Quantitative Analysis of Methane in a Biogas Reactor Using an MQ-4 Sensor for Low-Cost Monitoring

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-878-3_21How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Anaerobic Digestion; Arduino-Based Monitoring; Gas Detection; Low-cost Sensor

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the quantitative concentration of methane in a biogas reactor using an MQ-4 sensor. The novelty revealed by this research lies in the development of a low-cost, real-time monitoring system for methane content in biogas reactors. The device intesgrates the methane reactor, methane measurement apparatus, and pressure measurement instrumentation into a single unit, creating an affordable and reliable device suitable for small-scale biogas applications. The MQ-4 sensor was selected due to its affordable cost and reliability in detecting methane within the range of 200 to 10,000 ppm. An Arduino Mega 2560 was used to integrate the MQ-4 and BME280 sensors and for data logging. The device is portable and affordable for measuring methane levels in biogas production, making it suitable for both laboratory and field applications. The biogas was produced from animal dung, specifically cow manure, and collected in a 150 L biogas reactor. The analysis revealed that the methane concentrations during the 7-day retention periods fluctuated within a narrow range of 485 to 495 ppm. The mean value and standard deviation (expressed as a percentage of the mean) from the triplicate measurements were 1.557 ± 0.317%, indicating a high level of measurement precision. Overall, the MQ-4 semiconductor gas sensor demonstrated exceptional analytical performance characteristics for quantitative methane detection throughout the experimental period.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - I Gede Artha Negara
AU  - Daud Simon Anakottapary
AU  - Ida Ayu Anom Arsani
AU  - I Nengah Ludra Antara
AU  - Tjokorda Gde Tirta Nindhia
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/10/31
TI  - Quantitative Analysis of Methane in a Biogas Reactor Using an MQ-4 Sensor for Low-Cost Monitoring
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Green Tourism Applied Science - Engineering Applied Science 2025 (ICOSTAS-EAS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 175
EP  - 183
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-878-3_21
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-878-3_21
ID  - Negara2025
ER  -