Effect of total solids and agitation time on biogas yield,using rice husk

The rice husk contains a high amount of organic matter, which is broken down by microbial activity using anaerobic digestion, yielding biogas. The various percentages of total solids (Ts) concentration of rice straw effect of agitation time, pH, temperature and effectiveness of microorganisms in the decomposition process were studied in order to determine the conditions for an optimum biogas yield. A floating dome anaerobic digester wasutilised, which contains different percentages of the Ts, and the biogas yield is monitored directly by a digital gas flow meter. It is observed that the amount of biogas yield generated for 10% Ts, 20% Ts and 30% Ts was 1.13, 1.25 and 1.03?m³, respectively. The result shows that 20% Ts concentration and 15?min agitation time and pH of 7.2 had the maximum biogas yield.     

Effect of co-digestion agricultural-industrial residues: various slurry temperatures

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of co-digestion using industrial-agro waste and operating temperature of digester slurry to enhance the biogas and methane yield. The anaerobic digestion process is carried out by using a floating dome type bio-digester with the capacity of 1?m³. The co-digestion of press mud and rice straw with the ratio of 1:1, slurry temperature mesophilic range of (30–40°C) and thermophilic raange of (41–55°C) is used in this study. The maximum generation of daily biogas and weekly methane yield obtained were about 190?L/day and 55% in the case of the thermophilic condition. The lowest generation of daily biogas and weekly methane yield obtained were about 130?L/day and 33% in the case of mesophilic condition. The 10 percentage of cow dung is used as an inoculum of the digester and 30 days of hydro retention time for both the temperature ranges. The methane and biogas yield is at its peak and there was a faster hydro retention time in thermophilic range temperature at 52°C.     

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: influence of co-digestion with manure

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was investigated in two thermophilic (55 degrees C) wet digestion treatment systems R1 and R2. Initially OFMSW was co-digested with manure with a successively higher concentration of OFMSW, at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14-18 d and an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.3-4.0 g-VS/l/d. Adaptation of the co-digestion process to a OFMSW:manure ratio of 50% (VS/VS) was established over a period of 6 weeks. This co-digestion ratio was maintained in reactor R2 while the ratio of OFMSW to manure was slowly increased to 100% in reactor R1 over a period of 8 weeks. Use of recirculated process liquid to adjust the organic loading to R1 was found to have a beneficial stabilization effect. The pH rose to a value of 8 and the reactor showed stable performance with high biogas yield and low VFA levels. The biogas yield from source-sorted OFMSW was 0.63-0.71 l/g-VS both in the co-digestion configuration and in the treatment of 100% OFMSW with process liquid recirculation. This yield is corresponding to 180-220 m3 biogas per ton OFMSW. VS reduction of 69-74% was achieved when treating 100% OFMSW. None of the processes showed signs of inhibition at the free ammonia concentration of 0.45-0.62 g-N/l.     

物料比对污泥与餐厨废弃物协同厌氧消化的影响

依托市政污泥与餐厨废弃物协同处理工程,考察了物料比对市政污泥与餐厨废弃物协同厌氧消化效果的影响。结果表明,在不同物料比下,厌氧消化液的酸碱比(VFA/ALK)保持在0. 10~0. 12,挥发性脂肪酸(VFA)维持在1 093~1 529 mg/L,碱度(ALK)维持在10 321~13 688mg/L,厌氧消化系统处于稳定状态;随着餐厨废弃物比例的增加,VS降解率和VS添加产气率呈增加趋势,当污泥与餐厨废弃物的比例为1∶2时,两者协同厌氧消化效果最好,此时VS降解率达到79. 4%,VS添加产气率为0. 56 m^3/(kgVS·d),沼气中的甲烷含量达到61. 4%,H2S产量为77. 4mg/m^3;污泥与餐厨废弃物的协同处理有利于减少沼气中的H2S含量。     

A comparison of wet and dry anaerobic digestion processes for the treatment of municipal solid waste and food waste

A main distinction between anaerobic digestion (AD) technologies for treatment of municipal and industrial biodegradable wastes is the operating process solids content. Wet AD systems operate at low total solids (<10–20% TS) and dry systems have high operating solids (20–>40% TS). The performance of wet and dry AD systems was quantified in relation to: technical operation (footprint, capacity, feedstock characteristics, pretreatment and post‐treatment, retention time, water usage), energy balance (biogas productivity, parasitic energy, methane [CH₄] content, utilization of biogas and produced energy), digestate management and economic performance (capital and operational costs, revenues, specific capital costs [per t of waste and per m³ biogas]). Wet AD plants had improved energy balance and economic performance compared to dry AD plants. However, dry AD plants offered several benefits, including greater flexibility in the type of feedstock accepted, shorter retention times, reduced water usage and more flexible management of, and opportunities for marketing, the end‐product.     

Methane emission during municipal wastewater treatment

Municipal wastewater treatment plants emit methane. Since methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, the abatement of the emission is necessary to achieve a more sustainable urban water management. This requires thorough knowledge of the amount of methane that is emitted from a plant, but also of the possible sources and sinks of methane on the plant. In this study, the methane emission from a full-scale municipal wastewater facility with sludge digestion was evaluated during one year. At this plant the contribution of methane emissions to the greenhouse gas footprint were slightly higher than the CO₂ emissions related to direct and indirect fossil fuel consumption for energy requirements. By setting up mass balances over the different unit processes, it could be established that three quarters of the total methane emission originated from the anaerobic digestion of primary and secondary sludge. This amount exceeded the carbon dioxide emission that was avoided by utilizing the biogas. About 80% of the methane entering the activated sludge reactor was biologically oxidized. This knowledge led to the identification of possible measures for the abatement of the methane emission.     

Enhancement of Anaerobic Digestion Using Duckweed (Lemna minor) Enriched with Iron

ABSTRACT This paper describes the enhancement of biogas production in laboratory-scale anaerobic digesters (with batch and semi-continuous operation) using iron-enriched duckweed as a supplement to the digestion of feedstock. The relationship between the level of enhancement achieved and the retention period of the digesters was also investigated. The trials demonstrated that, in batch digesters, iron-enriched duckweed significantly improved the rate of microbial succession. Batch digesters receiving no duckweed took 40 days to reach peak methane production compared to 15 days when duckweed was added. In the semi-continuous digesters, an increase in gas production of about 44% was observed.     

Reducing the environmental footprint of wastewater screenings through anaerobic digestion with resource recovery

Screenings produced as the first stage of wastewater treatment and currently disposed of to landfill, are rich in volatile organic solids, nitrogen and phosphorus which could be recovered through anaerobic digestion. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests on screenings demonstrated a methane yield of 0.33 m³ methane/kg volatile solids (VS) and a VS destruction of 50%. Consequently, the effect of a range of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rates (OLRs) was evaluated in lab‐scale continuously fed mesophilic digesters. The highest methane yield of 0.416 Nm³ methane/kg VS added was observed with an HRT of 15 days and an OLR of 2.5 kg VS/m³/day, when up to 65% of the VS were destroyed. If treated by anaerobic digestion, every dry tonne of screenings digested would divert 466 kg from landfill, save 4.6 tonne equivalent carbon dioxide (CO_{2 eq}) and deliver 3.4 MWh of renewable energy.     

污泥中温厌氧消化最佳温度及改善机理分析

我国市政污泥的中温厌氧消化普遍存在有机物降解率低、消化速率慢及沼气产量少等不足。为改善这种现状,基于天津某污泥处理设施的泥质和运行工况,通过小试、中试和生产性试验,考察了反应温度对污泥消化过程中产气量的影响,并对提高温度促进厌氧消化的机理进行了分析。结果表明,在40℃和45℃下生物产甲烷势(BMP)较35℃分别提高了28.4%和37.5%;在200 L中试水平上,稳定期40℃日均产气量比35℃增加25.5%,两种温度下沼气中的甲烷含量基本相当;生产罐反应温度升至40℃后,绝干有机物产甲烷量较往年同期提升近40%。40℃下污泥厌氧消化的溶解速率、水解速率和酸化速率分别较35℃提高73.3%、50.0%和34.7%,为后续的甲烷化提供了充足的底物。没有接受过温度驯化的污泥,40℃和35℃的甲烷生成速率几乎相当,而对于经过40℃驯化半年的污泥而言,不仅甲烷生成速率比35℃快20.5%,而且甲烷产量高12.2%。与其他厌氧消化改良工艺相比,该方法低廉、绿色与高效,具有推广应用价值。     

城市污水处理厂剩余污泥厌氧消化试验研究

以北京市某污水处理厂的剩余污泥为研究对象，对该污泥的理论产气量进行了估算，考察了投加接种污泥和未投加接种污泥条件下污泥厌氧消化的产气情况，并分析了污泥消化前、后的泥质特点。结果表明：与未接种条件相比，污泥厌氧消化前采用投加接种污泥的方式可大大促进消化反应的进行，加快污泥的产气速率，使厌氧消化周期缩短近1／4，但对污泥的总产气量影响较小；在厌氧消化正常运行条件下，污泥产气量达到总产气量的90％时所需反应时间约为16d，可将其作为污泥厌氧消化工艺较为理想的消化周期；剩余污泥的消化性能差、产气率低、试验产气量占理论产气量的比例〈50％，在工程上单独的剩余污泥不宜采用厌氧消化工艺处理。     

The effect of trace organics on the inhibition of gas production by anaerobic sludges: Batch studies

Gallic acid was used as a model inhibitor in a series of batch trials examining the anaerobic digestion of a substrate based on starch (1 g/l). Simple organic compounds were also added in trace (5 mg/l) quantities. The inhibition of digestion efficiency was assessed in terms of biogas production and gas composition. Some of the trace organics, specifically glucose and glycine, behaved antagonistically to the inhibitory effects of the gallic acid. The effect was quantified in terms of an activity term, based on the methane volumes produced. For glucose, its value was 56% and for glycine it was 38%. Altering the amounts of glucose did change the extent of the antagonism. In practical terms, the most effective concentration would be between 8 and 10 mg/l.     

Psychrophilic and mesophilic anaerobic digestion of brewery effluent: a comparative study

Two expanded granular sludge bed-anaerobic filter (EGSB-AF) bioreactors (3.38 l active volume) were used to directly compare psychrophilic (15 degrees C), anaerobic digestion (PAD) to mesophilic (37 degrees C) anaerobic digestion (MAD) for the treatment of a brewery wastewater (chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 3,136+/-891 mg l(-1)). Bioreactor performance was evaluated by COD removal efficiency and biogas yields at a range of hydraulic and organic loading rates. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assays were also employed to investigate the activity of the biomass in the bioreactors. No significant difference in the COD removal efficiencies (which ranged from 85-93%) were recorded between PAD and MAD during the 194-d trial at maximum organic and hydraulic loading rates of 4.47 kg m(-3) day(-1) and 1.33 m(3) m(-3) day(-1), respectively. In addition, the methane content (%) of the biogas was very similar. The volumetric biogas yield from the PAD bioreactor was approximately 50% of that from the MAD bioreactor at an organic loading rate of 4.47 kg COD m(-3) day(-3) and an applied liquid up-flow velocity (V(up)) of 2.5 m h(-1). Increasing the V(up) in the PAD bioreactor to 5 m h(-1) resulted in a volumetric biogas production rate of approximately 4.1 l d(-1) and a methane yield of 0.28 l CH(4) g(-1) COD d(-1), which were very similar to the MAD bioreactor. Significant and negligible biomass washout was observed in the mesophilic and psychrophilic systems, respectively, thus increasing the sludge loading rate applied to the former and underlining the robustness of the latter, which appeared underloaded. A psychrotolerant mesophilic, but not truly psychrophilic, biomass developed in the PAD bioreactor biomass, with comparable maximum SMA values to the MAD bioreactor biomass. PAD, therefore, was shown to be favourably comparable to MAD for brewery wastewater treatment and biogas generation.     

Modelling the energy balance of an anaerobic digester fed with cattle manure and renewable energy crops

Knowledge of the net energy production of anaerobic fermenters is important for reliable modelling of the efficiency of anaerobic digestion processes. By using the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) the simulation of biogas production and composition is possible. This paper shows the application and modification of ADM1 to simulate energy production of the digestion of cattle manure and renewable energy crops. The paper additionally presents an energy balance model, which enables the dynamic calculation of the net energy production. The model was applied to a pilot-scale biogas reactor. It was found in a simulation study that a continuous feeding and splitting of the reactor feed into smaller heaps do not generally have a positive effect on the net energy yield. The simulation study showed that the ratio of co-substrate to liquid manure in the inflow determines the net energy production when the inflow load is split into smaller heaps. Mathematical equations are presented to calculate the increase of biogas and methane yield for the digestion of liquid manure and lipids for different feeding intervals. Calculations of different kinds of energy losses for the pilot-scale digester showed high dynamic variations, demonstrating the significance of using a dynamic energy balance model.     

Athermal microwave effects for enhancing digestibility of waste activated sludge

A bench scale industrial microwave (MW) unit equipped with fiber optic temperature and pressure controls within pressure sealed vessels successfully simulated conventional heating (CH, in water bath). By identical temporal heat temperature profiles for waste activated sludge (WAS) samples, evaluation of the athermal effects of MW irradiation on WAS floc disintegration and anaerobic digestion was achieved. In a pretreatment range of 50-96 degrees C, both MW and CH WAS samples resulted in similar particulate chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biopolymer (protein and polysaccharide) solubilization and there was no discernable MW athermal effect on the COD solubilization of WAS. However, biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests showed improved biogas production for MW samples over CH samples indicating that the MW athermal effect had a positive impact on the mesophilic anaerobic biodegradability of WAS. BMP tests also showed that despite mild inhibition in the first 7d, MW acclimated inoculum digesting pretreated (to 96 degrees C) WAS, produced 16+/-4% higher biogas compared to the control after 15 d of mesophilic batch digestion. However, initial acute inhibition was more severe for non-acclimated inoculum requiring recovery time that was two times longer with only 4+/-0% higher biogas production after 17d. Inoculum acclimation not only accelerated the production of biogas, but also increased the extent of the ultimate mesophilic biodegradation of MW irradiated WAS (after 15-27 d).     

Research of parameters affecting sludge digestion process

The parameters characterizing and affecting anaerobic sludge digestion process in three Lithuanian cities are investigated. Results showed that digestion process was effective in all three objects: specific biogas production varied between 0.77 and 0.86 m³/kg volatile solids destroyed, methane content in the biogas varied between 64 and 67% and they complied with the values presented in the scientific references. The increase of VS loading (up to 2.6 kg VS/m³/day) led to the higher level of VS destruction which was up to 59%. The sludge retention time (hydraulic retention time) values must be in ranges of 20–25 days for the digestion process in order to get the design VS destruction, as well the biogas production. In a case of lack of raw materials, the application of wastes from food industry can help to reach the design parameters. The application of wastes from milk industry showed positive results in the digestion process.     

厌氧反应器中沼气泄漏扩散模拟研究

基于FDS建立沼气泄漏扩散模型,分别模拟管道接头破损、导凝管阀门破损和沼气突破水封,探究厌氧反应器中沼气泄漏扩散的基本规律。结果表明：当管道接头破损、导凝管阀门破损时,沼气泄漏后的危险范围为下风向处距离泄漏口约5 m;当沼气突破水封时,沼气泄漏后的危险范围为下风向处距离泄漏口约60 m;沼气突破水封的危险性最大;泄漏后的甲烷会向下风向膨胀扩散,但遇到障碍物时,窝风位置会出现甲烷积聚;当沼气发生类似突破水封的大面积泄漏时,固定桩式可燃气报警仪的预警作用非常重要。     

青岛麦岛污水处理厂污泥消化及热电联产运行管理经验

污泥厌氧消化/热电联产是一项重要节能工艺技术,对于提高资源和能源利用效率意义重大。完善的管理是保证污泥消化及热电联产系统稳定高效运行的关键环节。麦岛污水处理厂将Multiflo~?Trio初沉污泥与生物滤池剩余污泥进行混合,形成沼气产率较高的混合污泥,并进行中温厌氧消化,所产沼气进入热电联产系统用于发电及沼气锅炉,回收余热作为污泥消化及厂区采暖热源。10余年来,麦岛污水处理厂的污泥消化及热电联产系统实现了安全、稳定、高效的运行,保证了污泥的资源化、减量化、无害化处理及利用。介绍了青岛麦岛污水处理厂污泥厌氧消化及热电联产的运行情况,探讨如何在污泥消化及热电联产间做好运行管理和调控,使之形成良性循环。     

红泥塑料沼气工程在水葫芦治理上的中试研究——古田县水口镇朝天桥红泥塑料水葫芦处理示范沼气工程

本文介绍了新型三段式红泥塑料沼气工程工艺,该工艺对古田县水口镇朝天桥村的水葫芦进行了厌氧消化中试研究。研究结果发现,该沼气工程年处理水葫芦超过540吨,经过厌氧消化后年产沼气1.08万立方米,沼液460.8吨和沼渣57.6吨。其中沼液和沼渣用于周边农田、林地、果园和鱼塘施肥,获得了良好的环境、社会和经济效益。采用红泥塑料厌氧工艺,可以解决福建省乃至全国水葫芦污染和能源化利用问题。     

Enhancement of anaerobic batch digestion of sisal pulp waste by mesophilic aerobic pre-treatment

Pre-treatment of sisal pulp prior to its anaerobic digestion was investigated using an activated sludge mixed culture under aerobic conditions in batch bioreactors at 37 degrees C. The progression of aerobic pre-treatment of the residue in relation to the activities of some extracellular hydrolytic enzymes in the slurry was monitored. The highest activity of hydrolytic enzymes was obtained at 9 h of pre-treatment. Filter paper cellulase had a maximum activity of 0.90 IU/ml, while carboxymethyl cellulase, amylase and xylanase were produced to a maximum of about 0.40 IU/ml. The methane yield obtained after anaerobic digestion of the pre-treated pulp ranged between 0.12 and 0.24 m3 CH4/kg VS added. The highest and lowest values were obtained for 9 and 72 h of pre-treatment, respectively. Nine hours of pre-treatment of sisal pulp prior to anaerobic digestion demonstrated a 26% higher methane yield when compared to the sisal pulp without pre-treatment. The consortia of microorganisms in activated sludge demonstrated a useful potential in the production of hydrolases acting on major macromolecules of sisal pulp. The fact that a correlation was observed between high enzyme activity and high methane yield at 9 h of aerobic pre-treatment suggests that such a short pre-treatment period could be an alternative option for increasing solubilization of sisal pulp and promoting methane productivity.     

Mesophilic and thermophilic temperature co-phase anaerobic digestion compared with single-stage mesophilic- and thermophilic digestion of sewage sludge

The performance of thermophilic and mesophilic temperature co-phase anaerobic digestions for sewage sludge, using the exchange process of the digesting sludge between spatially separated mesophilic and thermophilic digesters, was examined, and compared to single-stage mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestions. The reduction of volatile solids from the temperature co-phase anaerobic digestion system was dependent on the sludge exchange rate, but was 50.7-58.8%, which was much higher than 46.8% of single-stage thermophilic digestion, as well as 43.5% of the mesophilic digestion. The specific methane yield was 424-468 mL CH(4) per gram volatile solids removed, which was as good as that of single-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion. The process stability and the effluent quality in terms of volatile fatty acids and soluble chemical oxygen demand of the temperature co-phase anaerobic digestion system were considerably better than those of the single-stage mesophilic anaerobic processes. The destruction of total coliform in the temperature co-phase system was 98.5-99.6%, which was similar to the single-stage thermophilic digestion. The higher performances on the volatile solid and pathogen reduction, and stable operation of the temperature co-phase anaerobic system might be attributable to the well-functioned thermophilic digester, sharing nutrients and intermediates for anaerobic microorganisms, and selection of higher substrate affinity anaerobic microorganisms in the co-phase system, as a result of the sludge exchange between the mesophilic and thermophilic digesters.