173,740 research outputs found

    Dataset for Operation of Submerged Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors at 20° C: Effect of Solids Retention Time on Flux, Mixed Liquor Characteristics and Performance

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    This dataset supports the publication: AUTHORS Pacheco-Ruiz, S., Heaven, S. and Banks, C.J. TITLE Operation of Submerged Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors 20 &deg;C: Effect of Solids Retention Time on Flux, Mixed Liquor Characteristics and Performance JOURNAL Processes PAPER DOI 10.3390/PR9091525 </span

    Biohydrogen production from food waste in batch and semi-continuous conditions: evaluation of a two-phase approach with digestate recirculation for pH control

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    The research investigated the production of Biohythane in a two-phase anaerobic digestion process treating food waste as substrate. Preliminary batch assays were carried out at initial organic loadings of 15, 20, 25 and 30 kg TVS m?3, in stirred 1.5-l reactors at 55 °C. The results showed all hydrogen was produced within the first 24 h after feeding and the highest load tested gave the maximum hydrogen production (0.047 m3 H2 kg?1VS, H2 30%). Similar loadings were then tested in a two-phase system. Hydraulic retention times of 3 and 12 days were applied to the first and second reactor respectively. In order to keep the pH at ?5.5, either supernatant or whole digestate from the methanogenic reactor was recirculated to the first phase. Results showed that hydrogen was produced (0.117 Nm3 kg?1 VS, 47.7%) when recirculating whole digestate with an organic loading rate of 20 kg TVS m?3 day?1

    Co-digestion of source segregated domestic food waste to improve process stability

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    Cattle slurry and card packaging were used to improve the operational stability of food waste digestion, with the aim of reducing digestate total ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations compared to food waste only. Use of cattle slurry could have major environmental benefits through reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with current management practices; whilst card packaging is closely linked to food waste and could be co-collected as a source segregated material. Both options increase the renewable energy potential whilst retaining organic matter and nutrients for soil replenishment. Co-digestion allowed higher organic loadings and gave a more stable process. A high ammonia inoculum acclimated more readily to cattle slurry than card packaging, probably through supplementation by trace elements and micro-organisms. Long-term operation at a 75-litre scale showed a characteristic pattern of volatile fatty acid accumulation in mono-digestion of food waste, and allowed performance parameters to be determined for the co-digestion substrates.<br/

    Anaerobic digestion of two biodegradable municipal waste streams

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    Landfill avoidance for organic wastes is now a high priority worldwide. Two fractions of the municipal waste stream were considered with respect to their potential for diversion through controlled anaerobic digestion. The physical and chemical properties of source segregated domestic food waste (ss-FW) and of the mechanically-recovered organic fraction of municipal solid waste (mr-OFMSW) were analysed, and their methane yields determined in both batch and semi-continuous digestion. Methane potentials were compared with predicted values based on biochemical composition, elemental analysis and carbon mass balance, and the differences explained by compositional analysis of feedstocks and digestates. The ss-FW had a higher percentage biodegradability and higher energy potential on a dry weight basis due to the high proportion of proteins and fats in this waste, although the energy potential of the mr-OFMSW was slightly higher on a wet weight (WW) basis. The mr-OFMSW showed very stable digestion characteristics, whereas the ss-FW had a high digestate ammoniacal-N concentration and volatile fatty acid accumulation leading to some process instability. Digestates from semi-continuous trials with mr-OFMSW had high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and a lower nutrient content than ss-FW digestate, making the former unsuitable for application to land used in food productio

    Effect of a trace element addition strategy on volatile fatty acid accumulation in thermophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste

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    PurposeA trace element (TE) supplementation strategy previously shown to be effective in mesophilic conditions was tested for thermophilic digestion of source segregated domestic food waste.MethodsInoculum from a mesophilic anaerobic digester treating municipal wastewater biosolids was successfully acclimated to thermophilic temperature (55 °C) with food waste as a substrate. Four laboratory-scale digesters were maintained at a loading of 2 g VS l?1 day?1 with one pair receiving TE supplementation. Two more pairs of digesters were incrementally loaded to 3 and 4 g VS l?1 day?1, respectively, and also received TE.ResultsAll digesters performed well for the first 3–4 months of operation, but volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in those without TE showed no recovery from an initial small accumulation. On continued operation, VFA concentrations increased in all digesters, especially those at higher loading rates or without TE supplementation, reaching &gt;30 g l?1. Under these meta-stable conditions, a deliberate disturbance to daily feeding (cessation then resumption) led to acetic acid accumulation, a fall in pH and a sharp increase in the ratio of partial to intermediate alkalinity. Increases in VFA corresponded to an increasing total ammonia nitrogen concentration which appeared to become inhibitory at ~2,500 mg N l?1.ConclusionsWhile TE supplementation delayed the onset and reduced the rate of VFA accumulation, it was unable to sustain stable digestion of this substrate in thermophilic conditions.<br/

    Anaerobic digestion of source segregated domestic food waste: performance assessment by mass and energy balance

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    An anaerobic digester receiving food waste collected mainly from domestic kitchens was monitored over a period of 426 days. During this time information was gathered on the waste input material, the biogas production, and the digestate characteristics. A mass balance accounted for over 90% of the material entering the plant leaving as gaseous or digestate products. A comprehensive energy balance for the same period showed that for each tonne of input material the potential recoverable energy was 405 kWh. Biogas production in the digester was stable at 642 m3 tonne?1 VS added with a methane content of around 62%. The nitrogen in the food waste input was on average 8.9 kg tonne?1. This led to a high ammonia concentration in the digester which may have been responsible for the accumulation of volatile fatty acids that was also observed.<br/

    Trace element requirements for stable food waste digestion at elevated ammonia concentrations

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    The work investigated why anaerobic digesters treating food waste and operating at high ammonia concentrations suffer from propionic acid accumulation which may result in process failure. The results showed deficiency of selenium, essential for both propionate oxidation and syntrophic hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, leads to this while supplementation allows operation at substantially higher organic loading rates (OLR). At high loadings cobalt also becomes limiting, due to its role either in acetate oxidation in a reverse Wood-Ljungdahl or in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Population structure analysis using fluorescent in situ hybridization showed only hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Critical Se and Co concentrations were established as 0.16 and 0.22 mg kg?1 fresh matter feed at moderate loading. At this dosage the OLR could be raised to 5 g VS l?1 day?1 giving specific and volumetric biogas productions of 0.75 m3 kg?1 VSadded and 3.75 STP m3 m?3 day?1, representing a significant increase in process performance and operational stability

    The potential for facilitating spring discharge from continental climate WSPs by carry-over of treated wastewater: concepts and experimental findings

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    The research investigated some factors influencing the rate of stabilisation of wastewater in the spring period in continental climate waste stabilisation ponds, and in particular the potential for bringing forward the discharge date by optimising storage capacity and dilution. Experiments using pilot and model-scale ponds were set up in Almaty, Kazakhstan. These simulated operating regimes for a facultative and storage/maturation pond system subject to ice cover from late November until late March. Two pilot-scale facultative ponds were operated at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 20 and 30 days, with surface loading rates of 100 and 67 kg BOD ha-1 day-1. Effluent from the 20-day HRT facultative pond was then fed to two pilot-scale storage/maturation ponds which had been partially emptied and allowed to refill over the winter period with no removal of effluent. The paper discusses the results of the experiments with respect to selection of an operating regime to make treated wastewater available early in the spring. Preliminary results indicate that there may be potential for alternative operating protocols designed to maximise their performance and economic potential
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