The Supergas plant consists of two essential components – a pressure equalisation system and a plant for processing organic waste. The organic material used in the system is effectively mixed by means of the pressure arising as a result of the gas production. Thus the pressure equalisation system is designed on the basis of hydraulic principles without the application of mechanics.
The pressure equalisation system between the digester and the higher displacement tank can be regarded as the heart of the Supergas biogas system. The biogas pressure is converted into potential energy which is released at regular time intervals by means of a pressure equalisation system controlled by the gas pressure in the biogas digester. This process releases remarkable amounts of energy which normally cannot be achieved manually nor mechanically. In this way the break-downs and energy loss which is normally associated with mechanical parts are avoided and at the same time the stirring process optimizes the efficiency of the plant considerably.
The device consists of two small champers placed on top of each other. The chamber below is connected to the digester whereas the chamber above is connected to the gas-storage. The chambers are interconnected by a level tube and a reflux tube. The chamber below is provided with a filler tube. The level tube is set to blow out approximately 4 hours of gas production. The chamber below is approximately 3/4 full at the beginning of a new cycle. The liquid column in the level tube reflects the blow-off pressure. The level tube is calculated for a gas speed of 120 m/sec during blow-off. Within approximately 40 seconds the pressure between the reactor and the gas-storage will be equalised and the substrate will flow back from the higher level of the displacement tank to the digester. In a 5 m3 reactor the reflux substrate within the same time interval will be approximately 1,000 l.
The system operates without any supply of external energy for control or heating. The plant produces 3-5 m3 gas per day, which is enough for approximately 10 hours use. This is sufficient to provide a family of 10 members with gas for cooking and gas light purposes. The plant is raised without any mechanical or motor-driven tools.