Before I start building...

[Bob]

Hi Mark,

Welcome. How big a system are talking about? Have you done preliminary sizing?

You will find some odds and ends on different digester design ideas on this forum, or check out these drawings and photos of one design. It's one I built a few years ago (1998?) and have had running since then. I am currently in the process of designing a different one, but haven't installed or tested it yet.

[Bob]

I don't have line power and my solar panels provide only what I need in the winter months. That eliminates the heat tape idea.

Yeah, the only reason I have heat tape shown is for testing the prototype. I agree, using electricity for low grade space heat is a bad idea even in principle -- a misuse of high quality energy.

I ... would be interested in what you do with the gas you produce. Do you have any scrubbing process or do you burn it as is.

I burn it as is, but use it only for heating hot water. But if I were going to burn it in an IC engine, I would scrub it. I've played around with some scrubbing on a bench scale -- i.e. bubbling it through limewater to remove CO2 & steel wool to remove H2S, but don't really have any direct experience with it.

I'd be interested in hearing about your efforts.