| Author | Chanon Wichian |
| Note | Thesis (M.Eng.) -- Asian Institute of Technology, 2015 |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental impacts that contributed from small biogas power plant. This study proposed the scenario improvements to minimizing impact the environmental impact for the communities and neighborhood. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is applied to assess the environmental impacts of the small biogas power plant with considering impact from gate to gate including transportation of raw material. Life cycle of this case study is the small biogas power plant is in Ubon ratchathani province, Thailand. EDIP 2003 method is used as Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) by using SimaPro 8.0.3 software for analysis. The functional unit is selected as one kWh electricity generated at the small biogas power plant. The total emissions of one kWh electricity generated as functional unit is -0.454 mPt by considering gate to gate including transportation. The result of analysis indicates the small biogas power plant can reduce the environmental impact with considering avoided emissions by providing electricity to EGAT. Producing electricity from biogas power plant is the renewable energy so it can reduce the usage of natural resources such as lignite, coal and so on. However, the anaerobic digestion has the highest impacts which contributed 40.18% of whole impact. The main impact category is ozone formation (human). The scenario improvements can provide clearly minimize of environmental impacts after implements. The scenario utilization of treated wastewater as fertilizer. It can reduce the impact score from -1.0151 to -1.1191 mPt. In addition, scenario of the changing type of digester can indicate that the technology and structural digester can lead to the different impact score significantly. The result shows that the digesters with steel or lined concrete or fiberglass digester is the best (-1.5379 mPt). The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) contributed - 1.4060 mPt follow by covered anaerobic lagoon (-1.0151 mPt). Moreover, the impact score is decreased from reducing transportation by scenario of setting up the biogas power plant in the alcoholic beverage factory. The result indicates that it can reduce the impact score from -1.0151 to -1.6969 mPt. The analysis shows the biogas power plant has to evaluate and control about transportation load and leaks of methane impact judiciously, otherwise the total impact score will highly increase. |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Industrial Systems Engineering (DISE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Microelectronics (ME) |
| Chairperson(s) | Bohez, Erik L. J.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Huynh Trung Luong;Sun Olapiriyakul; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Thailand (HM King) |