In rural areas of Colombia, proper waste management is vital, yet due to their distance from urban areas, poor infrastructure, and roads, waste collection can be very difficult. This pollutes the environment, which is especially damaging to the quality of the agriculture that Colombia relies on economically and for sustenance.
These infrastructure issues also impact access to propane, which is a very important resource for rural communities. They rely heavily on the use of propane, especially for use by coffee growers, in processes like drying and cooking.
To combat these issues, a team of students from the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia, in collaboration with the Junta de Acción Comunal (Vereda La Granja) and Escuela Tecnológica Instituto Técnico Central created a low-cost instrumentation system designed to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) processes operation.
According to the team, “anaerobic digestion is a natural biological process that converts organic matter into two valuable products: biogas and nutrient-rich soil amendments in the form of biol and digestate.” AD is a sustainable and effective waste management solution that significantly reduces methane (CH4) emissions, which is a cleaner alternative to wood or propane gas. Also, it provides soil conditioners that are useful for agricultural activities. The adoption of AD has been limited in this region due to its complexity and the perceived time commitment it would demand.
This project is comprised of different sensors, data acquisition devices, and monitoring software, using Matlab and Python. They have sensors to monitor the quality of the biogas being released with the AD, especially the byproducts like hydrogen sulfide that can be potentially harmful.
The process of anaerobic digestion that the group is encouraging allows for a sustainable way to dispose of waste while creating a fuel that will be more sustainable for the citizens of La Vega, Colombia.
This project was made possible by a $8,858.11 grant from the IEEE Standards Association, an EPICS in IEEE partner.