Summary:

Biogas, landfill gas originates from fermentation of organic compounds. The fuel contains between 30 and 70% of methane, between 30 and 60% CO2 and small amounts of other components, such as nitrogen, hydrogen or water vapour. Its fuel value oscillates around 17-27 MJ/m³. Biogas is widely used, mainly as a fuel for electricity generators, the source of energy for water heating and after cleaning and compressing also as a fuel for engines. It is manufactures mainly in small agricultural biogas plants. It is obtained by means of degassing post-landfill objects. The investigates conducted by the Authors aimed at determining the amount of biogas possible to obtain from typical fractions which occur in municipal wastes, i.e. potato peelings, cabbage leaves, vegetable peelings, citrus fruit and banana skins and animal wastes. The research considered six kinds of biowastes of plant origin and one control sample randomly mixed of all five kinds of wastes. The fractions were broken and liquefied to dry matter content of about 10%. Biogas was obtained through anaerobic fermentation process in a regulated temperature environment. A chamber with fixed temperature was used for this purpose (the temperature was set at c.a. 33^oC – optimal for mesophilic methane bacteria) in which tightly sealed containers with samples were placed. The quantitative measurement of generated biogas in the sample mixture was conducted twice a day.