Analysis of the Technical Model of Dairy Farm Biogas Plant

The biogas plant at a dairy farm is a comprehensive waste treatment and resource utilization technology that mainly relies on the high-concentration wastewater produced by the water flushed manure system for anaerobic fermentation treatment. 

During the treatment process at the biogas plant for dairy farm, the organic matter in the wastewater is converted into biogas through biogas fermentation, while also generating biogas slurry and biogas residue. This reduces the pollution emission of the dairy farm effectively and provides clean energy for the farm.

Technical Characteristics of Dairy Farm Biogas Plant

Waste Resource Utilization

The water flushed manure system mixes cow manure with water to form high-concentration wastewater. Through washing and solid-liquid separation, the manure residue, which is high in lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content, becomes fluffy and suitable as high-quality bedding material. The manure residue after biogas fermentation treatment is effectively recycled, reducing the need for bedding material purchases at the dairy farm and lowering operational costs.

Energy Recovery

The biogas plant can convert organic waste into combustible gas (biogas) through the anaerobic fermentation process, which can be used to meet the farm's heating, power generation, and other energy demands. It can even be supplied externally to generate additional income.

Wastewater Treatment and Storage Function

The biogas plant at the dairy farm can perform multistage biological purification, and after wastewater treatment, while purifying the water quality, the biogas plant also acts as a storage pond for wastewater, especially during non-irrigation seasons, effectively utilizing the purified water sources. Through the construction of multistage biological purification ponds, not only can large amounts of wastewater be absorbed, but livestock waste can also be effectively managed and treated.

Investment and Operating Costs

Investment in a biogas plant for dairy farm includes equipment and civil construction costs, daily operational and management costs, equipment maintenance costs, daily management costs of purification ponds, biogas slurry utilization and transportation costs, and daily turning and transportation costs of cow manure. These costs constitute the part that requires continuous investment during operation. Therefore, the dairy farm needs to make detailed economic budgets and fund plans to ensure long-term sustainable operation.

Applicability of Dairy Farm Biogas Plant

The dairy farm biogas plant is suitable for large-scale dairy farms with high energy demands. These dairy farms generate a large amount of waste during daily operations, which is difficult to treat, and need sufficient land resources to establish multistage biological purification ponds and store wastewater. Additionally, it is suitable for dairy farms that need to meet internal energy demands through biogas, especially for production processes with high energy consumption such as heating and power generation.