{"id":13323,"key":"Jean_Pain_system","title":"Jean Pain system","latest":{"id":1208618,"timestamp":"2025-11-28T00:30:56Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:JeanPainSystem.jpg|thumb|The heat of a compost heap is used, and biogas is produced at the same time.]]\n\nThe '''Jean Pain System''' is a specific type of a [[compost heater]] with a combination of aerobic decay of the heap with anaerobic decay in a sealed container in the center of the heap, thus producing both heat and [[biogas]] at the same time. '''Jean Pain Composting''' is a method to utilize the usable [[energy]], emerging from a composting process, to warm up a building.\n\nJean Pain was a self taught Frenchman who is believed to have designed this system. He wanted to create a means of achieving (at least partial) [[energy]] autonomy, using inexpensive [[biomass]] fuel, with a mere mound.\n\nThe '''biomeiler''' has been invented by [[Wikipedia:Jean Pain|Jean Pain]]. While the idea of using the aerobic process for heating purpose is used in several locations, mostly on demonstration facilities, the combination with biogas, like the original setup of Jean Pain, has not spread much.\n\n== The principle ==\n\nPile a mound of vegetable waste and wait: after a while, an anaerobic fermentation will take place, emitting heat and smell. After a further wait, the mound will turn into a fertilizing [[compost]].\n\nNow grind the material in bits 2-3 mm thick. Build the mound; the aerobic fermentation taking place is odourless and yields more heat.\n\nJean Pain simply placed ground material inside a steel tank fitted with a pipe; the tank was in turn placed into a ground material mound.\n\nThe method combines aerobic decay of the heap with anaerobic decay in a sealed container in the center of the heap, thus producing both heat and [[biogas]] at the same time.\n\n== What does he get out of this ? ==\n\n* [[Methane]]. The pipe from the tank drives the methane produced in anaerobic fermentation to truck inner tubes to be stocked. Enough gas is said to be produced to cook and power a (small french) car, but there is doubt about the usable amount for every day's life due to the limited size of the fermentation tank.\n* [[Water|Hot water]]. An additional copper tube is coiled around the tanks ; water runs through it and gets hot with the heat that aerobic fermentation provides. Fean Pain designed this, in the first place, to cool the digester. He eventually found that it was useless to do so, but provided enough hot water to use for sanitation and space heating.\n* [[Compost]] that can be used for home farming or sold.\n\n== External links ==\n\n* [http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/methane_pain.html Biofuels Library]\n* [http://www.jean-pain.com Jean Pain 's official website]\n* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Pain English Wikipedia article on Jean Pain methods]\n* [http://www.journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/methane_pain.html Jean Pain: France's King of Green Gold], 1981, by Nicolas Poulain\n* [http://www.comitejeanpain.be Comite Jean Pain], Belgian organisation established to promote the methods of Jean Pain\n* [http://www.permacultureactivist.net/PeterBane/Jean_Pain.html Another Kind of Energy or ComPost-Modernism], essay by Peter Bane for the ''Permaculture Activist''\n* [http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm#CompostHeat A collection of articles innovating on the method], ''Build It Solar'' (magazine)\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| keywords = Biogas, anaerobic digestion, composting, agriculture, sustainable agriculture, waste management, green living, renewable energy\n| sdg = SDG12 Responsible consumption and production\n| description = Jean Pain’s system creates heat and biogas from compost. Appropedia explores how it helps manage waste and provide off-grid energy.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Biogas]]\n[[Category:Anaerobic digestion]]\n[[Category:Composting]]\n[[Category:Agriculture]]\n[[Category:Sustainable agriculture]]\n[[Category:Waste management]]\n[[Category:Green living]]\n[[Category:Renewable energy]]"}