Consideration of Energy Flows in the Life Cycle of Energy Production from Biogas

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the energy flows in the life cycle of the biogas cogeneration system, as well as their mutual relations, starting from providing of feedstock materials(corn silage and cow manure), anaerobic digestion, cogeneration up to the digestate as fertilizer on agricultural land. The cogeneration process has been considered according to the performance of the biogas plant located on the Mirotin dairy farm in Vrbas (Serbia). For evaluation of energy flows in this work were used four energy indicators. According to the Life Cycle Energy Assessment approach, results obtained in this study have shown that the biogas cogeneration process has positive energy balances and this process is energy sustainable. The applied approach in this research can be adjusted to any biogas power plant since it complies with the main material and energy balances.

Cilj ovog rada je da prikaže tokove energije u životnom ciklusu biogas kogeneracionog sistema, kao i njihove međusobne odnose, počev od obezbeđivanja sirovine (kukuruzna silaža i kravlji stajnjak), anaerobne digestije, kogeneracije, pa do digestata. kao đubrivo na poljoprivrednom zemljištu. Proces kogeneracije je razmatran prema performansama biogas postrojenja koje se nalazi na farmi mleka Mirotin u Vrbasu (Srbija). Za evaluaciju energetskih tokova u ovom radu korišćena su četiri energetska indikatora. Prema LCEA pristupu, rezultati dobijeni u ovoj studiji su pokazali da proces kogeneracije biogasa ima pozitivan energetski bilans i da je ovaj proces energetski održiv. Primenjeni pristup u ovom istraživanju može se prilagoditi bilo kojoj elektrani na biogas jer je u skladu sa osnovnim materijalnim i energetskim bilansima.