Performance Evaluation of a Rabbit Manure-Based Biogas Power System: Slurry Dynamics, Energy Yield, and Conversion Efficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/biste.v8i4.16870Keywords:
Rabbit Manure, Biogas Power Generation, Renewable Energy, Biogas Purification, Waste GenerationAbstract
The increasing demand for sustainable energy has encouraged decentralized biogas-based power systems, yet a critical research gap remains regarding their field-scale integration and multi-parameter thermodynamic evaluations under real farming conditions. The research contribution is the field-scale operational integration and continuous performance evaluation of a 500 L rabbit manure biodigester coupled with a three-stage purification unit and a modified 1000 W generator set. Utilizing a transparent, reproducible mathematical framework, fresh rabbit manure was digested under a 37-day hydraulic retention time. Results revealed that the accumulated slurry occupied 35.5% of the biodigester volume, leaving 64.5% available as headspace for passive thermodynamic pressure management. The purified biogas successfully operated a 40 W barn lighting load for 12 h day⁻¹, generating a stable average electrical energy output of 0.485 kWh day⁻¹ and a specific energy yield of 0.202 kWh kg⁻¹ of fresh manure. The integrated system achieved a validated Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) value of 0.99 and an overall energy conversion efficiency of 64.7%. While this investigation is limited by its small-scale setup and a 31-day batch cycle, the practical implications demonstrate that this layout provides a viable, standalone template for circular waste management and rural energy independence, establishing an empirical baseline to motivate future automated or upscaled microgrid architectures.
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Copyright (c) 2026 As'ad Shidqy Aziz, Deshinta Arrova Dewi, Daeng Rahmatullah, Muhammad ‘Izzuddin Al-Qassam, Ayusta Lukita Wardani, Fithrotul Irda Amaliah, Ridho Hendra Yoga Perdana, Onny Setyawati
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