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The BMP Nautilus water bath and reactor rack beside its gas flow meter and a filled reactor bottle

BMP Nautilus

Practical, precise Biochemical Methane Potential Test

The BMP Nautilus helps AD researchers and operators measure the biogas/methane potential of their feedstock. Its fifteen parallel 1L batch reactors, with wide mouths make handling fibrous or chunky feedstock easy. This system minimises manual handling with automatic gas measurement included.

£7575

Enquire NowBMP Nautilus Infosheet

1-year warranty included, with technical support beyond it

The Nautilus Set

Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) is a biological test to evaluate the economic value of feedstock through its potential for methane/biogas generation with anaerobic digestion. It can also indicate the presence of inhibitory substances in the feed. The equivalent test, residual biogas potential (RBP), is now a certified method to assess the quality of digestate after AD in the UK.

Every test builds a cumulative yield curve for each reactor. Comparing them shows which feedstock is worth the most, while a curve that flattens earlier than expected is often the first sign of an inhibitory substance. The chart below is a real BMP Nautilus run rather than an illustration — four food wastes, each in triplicate, over fifteen days.

0200400600800100003691215Biogas yield (mL/g VS)Time (days)
Real data from a BMP Nautilus run — four feedstocks, each in triplicate.

Why BMP Nautilus?

  • 1 L reactorsLarge volumes reduce the influence of small sampling variations.
  • Covered water bathLess evaporation during longer tests.
  • One 20 rpm driveConsistent mixing across all 15 positions.
  • Results at standard conditionsTemperature and pressure readings convert gas volumes automatically.
  • Ready to runEasy to operate, with the data logger and software included.

Applications

  • Maize growing in a field as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion

    Determine biomethane yield of substrates

    Measure what a feedstock is worth before it goes anywhere near the digester.

  • Multiple BMP Nautilus systems for parallel laboratory tests

    Screen inhibitors and toxic materials

    Catch substances that suppress digestion in a 1 L reactor, not a full-scale plant.

  • Collecting a digestate sample at an anaerobic digestion plant

    Evaluate residual biogas potential (RBP) of digestate

    Quantify the gas left in digestate — the certified UK measure of AD quality.

  • Preparing plant material for feedstock testing

    Assess the effects of pre-treatment on feedstocks

    Run treated and untreated material side by side to see what the extra step buys.

Discover the set

  1. 20 RPM Motorpowers the mixing inside all the reactors

  2. Patented Gearboxlets one motor mix all 15 reactors consistently

  3. Water Bath Lidstops water evaporating from the bath

  4. Water Bathholds temperature from ambient up to 85°C

  5. 15-cell Gas Flow Metermeasures gas in ~10 ml increments

    15x 1L HDPE Reactorlarge volume limits the impact of small deviations

Client Stories

  • BMP Nautilus in Dania Lab, Denmark

    “We actually considered building a system ourselves, but we are very happy that we chose to buy from Anaero instead. There is much more work involved in constructing your own system than initially seems.”

    Dania LabRune JørgensenDenmark
    Read full case study
  • Pretoria Energy's AD plant, UK

    “We have found that the difference between varieties — which may yield and look identical in the field — can result in a 60–70 m³ difference in gas potential at feed-in time.”

    Pretoria EnergyJonathan PayneUK
    Read full case study
  • BMP Nautilus sets at SUEZ Wakefield

    “Initially it was introduced as an upgrade to our home-made BMP rigs. It made the test less labour intensive and more reliable.”

    SUEZPaul PickardWakefield, UK
    Read full case study

Technical Specification

Component information
Feeding typeBatch
Number of reactors15
Reactor volume1 L
Reactor materialHDPE plastic
Gas flow meter15-cell (~10 ml)
Water bath temperatureAmbient – 85°C
Motor speed20 rpm
Electrical information
Waterbath110/230V
Motor power supply12V
Data loggerArduino, 9V DC
Optional extras
  • Borosilicate Glass Reactors (£10/unit)
  • 250ml Gas Wash Bottles (£25/unit)
  • Steel Access Ports (£20/unit)

Frequently asked questions

  • Does it measure methane or total biogas?

    Either. Fill the gas flow meter with acidified or distilled water to count total biogas, or with a caustic solution that absorbs CO₂ so only methane is counted.

  • Are results corrected to standard conditions?

    Yes. A temperature sensor in the flow meter and a barometer in the data logger let it convert every reading to standard temperature and pressure (273.15 K, 101.325 kPa) automatically, so results are comparable with published BMP values.

  • Can I follow VDI 4630 or the Holliger et al. (2016) recommendations?

    Yes. Fifteen reactors give room for triplicates, blanks and a positive control; the water bath holds the temperature, every reactor is mixed at the same speed, and gas volumes are reported at standard conditions. You choose the inoculum, ratio and test length to suit the method you follow.

  • Can I use it for residual biogas potential (RBP) of digestate?

    Yes. RBP is the UK test for digestate stability, described in WRAP report OFW004-005, and runs on the same equipment as a BMP test. SUEZ runs both BMP and RBP tests on eight BMP Nautilus sets.

  • Can I sample or add to the reactors during a test?

    Yes, with optional gas-tight access ports. You can measure pH, redox or VFA, or add a supplement, without opening the reactor or interrupting gas measurement.

  • What happens in a power cut?

    The gas flow meter and data logger have battery backup for up to 15 hours, so gas counts are not lost while the power is off.

  • Can it run thermophilic tests?

    Yes. The water bath runs from ambient temperature up to 85 °C, and its fitted lid keeps evaporation low even at thermophilic temperatures such as 55 °C.

  • What warranty and support come with the BMP Nautilus?

    The BMP Nautilus comes with a one-year warranty, starting from the date of delivery. It applies when the instrument is installed and used as the manual describes. After the warranty ends, we're still happy to help with questions and troubleshooting: we want your instruments running and collecting data.

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