Open AccessThe influence of the temperature regime on the formation of methane in a two‐phase anaerobic digestion process
Author(s) -
Schönberg Mandy,
Linke Bernd
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
engineering in life sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1618-2863
pISSN - 1618-0240
DOI - 10.1002/elsc.201100062
Subject(s) - methane , biogas , anaerobic digestion , mesophile , chemistry , acidogenesis , carbon dioxide , straw , pulp and paper industry , leachate , waste management , chemical engineering , environmental chemistry , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , bacteria , engineering , genetics
The influence of different temperature levels on the formation of methane in a two‐phase anaerobic digestion process using rye silage and barley straw as feedstocks was investigated in this study. This process comprised a leach‐bed reactor ( LBR ), a reservoir for leachate from the LBR , and a separate downstream fixed‐film anaerobic filter ( AF ), with immobilized micro biocoenosises. The degree of degradation of the volatile solids was similar in both studies and was almost equal at 75 Ma.‐% VS . When both reactor phases were operated at thermophilic conditions, the main substrate turnover was observed in the LBR (58% of the total methane yield, with an average methane content of 41 Vol.‐%). Only the excess of organic fraction in the process‐liquid was transformed in the AF (42% of the total methane yield, with an average methane content of 74 Vol.‐%). When the parts of the reactor system operated at different temperature regimes, thermophilic hydrolysis/acidogenesis phase and mesophilic methanization, a separation of carbon dioxide and methane production, was observed. A total methane yield of 88%, with an average methane content of 85 Vol.‐%, was formed in the AF . The generated biogas with high methane concentrations is suitable for feeding the purified biomethane into the natural gas grid. Furthermore, it can be used as fuel for cars and tractors.