Methane!

[txhomegrown]

What I am trying to figure out is how much methane is equal to a gallon of gas. If you have a generator that burns one gallon of gas per hour, how many cubic feet of methane is needed to replace the gallon of gas. If you know that you can figure what size system you need to keep the generator going.

 

[Farmfresh]

You would be best to try to compare it with propane.

What you have to find out is the calories/unit of each fuel. Here is the definition of a calorie and food is not the only thing that has calories to be sure.

Energy from Fossil Fuels chart

 

[MysticScorpio82]

This is something my husband and I have been looking into. I desprately want to be off-grid, save money and then buy a real farm (Someplace where the cityhall tells me that even though I on nearly 3 acres I can't have one goat because I am zoned for "urban development" even though I am near the town line bordering rural country...*grumble*) and the go even further with my off-grid homestead dream!

Anyway my husband was saying alot of the same things that were already mentioned, that we would need something similar to a propane convertor for methane to work. This is one of the sites he was looking at for making your own convertor kit: theepicenter.com/tow102899.html

(sorry, this was the closest way I could post a link, since I am still new to this particular sister site)

According to the research so far, if you were to use chicken manure (since I know most of you are from BYC too ) you should be able to get the methane gas equivalent (spelling) of one gallon of gas for a generator from aprox. 5 pounds of chicken manure. Anyone have any other links they want to share?

 

[Farmfresh]

TheEpicenter

Just helping with the link.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

TheEpicenter

Just helping with the link.

Thank you!!!

 

[txhomegrown]

Propane, like gasoline is measured and sold in gallons. Methane is more like natural gas like you use in your home. This still leaves the question of how many cubic feet or cubic meters of methane equals a gallon of gas or propane?
Otherwise you are trying to figure how many apples it takes to make a gallon of orange juice.

 

[MVchickens]

Why compare it to propane or use cubic feet or meters? Propane is very different (C3H8) than Methane ( CH4). It can be a simple conversion to liters of gas. 1 mole of a gas is 22.4 L. If given the kilojoule/mole value of the combustion of gasoline and the temp, pressure, and formula of the gas being used you can get an exact amount needed.

 

[MVchickens]

Why compare it to propane or use cubic feet or meters? Propane is very different (C3H8) than Methane ( CH4). It can be a simple conversion to liters of gas. 1 mole of a gas is 22.4 L. If given the kilojoule/mole value of the combustion of gasoline and the temp, pressure, and formula of the gas being used you can get an exact amount needed.