With the current situation in Venezuela, the people there may have to start looking for ways to get the fuel they need. Maybe it’s time they consider other alternatives, like Biogas. With a decent amount of knowledge and a few supplies to build a basic setup some of them could have biogas quicker than they could get fuel from the stations!
Previously in my other articles, I mentioned the advantages of diesel and Biogas. More precisely, Methane CH4, as Biogas varies in its composition depending on some other gas compounds. In this article, we will look closely at the biogas option.
Resource diversification: the many uses of Biogas
Disclaimer: I have no first-hand experience using Biogas in my engines.
Diesel was an excellent choice until I found out the refinery producing it seems to be in trouble. Once I find a suitable fuel for the challenging years ahead in Venezuela, I will cover that in an article. I may even make a poll in my small town to overview how many people are aware of alternative fuels. I’m seriously considering a mixture because diesel still can be found in Venezuela, even though it is scarce. Using Biogas for an engine is not the same as merely burning it in your stove while cooking stew.
Biogas can be used in small diesel engines but needs special treatment to remove all of the water and other compounds. You can read about running a diesel engine on biogas documented here. In this article, “Running a Diesel Engine on Biogas,” the author shares the real lessons he learned running trials with limited resources.
RELATED: Venezuela’s Limited Fuel is Such Bad Quality That it is Causing CATASTROPHIC Damage
As a prepper, I am a diesel fan. It does not matter that diesel fuel may be scarce. Biogas could make the diesel reserves last five times longer if produced. Gas consumption in diesel engines is sure to be relatively high. I have worked with larger engines before, and I know this to be a reality.
I’ve driven V8 engines with GNV systems. The engine performance is not the same as gasoline simply because of the different energy levels. But, I found it quite interesting because the system in our fleet trucks was sophisticated and simple at the same time. With one gasoline tank and one GNV tank, we could operate our truck 140 km per day, give or take, for five days straight.
Preppers and survivalists living in places with long winters may find it useful to have a small diesel engine that runs on Biogas. When the solar panels are not receiving enough sunlight, Biogas can also be used in generators to pump water, run a heater, load the battery rack, and more.
RELATED: Selco-How to Stay Warm During a Long-Term SHTF Situation
Biogas has many uses, like cooking fuel for the Genset. Also, Biogas has the potential to be an income source by selling excess or trading the byproduct: liquid fertilizer, although selling the excess means some degree of manipulation, maybe bottling inside a vessel. *A high-risk hazardous activity would be required and not recommended for non-certified professionals in a place under the rule of law.
*You will be subject to regulations while something similar to a State is in place. After SHTF, though, you will very likely be able to sell all the Biogas you want.
Here is the poop, I mean scoop on Biogas
It’s a shame I have to write from a merely theoretical point of view. I prefer to provide excellent proven, functional, and cheap DIY designs for a biodigestor. (Coming soon.) I am collecting fittings here and there to build a small prototype. My graphic you see here is a preliminary of the biodigestor. You can also read my notes on Patreon. Rest assured that the biodigestor building will be one of the most documented and thoroughly described articles. Complete with videos and all.
Microbes feeding on waste play a crucial role in the production of Biogas. More precisely, vegetal waste. The digestive process of bacteria in a media without oxygen creates Methane. Those accustomed to tacos or some other meals with grain already have experienced methane generation first hand!
These microbes, or bacteria, are introduced in an ambient without oxygen (like most of our bellies, or goats and cows stomachs) and fed with vegetal cropping. Sources for the vegetal cropping can come from our table, weeds from the garden, and a few others, as long as they are chemical-free. Chemicals will kill the beneficial-to-us bacteria that are needed to produce Methane inside the digestor.
This biodigestor processes only vegetal residues. Cow dung, chicken, pig, horse, goat, or rabbit poop activates the digestor. According to my research, rodent poop is an excellent Methane source.
- Result: 40-60% Methane.
- Bonus Result: Byproduct fertilizer that everyone wants!
What are the advantages of producing Biogas?
Biogas may not be the best solution for some. Perhaps, someone with a small farm located in a remote area where fuel is expensive can save the day if they can power up their generator with it a couple of hours a week. As an essential point, avoid using products to heal the cattle if you wish to use the manure to generate Biogas. These products could completely ruin your digestor, killing the bacteria inside. Caveat emptor!
Here are a few of the advantages:
- Using readily available materials building the basic set up is easy
- Unlike other alternatives, Biogas is environmentally safe and reliable
- Bartering using excess fuel is a possibility
- Byproduct fertilizer sold, with the proper precautions, or used in your garden
- You don’t need a high degree of knowledge to produce Biogas
Biogas may not be the best solution for some. Perhaps, someone with a small farm located in a remote area where fuel is expensive can save the day if they can power up their generator with it a couple of hours a week. As an essential point, avoid using products to heal the cattle if you wish to use the manure to generate Biogas. These products could completely ruin your digestor, killing the bacteria inside. Caveat emptor!
RELATED: What You Need to Know About Bug Out Vehicles, Fuel and the Energy Matrix
As a final note as usual in the Preppersphere, it all depends on your particular needs, and what you’re willing to do to mitigate or eliminate your needs.
My goal is to work and use what I know, what I have studied for, and everything I’ve learned in this journey to provide as much proven information as I can, based on my particular experiences and facts.
Stay Safe!
Jose
About Jose
Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has a small 4 members family, plus two cats and a dog. An old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Thanks to your help Jose has gotten his family out of Venezuela. They are currently setting up a new life in another country. Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151
Done Biogas, not as easy as it sounds. Messy and subject to weather extremes.
Have had much better successes with Charcoal Wood Gas. Normal wood gas you have all that bio-sludge tar to filter out or gum up your engine something fierce. Can be done but when you make charcoal you have already removed that bio-sludge tar and the gas is clean.
Also if your doing pine properly the distillates from making charcoal from it is useful for many processes. Think turpentine, glues and sealants.
Many good you tube video’s of hobbyists doing wood gas. Worth a few hours and some welding.
Thanks Michael!
You´re right. It´s weather-dependant. In my tropical weather it´s going to be the best choice, because of the lack of fast-growing woods to justify the usage of gasifiers! However I have limited space to go through all the aspects. But that´s what comments are for. LOL:
Once I can actually build my facility (because I´m going to need it) I will be able to provide numbers, videos, improvement tips and stuff.
Stay tuned,
Jose.
I’m the main producer of biogas in the family though I usually blame the dog. LOL
I’ve looked into it but it’s just too complicated and unfeasible for my situation. That being said I appreciate the article and the optional views.
It’s something that weighs on me because I remember, as a kid, the 70s when fuel shortages hit America and odd/even fueling days based on license plates. I remember a guy attacking my moms car in the long line losing his mind because it wasn’t his day. It was little chains of events like that which led me to preparedness.
Dear Matt,
That´s hilarious! Hehe.
You´re right, growing the methane producing bacteria needs warm weather or some means to keep them over 20 Celsius. This is why I am sure it´s going to be a good alternative in my particular environment.
I appreciate the warning about not accidentally killing off your microbes when treating your manure producers for illness. I’m guessing you mean antibiotics? Good thing to keep in mind. Considering that many types of chicken feed contain antibiotics (or did when I was a kid, anyway) that’s something to watch out for or experiment around.
Dear Redbranch,
You´re correct, my reference is about the antibiotics livestock is treated with. The literature I filed in my archive product of my research for the project was clear about this. Depending on the type of antibiotics, you will have to allow some days so these clear the organism of the animals before collecting their manure to feed the digestor. If for some reason manure is not easy to find, you could use the material collected from the stomach of a recently dead animal, same day or so, as it has the needed bacteria.
The best advice I found was a video of a farm here in Peru: they raise a little rodent native from Los Andes called the “Cuy” (like a big hamster maybe?) and they feed only natural, green vegetables like grass, kitchen vegetable residues and others. Their manure is the most effective methane producer by weight, according to the numbers. Maybe I should take a few, but my fear is, this is not a native species where I come from. A pair of them scaping, able to breed, would be a catastrophe. Maybe I will try to hunt a few wild rabbits alive and keep them in captivity until they breed, and let them loose once they are old enough, to use the manure of those growing. It will be useful for wildilfe to recover, too. I´m willing to start growing some useful trees, cedar, eucalypt, tons of neem, and such…as the area has been poorly used by people without a clue of the damage their type of cultives does to the ground.