Fill Methane from Biogas Plant in a Strong Plastic Bag?

Yes.

Next question?

Fine. After filling is it possible to carry anywhere just like an air filled balloon?

It is and it's done quite frequently in some parts of the world.

Very good reply. If we exert small pressure over this bag is it possible to work the cooking stove for cooking purpose.

I suspect that (or something similar) is the idea of the fellow in the image posted in comment #6. Not certain just how you would regulate pressure, but the intended stove may be forgiving enough this isn't a big problem.

[edit] I think PWSlack (in comment #11) has a very good observation about safety. However, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

Just because people do it doesn't mean it's a good idea. If you need gas for cooking, you should invest in a regulation tank of some sort. Carrying gas in a plastic gas is extremely extremely dangerous. Any kind of heat or flame can melt the plastic and create catastrophic results.

Many of the members here are replying tongue in cheek in part of how dangerous an idea this is, so thinking about it practically is difficult and slightly irresponsible to do.

For whatever you end up doing, please be safe

Yes - until it ruptures.

Heavens to Murgatroyd!

Note the terrible air pollution in this photo.

That's progress?

I think this picture was taken in a poorer area in China wherein gas pipelines don't reach the majority of the villages. With that said, it makes sense that there'd be a lot of pollution if people can just walk right up to a pipeline and tap in to fill their balloons.

No. Not safely.

Next question?

Yes is! But why would you?

You need to control the pressure when filling the bag.

Regardless how strong your bag is, I would not put more than a couple PSI in there.

Question back:

Would your bag fly away when filled or drop to the ground?

<...a couple [of] PSI...>

In something with so little structural strength?

Do make sure all CR4 readers are a long way back before doing this.

Ok, I see your point. Now my point was that he can fill the bag. What ever happens afterwards was not the question.

That there is a big safety risk should be clear by now, but Mizuti showed that even the transport in the plastic bag is possible.

Next question here is: what sort of Bio gas are we talking about? I would be afraid that the gas will eat away the plastic in now time. Further information from DavidDavid reveals he intends to use this gas for cooking. If this is indoors I wouldn't really like to be there to see it happening.

People do what they have to do, but they need to think and ask the right questions. The answer to OP is: yes it is possible! But think about it a bit more and make sure you have everything covered. Testing the plastic with the gas is one way forward. And maybe learning Chinese - I would not trust the translation.

Good luck!

yes, just make sure you seal the bag with a lighter once it's full

...before you leave the biogas plant.

I have to fill the bag from the outlet of biogas plant and take the gas filled bag to another place.

Why is there no pipeline?

It is not the answer

That's right. It is a question based upon a concern for personal safety. Why is there no pipeline?

Personal and personnel...

Do feel free to use the Report button if considered appropriate.

Relevant news article:

http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/pictures/shandong-villagers-inflate-plastic-bags-with-natural-gas-to-carry-home.html

Your browser should be able to translate it automatically (you may not even notice that it was written entirely in Chinese)

[Shudder] OMG!

You need truck wheels with inner tubes and a battery operated, spark free, compressor. Roll the wheels to the source, let the air out of the tires, connect the compressor inlet to the source, recite your holiest prayer and fill the wheels to the highest correct pressure, if it doesn't explode, roll the wheels back home and use the gas.

It would be wise to flush out the air left after the pressure has gone. The bigger the tyre the more air will be mixed with the gas. The lower the final pressure the nearer one will be to an explosive mixture. With a plain inner tube it is easy to flatten it to expel the air. With an inner tube inside a tyre, not so easy. With a tubeless tyre nearly impossible without breaking the tyre/wheel seal. Pre-inflating with CO2 or N2 a couple of times would help but CO2/N2 probably not available. Really making this safe is probably more trouble than doing without the gas in the first place!

You could evacuate it with an aircon servicing vacuum pump. One might need to install a cock over the schraeder valve to keep the air out. Manifold gauge set could be permanently connected....

I've sucked bicycle inner tubes flat with my mouth, never tried a truck tube.

I really offered it "tongue in cheeK"; but he has a compressor, he could use a tube inside a tubeless tire, put air in the tubeless to exhaust the tube and then allow it to escape while filling the tube.

Gas bag vehicles were reasonably common in europe during WW1 & 2

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/11/gas-bag-vehicles.html

About 40 years ago, there was a strange old loner, that rode a bicycle everywhere.An old big-tired Huffy.It was a girls bicycle,but he didin't see the sense in having to lift his leg so high to get on a bike,especially since he was up in years.He picked up bottles and cans and sold them.Rumor had it that he was once a machinist in the Navy, and hence his nickname was "Jiggs"

He lived in a small mobile home, on family land, and was very self sufficient.He piled up leaves and got stable droppings from a nearby horse barn, piled them up, put plastic over the pile, and let them ferment.He salvaged an old vacuum pump from somewhere, and pumped the methane from the pile into truck tire inner tubes.He then used this to cook and heat with.He lived almost entirely off the grid.A single light bulb kept his worms from leaving their bed, and he sold the worms to the local fishermen.He used the money to buy things he could not grow in his garden, like coffee,sugar,tea, and such.He would pick up "drops" from the fruit trees,apples peaches,etc., and make his own hooch,fired by his "natural"gas.

So yes, it can be done.

Provided you have enough common sense not to blow yourself up.

Where there is a will there is a way.!

(Not to mention a lawyer)

Is High density poly Ethylene ( HDPE ) material strong enough for filling methane gas. Is there any reaction between HDPE and methane gas ?

HDPE is very strong and very inert,but I cannot advise on suitability for your application.

A lot will depend on the thickness of the material.

I can only speak from the experience of Jiggs with the truck-tier inner tubes.

Try Google for corrosion tables,HDPE.

Invitation to Spontaneous Combustion?

There is a method of using biogas to cook with.Most gas stoves require only 11" WC to operate.That is slightly less than 1/2 PSI.Very low,easy to provide.

The method described below was first used in Africa.

The biogas generator was constructed of a concrete cylinder approximately 10 ft diameter, about 6 feet high.The lid was concrete, and was free to float inside of the cylinder.The cylinder was filled with animal dung and water,and the resulting gas was used to provide cooking gas for the whole village.The lid provided a constant pressure.When the gas was depleted, they emptied and refilled it again.

I am not sure how they maintained the seal, but that should be easy to work out.

Prior to this, the women had to walk many miles to gather firewood to cook with.

On a smaller scale, a plastic barrel could be used, with brick or dirt on lid to provide desired pressure.Approximately 150 pounds on lid would give adequate pressure of roughly 1/2 psi (On a 20 inch Diameter drum).

Perhaps the biomass could be in a sealed plastic bladder inside of the drum to simplify the sealing of the lid,or a canvass or rubber collar secured to the lid and the sides secured with rubber cord,or giant rubber bands cut from cross cut section of an inner tube?

Remember, the lid has very little travel.

If properly sealed, the biogas pressure will lift it above the surface of the liquid.

There are many ways to accomplish the same goal.

If the lid is concrete its easy enough to cast it as a bowl and stick it inside the cylinder of festering fluid upside down. It would seal much the dame way as a gasometer does.

Very good information. Please send more details if available.

http://www.ehow.com/how_10025116_build-55gallon-drum-methane-digester.html