Development and Evaluation of a Smart Compact Biogas Fermentation Device Using Food Waste at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

Abstract

Food waste has increasingly been recognised as one of the most prominent environmental issues because of the large amount of food generated daily in places like universities. The food waste is mostly dumped in landfills, which creates pollution and wastage of vital resources. This research paper is a description and evaluation of a smart compact biogas fermenting device that aims to utilise the food waste from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) to produce biogas and a nutrient-rich fertiliser. The anaerobic digester, which has a capacity of 30 litres, is made of cost-effective materials such as an HDPE tank and PVC pipes. The food waste collected from specific UTHM cafeterias was mixed with water and processed in mesophilic conditions. The biogas was quantified using the water displacement technique and in real-time through the ESP32 microcontroller, the MQ-2 gas sensors, and the Blynk Internet of Things (IoT). The pH and temperature were manually monitored during the entire process. The results revealed that the system was successful in converting food waste into biogas and generating digestate that can be applied as a fertiliser. The IoT system could help in monitoring the biogas production process with the use of a smartphone.