen with the use of food waste.
Cooking. The machine will help lessen the expenses of the users with Biogas instead of
buying LPG which costs them dearly.

Business. The idea of introducing and reproducing this machine can be put into the mind
of any businessman to pave its way into the market place.
Food Waste. The users can put the food waste in the machine for it to begin its function.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Leftover foods for the present study were collected from Pangasinan State University
canteens and some of the leftover are collected from neighboring canteens. Plastic materials,
other food items such as bones, non-digestible materials were carefully separated from the
substrate.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Arduino Uno - The Arduino Uno R3 is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328
(Figure 4). It comprises of 14 digital input/output pins out of which 6 can be used as PWM
outputs, a power jack, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, 6 analogue inputs, a USB connection, an ICSP
header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller. The
Arduino Uno differs from all some other boards because it does not use the FTDI USB-to-serial
driver chip. Instead, it features the Atmega16U2 (Atmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed as
a USB-to-serial converter (Goodwin, 2013).

Thesis Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thesis Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thesis Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER 1

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

consumption. Energy is a critical requirement for economic development and specifically to

according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017.

recovery of nutrients and valuable chemical compounds from the incinerated

recycling (BioMed Research International Volume, 2017).

technology in developing countries (Pertiwiningrum,2018).

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

production. Bones were carefully separated from the substrate of biogas.

machine to regulate the gas that will contain in the tank.

acid (CH3CH2COOH), butyric acid (CH3CH2CH2COOH), and ethanol (C2H5OH).

of anaerobic digestion process.

food waste that can contribute to pollution.

Furthermore, this study tackles the importance for the following:

kitchen with the use of food waste.

buying LPG which costs them dearly.

of any businessman to pave its way into the market place.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

a USB-to-serial converter (Goodwin, 2013).

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.