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The anion‐exchange substrate shuttle process: A new approach to two‐stage biomethanation of organic and toxic wastes
Author(s) -
Thiele Jurgen H.,
Zeikus J. Gregory
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260310604
Subject(s) - acidogenesis , substrate (aquarium) , bioreactor , waste management , methanogenesis , biogas , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , chemistry , methane , anaerobic digestion , engineering , organic chemistry , biology , ecology
A novel biomethanation process configuration is described which uses improved biocatalysts to enhance the productivity and stability of waste biomethanation systems. The design facilitates the maintenance of acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria under optimum substrate concentrations far above their K s values in a two‐stage biomethanation system with closed loop reactors. Volatile fatty acid anions (VFA anions) are provided as substrates for the methanogenic stage by using an anion exchange unit coupled to the acidogenic stage. The slow growing and sensitive acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria are protected from oxygen, cationic pollutants, toxins, and microbial contamination by use of the substrate shuttle process. Due to the closed loop process configuration, washout of the ecoengineered biocatalysts is excluded. The modular system configuration allows industrial mass production of the system components. The new biomethanation process enhances both the BTU content of the gas and the methane production over state‐of‐the‐art anaerobic digestor bioreactor concepts.