Melhorias em biodigestores anaeróbicos de pequeno porte: uma aplicação do QFD

Abstract

A steady increase in global population and reduction of poverty are raising demand for food and energy. A desirable expansion of agricultural and livestock production is accompanied by an undesirable pressure on environment degradation. This latter effect can be minimized through the installation and operation of anaerobic biodigesters in every farm. Past history, however, has demonstrated that most of biodigesters are eventually abandoned. Indeed their operation is complex and doesn t worth the workload and investment. A new generation of biodigesters, more efficient and more friendly operated, has to be developed. Such beneficial innovation can be achieved by applying quality deployment, QD, on designing new equipments. For this deed the voice of customer, VOC, was collected from a set of small farmers, located on the West part of Parana state in Brazil, that already have installed and operate small plants, all them linked as a net, to explore biogas as energy source. Through Quality Deployment, the voice of customer, the desires of the small farmers, were translated into product characteristics. From those characteristics, new components and quality parameters were elicited to address better performance and make operation more user-friendly. Special hydraulic pump for manure, improved material for gas container, better control of temperature and input manure consistency were the most significant improvement identified.