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Hungry Caterpillar
Multi-stage AD across 10 reactors.
2-stage Caterpillar
What's included:
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10x1L Caterpillar Set
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10x2L 2nd stage Reactors
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PLC Control Panel
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15-Cell Gas Flow Meter
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Arduino Data Logger
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1-Year Warranty
Optional modifications:
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Larger reactor sizes (enquire)
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Pressure valve for higher pressures inside reactor
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PH probe
All for £41000
Compare the biogas production of various non-fibrous substances, or the effects of additives, with the 10 automatically-fed 1L reactors. 1L reactors are optimised for high through-put testing of homogenous substances such as liquid food waste or industrial effluents.
The Hungry Caterpillar builds on the Caterpillar's capabilities by having an extra 10 reactors, configured for an extra stage of anaerobic digestion. The effluent from the first reactor will flow into the second, so you can perform advanced research into the stages of AD and simulate complex system. It's ideal for research into VFA control, microbial dynamics, nutrient recovery, or new pathways such as hydrogen production.
Access advanced research into anaerobic digestion by simulating multiple stages. The reactors are connected in sequence so you can control different parts of the AD process.
Replicate industrial anaerobic digestion as closely as possible by using real feedstocks, as oppose to dilutions or synthetic mixes. The robust stainless steel reactors withstand all feedstocks.
10x 1st Stage Reactors
test a range of feedstocks, and test conditions such as temperature, or additive use
10x 2nd Stage Reactors
perform advanced research with multi-stage AD, with simple to run equipment, and customisable configurations
2 Automatic Feeders
experiment with different feeding rates to make the most biogas with your feedstock
The robust stainless steel reactors provide the non-reactive environment for anaerobic digestion. Enquire for different reactor volumes.
The easily removable effluent bottle collects the excess digestate to avoid pressure build ups and spillages.
10x 1L Reactors
250ml Effluent Bottle
10x 2nd Stage Reactors
Stainless steel 2nd stage reactors come in a range of sizes.
Mixer motor
Each reactor comes with a 20 rpm motor which constantly mixes the inside of the reactors.
Heater Jacket
The custom fit heater jackets maintain a consistent, programmable temperature inside the reactor.
Agitator Motor
To ensure homogenous feed, the agitator mixes the feedstock coming up from the feeding syringe.
Automatic Feeder Syringe
The patented feeder syringe feeds the reactor at your programmed rate. It prevents backflow from the reactor and a full syringe feeds for about a week.
Custom 15-cell gas flow meter measures gas production in ~10ml increments (subject to calibration)
Our open source Arduino data logger records and stores the gas production data measured by the gas flow meter. When an event happens in the gas flow meter, a reed switch circuit is closed which is logged by the data logger. The BMP280 pressure sensor and thermocouple inform the data logger to automatically convert any gas volumes to STP. Data is easily extracted at any time through USB connection with any computer.