FAQ – LFC Biodigester

This page lists some of the frequently asked questions for the LFC biodigester. To get a complete list of FAQ, please fill in the form at the bottom and one of our representatives will contact you shortly.
  • Is the LFC biodigester chopping or grinding up the waste food?

      No, the LFC biodigester is mixing the new waste food with the old waste food and the Powerzymes (microorganisms). The waste food is decomposed and primarily produces water, CO2, and heat. If waste food is chopped or ground, small parts of undigested food will enter the exit stream, increasing the levels of TSS (total suspended solids) and BOD (biological oxygen demand). The motor on the LFC biodigester acts only to mix, or slowly stir, the waste. It runs only a quarter of the time which minimizes the use of electricity.

  • What does the 200 mean on an LFC-200 biodigester?

      The 200 stands for average daily capacity 200 kg of blended food waste that a machine can digest. Foods such as rice and grain will digest much quicker than fibrous foods such as pineapple skins or onion peels. Any LFC biodigester will work with about 30% of its nominal capacity on average.

  • Is the LFC biodigester a batch process?

      No. You add food waste at any time. The machine is constantly digesting the waste.

  • Does the LFC biodigester smell?

      No. The decomposition is an aerobic process (in the presence of oxygen). In a forest, the leaves from the trees fall on the floor and decompose in an aerobic manner. The forest doesn’t smell. The same process is used in the LFC biodigester, but we accelerate it significantly.

  • Can we use the output of the LFC biodigester as fertilizer to irrigate the land?

      Possibly. If you feed the machine with only waste from the preparation of fruits and vegetables, then what comes out of the LFC biodigester could be used to irrigate the land. It is rich in nutrients just as if you had composted the waste food in a more traditional manner. It will then make an ideal fertilizer. However, if the waste food has meats, fats, grease, and spices such as salt and peppers, the output may not be suitable. You should test the output to see if you can use it. In any case, you need to filter the output before you can use it. See Power Knot’s application note on this.

  • How does the LFC biodigester weigh the amount of food waste?

      There are load cells mounted on each corner of the LFC biodigester. These weigh the total weight of the LFC biodigester. On installation the software calibrates itself so it knows the empty weight. From there, the software knows how much is in the LFC biodigester and how much is added each time.

  • How does this help our company?

      You can see the amount of waste that is ingested by the hour, day, week, month, and year. This is also converted by the LFC biodigester to report the amount of CO2 equivalent that is diverted from the landfill.

  • Power Knot offers eight different sizes of LFC biodigesters. How do we determine what size of LFC biodigester to buy?

      Weigh the waste every day and make a record of it. Alternatively, weigh the waste food on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday if you can’t weigh it every day for a week. Take an average. Also, the capacity of a machine is based on the duration of your working day. If you add the same amount of waste food at regular intervals over an 18 hour day, you will need a smaller machine than if you dispose of the same amount of waste food over an eight hour day.

  • What data is available?

      Through the touch screen, you access all the configuration, control, status, usage data, statistics, and diagnostics. Data about the amount of waste food ingested are available numerically and graphically.

  • How do we access the data through the cloud?

      The LFC biodigester has an ethernet port. You connect this to your LAN. Once connected, the LFC biodigester will send its data to the cloud server.

  • How do I access my data?

      You can use any device that has a browser (such as Safari, Firefox, or Chrome). This means you can use any mobile phone, any tablet, or any PC. This encompasses, for example, a device that can be running Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows, or Linux.

  • In what way does the use of the LFC biodigester reduce my carbon footprint compared to sending waste food to the landfill?

      When waste food is sent to the landfill, it is buried, and decomposes anaerobically, producing methane (CH4) and other gasses. That’s why landfills smell. Methane is 72 times worse for the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2). It is for this reason that many jurisdictions are banning organizations from sending organic waste to the landfill. When the waste food decomposes in the LFC biodigester, it produces CO2 as part of the natural cycle of carbon (meaning it is carbon neutral). Hence, you have significantly reduced your carbon footprint.

  • What about methane, CH₄? Isn’t that created in the process inside the LFC biodigester?

      No. The decomposition in the LFC biodigester is aerobic.

  • Are there any chemicals used in the LFC biodigester?

      No. The decomposition takes place in a natural way using microorganisms. Microorganisms are around us everywhere and are responsible for digesting all types of waste. We have a special blend of microorganisms (Powerzyme) that accelerate the decomposition of most foods. Our LFC biodigester can decompose most waste foods within 24 hours.

  • Where are the LFC biodigesters designed?

      The LFC biodigesters are designed and developed by Power Knot in Silicon Valley. Power Knot owns all the IP (intellectual property) and all the patents.

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