Farm methane plant for my layout - ongoing project

[Cornish-model-farm]

I bought the Universal Hobbies T6.180 Methane tractor recently (see pictures) and decided I would like to build a farm methane plant for my layout. So far I have only got the covered slurry store (pictured), so I will need to do some more research to find out what other structures are needed.

[New Hollander]

you may need this as a main digester

Kids Globe 1:32 Scale Biodigester Installation Tank | Gormley Agri | Quality Feed and Farm Supplies

Edited July 4, 2023 by New Hollander

[Cornish-model-farm]

17 minutes ago, New Hollander said:

you may need this as a main digester

Kids Globe 1:32 Scale Biodigester Installation Tank | Gormley Agri | Quality Feed and Farm Supplies

Excellent, many thanks.

[Jack390]

I believe you’ll need a way to provide the digester with the materials, when its forage crops I believe it is deposited into a feed mixer type contraption. If you are powering it by using forage crops, a large silage pit would be helpful too

[Cornish-model-farm]

10 minutes ago, Jack390 said:

I believe you’ll need a way to provide the digester with the materials, when its forage crops I believe it is deposited into a feed mixer type contraption. If you are powering it by using forage crops, a large silage pit would be helpful too

That's very helpful. It seems there are two farm methane systems. The simpler system, which they use in Cornwall, which is sponsored by Cornwall Council, is methane capture from covered slurry lagoons. The other type is using green crops and green waste and as you rightly say, that would involve a feed mixer type contraption with a shredder and also a biodigester. I may end up doing both if I have room!

[SPN]

This is something I'm planning too.

It uses the same basic principles as any process.

Feedstock storage (silage pits, weighbridge, etc. Cattle slurry plus some other feedstock gives the best results)

Feedstock input (modified feed mixers seem very common)

Process itself (One or more of the tanks pictured above. Some systems move the digestate from tank to tank to tweak the process)

Process output (Methane - what is it being used for?, liquid digestate - slurry, solid digestate - run the liquid through a process to separate the liquid from the solids)

Methane storage, digestate storage.

On site generator? (40ft container with an exhaust pipe)

Some videos and pictures of a set-up in Donegal here https://glenmoreestate.com/renewable-energy/

 

 

[Cornish-model-farm]

2 hours ago, SPN said:

This is something I'm planning too.

It uses the same basic principles as any process.

Feedstock storage (silage pits, weighbridge, etc. Cattle slurry plus some other feedstock gives the best results)

Feedstock input (modified feed mixers seem very common)

Process itself (One or more of the tanks pictured above. Some systems move the digestate from tank to tank to tweak the process)

Process output (Methane - what is it being used for?, liquid digestate - slurry, solid digestate - run the liquid through a process to separate the liquid from the solids)

Methane storage, digestate storage.

On site generator? (40ft container with an exhaust pipe)

Some videos and pictures of a set-up in Donegal here https://glenmoreestate.com/renewable-energy/

 

 

Many thanks for the insight. That's got me all fired up. Definitely going to do it. Onsite electricity generation sounds like a good one. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your own unit if you build it.👍

[Cornish-model-farm]

Just bought a 1/32 scale 40ft shipping container kit from Magnetic Racing on Ebay, so I can make a start on the generator building. Also bought some 3D printed large vents as it will need plenty of ventilation. 

[SPN]

I hadn't come across them before. Very interesting.

I wonder if they have ever considered making farm buildings?

Their quality and pricing seems dead on.

https://magneticracing.com/

 

[New Hollander]

3 hours ago, Cornish-model-farm said:

Just bought a 1/32 scale 40ft shipping container kit from Magnetic Racing on Ebay, so I can make a start on the generator building. Also bought some 3D printed large vents as it will need plenty of ventilation. 

 

You may want to check out these video's for the installations. When you want to drive a T6 Methane tractor you have to pressurize the biomethane from the digester. It's either pressurizing for CNG(to feed into the grid or for your T6) or producing electricity by a generator.

The Bennamann installation is a monodigester, so only biogas from manure. The installation SPN describes is mostly fed by silage and other stuff.

Edited July 5, 2023 by New Hollander

[Cornish-model-farm]

55 minutes ago, SPN said:

I hadn't come across them before. Very interesting.

I wonder if they have ever considered making farm buildings?

Their quality and pricing seems dead on.

https://magneticracing.com/

 

There was a company in Wales called Woody Farm Buildings, they produced various 1/32 self-assembly farm buildings in laser-cut MDF. I have a cattle building of theirs but haven't assembled it yet. I looked for them again on Ebay the other day but they are not advertising currently, so I don't know the story there.

[Cornish-model-farm]

11 minutes ago, New Hollander said:

 

You may want to check out these video's. When you want to drive a T6 Methane tractor you have to pressurize the biomethane from the digester. It's either pressurizing for CNG or producing electricity by a generator. The Bennamann installation is a monodigester, so only biogas from manure.

That's very impressive and very informative, many thanks for all the information. Bennamann is based in Cornwall - the two owners were surfing buddies who decided to go into business together.

[SPN]

13 hours ago, Cornish-model-farm said:

There was a company in Wales called Woody Farm Buildings, they produced various 1/32 self-assembly farm buildings in laser-cut MDF. I have a cattle building of theirs but haven't assembled it yet. I looked for them again on Ebay the other day but they are not advertising currently, so I don't know the story there.

https://woodyfarmbuildings.co.uk/

Those look very like the buildings I used to buy from Mason's Attic back around 2015. Great to see they are still being made. Very clever modular system.

 

[Cornish-model-farm]

27 minutes ago, SPN said:

https://woodyfarmbuildings.co.uk/

Those look very like the buildings I used to buy from Mason's Attic back around 2015. Great to see they are still being made. Very clever modular system.

 

Pleased to hear they are still in business👍

[Cornish-model-farm]

I'm making progress with the farm methane plant. I have built, painted and weathered the 40ft shipping container which will house the electricity generator powered by methane. I've added an exhaust stack and vents to the roof and vents to the sides - see photos. The 3D printed vents came from Ringoresin on Ebay. The exhaust stack is from a 1/24 scale Heller kit of a MF 2680 with an extension added to it. The tall exhaust stack probably ought to be braced so it doesn't topple over in the Winter gales!

[Cornish-model-farm]

Another piece of the farm methane plant jigsaw falls into place. I bought this 1/32 scale Kids Globe bio digester on E-bay this morning.👍

[SPN]

I got another one of those bio gas models today out of Holland. Want at least 2 more.

Also, the exhaust on the container would normally be horizontal, so no bracing needed.

 

 

[Cornish-model-farm]

19 hours ago, SPN said:

I got another one of those bio gas models today out of Holland. Want at least 2 more.

Also, the exhaust on the container would normally be horizontal, so no bracing needed.

 

 

Thanks for the tip Stan, much appreciated👍