Sugarcane Bagasse as a Co-Substrate with Oil-Refinery Biological Sludge for Biogas Production Using Batch Mesophilic Anaerobic Co-Digestion Technology: Effect of Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio

Man-made organic waste leads to the rapid proliferation of pollution around the globe. Effective bio-waste management can help to reduce the adverse effects of organic waste while contributing to the circular economy at the same time. The toxic oily-biological sludge generated from oil refineries’ wastewater treatment plants is a potential source for biogas energy recovery via anaerobic digestion. However, the oily-biological sludge’s carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio is lower than the ideal 20–30 ratio required by anaerobic digestion technology for biogas production. Sugarcane bagasse can be digested as a high C/N co-substrate while the oily-biological sludge acts as a substrate and inoculum to improve biogas production. In this study, the best C/N with co-substrate volatile solids (VS)/inoculum VS ratios for the co-digestion process of mixtures were determined empirically through batch experiments at temperatures of 35–37 °C, pH (6–8) and 60 rpm mixing. The raw materials were pre-treated mechanically and thermo-chemically to further enhance the digestibility. The best condition for the sugarcane bagasse delignification process was 1% (w/v) sodium hydroxide, 1:10 solid-liquid ratio, at 100 °C, and 150 rpm for 1 h. The results from a 33-day batch anaerobic digestion experiment indicate that the production of biogas and methane yield were concurrent with the increasing C/N and co-substrate VS/inoculum VS ratios. The total biogas yields from C/N 20.0 with co-substrate VS/inoculum VS 0.06 and C/N 30.0 with co-substrate VS/inoculum VS 0.18 ratios were 2777.0 and 9268.0 mL, respectively, including a methane yield of 980.0 and 3009.3 mL, respectively. The biogas and methane yield from C/N 30.0 were higher than the biogas and methane yields from C/N 20.0 by 70.04 and 67.44%, respectively. The highest biogas and methane yields corresponded with the highest C/N with co-substrate VS/inoculum VS ratios (30.0 and 0.18), being 200.6 mL/g VSremoved and 65.1 mL CH4/g VSremoved, respectively.

Download Full-text

Response Surface Methodology to Optimize Methane Production from Mesophilic Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Oily-Biological Sludge and Sugarcane Bagasse

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12052116 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 2116 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Aiban Abdulhakim Saeed Ghaleb ◽

Shamsul Rahman Mohamed Kutty ◽

Yeek-Chia Ho ◽

Ahmad Hussaini Jagaba ◽

Azmatullah Noor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Response Surface Methodology ◽

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Response Surface ◽

Sugarcane Bagasse ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Methane Yield ◽

Digestion Process ◽

Biological Sludge ◽

Methane Bacteria

Oily-biological sludge (OBS) generated from petroleum refineries has high toxicity. Therefore, it needs an appropriate disposal method to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. The anaerobic co-digestion process is an effective method that manages and converts organic waste to energy. For effective anaerobic digestion, a co-substrate would be required to provide a suitable environment for anaerobic bacteria. In oily-biological sludge, the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and volatile solids (VS) content are very low. Therefore, it needs to be digested with organic waste that has a high C/N ratio and high VS content. This study investigates the use of sugarcane bagasse (SB) as an effective co-substrate due to its high C/N ratio and high VS content to improve the anaerobic co-digestion process with oily-biological sludge. The sugarcane bagasse also helps to delay the toxicity effect of the methane bacteria. Batch anaerobic co-digestion of oily-biological sludge was conducted with sugarcane bagasse as a co-substrate in twelve reactors with two-liter capacity, each under mesophilic conditions. The interaction effect of a C/N ratio of 20-30 and a VS co-substrate/VS inoculum ratio of 0.06-0.18 on the methane yield (mL CH4/g VSremoved) was investigated. Before the anaerobic digestion, thermochemical pre-treatment of the inoculum and co-substrate was conducted using sodium hydroxide to balance their acidic nature and provide a suitable pH environment for methane bacteria. Design and optimization for the mixing ratios were carried out by central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). The highest predicted methane yield was found to be 63.52 mL CH4/g VSremoved, under optimum conditions (C/N ratio of 30 and co-substrate/inoculum ratio of 0.18).

Download Full-text

Comparison of biogas production obtained from samples of Mitú and Sibundoy municipal solid waste

Ingeniería e Investigación ◽

10.15446/ing.investig.v39n2.78597 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kelly Marcela Triana Jiménez ◽

Mario Enrique Velasquez

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Municipal Solid Waste ◽

Solid Waste ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Calorific Value ◽

Electrical Energy ◽

Biological Sludge ◽

Calorific Power

This study compares the calorific power of biogas obtained from the municipal solid waste (MSW)of two towns in Colombia,whose populations are affected by deficiencies in the supply of electricity. The production of biogas would represent an importantopportunity to meet these needs, taking advantage of the solid waste generated, in whose composition organic material predominates(45 %). For this purpose, MSW samples were taken from the municipalities of Mitú (Vaupés) and Sibundoy (Putumayo), in orderto establish their relevance to produce biogas. For each sample, the organic waste was characterized in terms of its macroscopiccomposition, moisture content, ash, volatile and total solids. Subsequently, the composition of biogas obtained was determinedfrom anaerobic digestion tests with biological sludge as inoculum in different proportions and the calorific value of the gas wascalculated. It was found that organic waste from both municipalities is suitable to produce biogas due to the physicochemicalcharacteristics of the samples, the high methane content generated and, therefore, the satisfactory calorific power for its use in theproduction of electrical energy.

Download Full-text

Biogas potential of organic waste onboard cruise ships — a yet untapped energy source

Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery ◽

10.1007/s13399-020-01249-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kai Schumüller ◽

Dirk Weichgrebe ◽

Stephan Köster

Keyword(s):

Energy Source ◽

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Food Waste ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Organic Waste ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Biogas Yield ◽

Cruise Ships ◽

Detailed Presentation

AbstractTo tap the organic waste generated onboard cruise ships is a very promising approach to reduce their adverse impact on the maritime environment. Biogas produced by means of onboard anaerobic digestion offers a complementary energy source for ships’ operation. This report comprises a detailed presentation of the results gained from comprehensive investigations on the gas yield from onboard substrates such as food waste, sewage sludge and screening solids. Each person onboard generates a total average of about 9 kg of organic waste per day. The performed analyses of substrates and anaerobic digestion tests revealed an accumulated methane yield of around 159 L per person per day. The anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste (50:50 VS) emerged as particularly effective and led to an increased biogas yield by 24%, compared to the mono-fermentation. In the best case, onboard biogas production can provide an energetic output of 82 W/P, on average covering 3.3 to 4.1% of the total energy demand of a cruise ship.

Download Full-text

Biogas Potential from the Anaerobic Digestion of Potato Peels: Process Performance and Kinetics Evaluation

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12122311 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 2311 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Spyridon Achinas ◽

Yu Li ◽

Vasileios Achinas ◽

Gerrit Jan Willem Euverink

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Energy Recovery ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Methane Yield ◽

Cow Manure ◽

Potato Peel ◽

Potato Peels ◽

The Impact ◽

Kinetics Of

This article intends to promote the usage of potato peels as efficient substrate for the anaerobic digestion process for energy recovery and waste abatement. This study examined the performance of anaerobic digestion of potato peels in different inoculum-to-substrate ratios. In addition, the impact of combined treatment with cow manure and pretreatment of potato peels was examined. It was found that co-digestion of potato peel waste and cow manure yielded up to 237.4 mL CH4/g VSadded, whereas the maximum methane yield from the mono-digestion of potato peels was 217.8 mL CH4/g VSadded. Comparing the co-digestion to mono-digestion of potato peels, co-digestion in PPW/CM ratio of 60:40 increased the methane yield by 10%. In addition, grinding and acid hydrolysis applied to potato peels were positively effective in increasing the methane amount reaching 260.3 and 283.4 mL CH4/g VSadded respectively. Likewise, compared to untreated potato peels, pretreatment led to an elevation of the methane amount by 9% and 17% respectively and alleviated the kinetics of biogas production.

Download Full-text

Pretreatment of Animal Manure Biomass to Improve Biogas Production: A Review

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13143573 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 3573 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Meneses-Quelal Orlando ◽

Velázquez-Martí Borja

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Methane Production ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Poultry Manure ◽

Animal Manure ◽

Methane Yield ◽

Operational Parameters ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Physical Chemical ◽

Chemical Pretreatments

The objective of this research is to present a review of the current technologies and pretreatments used in the fermentation of cow, pig and poultry manure. Pretreatment techniques were classified into physical, chemical, physicochemical, and biological groups. Various aspects of these different pretreatment approaches are discussed in this review. The advantages and disadvantages of its applicability are highlighted since the effects of pretreatments are complex and generally depend on the characteristics of the animal manure and the operational parameters. Biological pretreatments were shown to improve methane production from animal manure by 74%, chemical pretreatments by 45%, heat pretreatments by 41% and physical pretreatments by 30%. In general, pretreatments improve anaerobic digestion of the lignocellulosic content of animal manure and, therefore, increase methane yield.

Download Full-text

Evaluation on the Methane Production Potential of Wood Waste Pretreated with NaOH and Co-Digested with Pig Manure

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal9060539 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 539 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Renfei Li ◽

Wenbing Tan ◽

Xinyu Zhao ◽

Qiuling Dang ◽

Qidao Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽

Methane Production ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Untreated Wood ◽

Wood Waste ◽

Methane Yield ◽

Pig Manure ◽

Naoh Pretreatment ◽

Digestion Technique

Wood waste generated during the tree felling and processing is a rich, green, and renewable lignocellulosic biomass. However, an effective method to apply wood waste in anaerobic digestion is lacking. The high carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio and rich lignin content of wood waste are the major limiting factors for high biogas production. NaOH pre-treatment for lignocellulosic biomass is a promising approach to weaken the adverse effect of complex crystalline cellulosic structure on biogas production in anaerobic digestion, and the synergistic integration of lignocellulosic biomass with low C/N ratio biomass in anaerobic digestion is a logical option to balance the excessive C/N ratio. Here, we assessed the improvement of methane production of wood waste in anaerobic digestion by NaOH pretreatment, co-digestion technique, and their combination. The results showed that the methane yield of the single digestion of wood waste was increased by 38.5% after NaOH pretreatment compared with the untreated wood waste. The methane production of the co-digestion of wood waste and pig manure was higher than that of the single digestion of wood waste and had nonsignificant difference with the single-digestion of pig manure. The methane yield of the co-digestion of wood waste pretreated with NaOH and pig manure was increased by 75.8% than that of the untreated wood waste. The findings indicated that wood waste as a sustainable biomass source has considerable potential to achieve high biogas production in anaerobic digestion.

Download Full-text

Ultrasonic pretreatment for anaerobic digestion of suspended and attached growth sludges

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.2019.039 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 265-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Peter Roebuck ◽

Kevin Kennedy ◽

Robert Delatolla

Keyword(s):

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Biogas Production ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽

Ultrasonic Pretreatment ◽

Conventional Activated Sludge ◽

Digestion Kinetics ◽

The Impact

Abstract Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a proven technology for energy production from the stabilization and reduction of sewage waste. The AD and impact of ultrasonic pretreatment of four waste activated sludges (WASs) from conventional and three non-conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants were investigated. WAS from a conventional activated sludge (CAS) system, a rotating biological contactor (RBC), a lagoon, and a nitrifying moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) were pretreated with ultrasonic energies of 800–6,550 kJ/kg total solids to illustrate the impact of sludge type and ultrasonic pretreatment on biogas production (BGP), solubilization, and digestion kinetics. The greatest increase in BGP over the control of pretreated sludge did not coincide consistently with greater sonication energy but occurred within a solubilization range of 2.9–7.4% degree of disintegration and are as follows: 5% ± 3 biogas increase for CAS, 12% ± 9 for lagoon, 15% ± 2 for nitrifying MBBR, and 20% ± 2 for RBC. The effect of sonication on digestion kinetics was inconclusive with the application of modified Gompertz, reaction curve, and first-order models to biogas production. These results illustrate the unique response of differing sludges to the same levels of sonication energies. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the kind support of CAWQ/ACQE (https://www.cawq.ca).

Download Full-text