1. Fermentation technology for methane production using high solid content materials with straw and dairy manure.
- Author
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Ma Xuguang, Li Chuanyou, Yuan Xufeng, Zhu Wanbin, Wang Xiaofen, Cheng Xu, and Cui Zongjun
- Abstract
Methane production from lignocellulosic feedstock through high solid anaerobic digestion is a huge potential technology. However, the shortage of an efficient reactor has become a major bottleneck in developing the technology. The continuous feeding and discharge of lignocellulosic feedstock with high solids is difficult to complete. Methane production from the feedstock is low in practice. Thus, it is important to develop a new reactor with efficient feeding and discharge feedstock equipments and improve methane production by an optimized operation process. Based on synthesizing the merits of a number of techniques home and abroad, a novel anaerobic reactor was designed in this study. The reactor had two spiral equipments to implement continuous feeding and discharge feedstock with high solid content and had a high bearing capability of organic loading rate (OLR) to improve methane production. In order to provide a technology and some reliable operating parameters to efficiently produce methane from lignocellulosic feedstock, the continuous anaerobic co-digestion tests were conducted at three total solid contents of 10%, 15% and 20% using corn stalk and dairy manure as feedstock. An integrated two-phase division digestion system was constructed by controlling stirring intensity (h/d) and feeding intensity (d). The methane volumetric production rate (MVPR) of different OLRs was compared. Effects of the total solid (TS) of feedstock, stirring, feeding intensity on height, pH of function divisions, and MVPR were discussed in detail. The results showed that function divisions, including the acidification division of upside and methanogenic division of underpart in the vertical reactor, were obviously formed when TS were 10% and 15%, MVPR gradually increased, and methane content stabilized around 52% with OLR increasing. The highest MVPR reached 1.62 and 1.66 m
3 /(m3 ·d) respectively when OLR was 13.44 kg/(m3 ·d) at 10% TS and 20.17 kg/(m3 ·d) at 15% TS. MVPR significantly decreased when OLR was 20.17 kg/(m3 ·d) and 30.0 kg/(m3 ·d), respectively, which might be caused by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids. MVPR stabilized around 0.98 m3 /(m3 ·d) with OLR increasing, then it dramatically decreased and anaerobic digestion failed when OLR reached3 0.0 kg/(m3 ·d) at 20% TS. The results of two factors interacting declared the highest MVPR at 1.63-1.69 m3 /(m3 ·d) The efficient acidification division and methanogenic division were formed, and the height ratio of both was 1.1-1.6:1 when stirring intensity, feeding intensity, and TS were 6-12 h/d, 6.5-10 d, and 10%-15%, respectively. In summary, the process of continuous feeding and discharge at 10%-20% TS of lignocellulosic feedstock was feasible in the anaerobic digestion reactor. The reactor was more efficient and stable to produce methane at 10% and 15% TS compared to 20% TS, and MVPR could be improved by adjusting stirring intensity and feeding intensity. Therefore, this technology has a promising prospect for industrial scale application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2014
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