Synergistic Co-Digestion of Microalgae and Primary Sludge to Enhance Methane Yield from Temperature-Phased Anaerobic Digestion

Mekdimu Mezemir Damtie, Jingyeong Shin, Hyun Min Jang and Young Mo Kim
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Mekdimu Mezemir Damtie: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
Jingyeong Shin: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
Hyun Min Jang: Department of Environmental Engineering and Soil Environment Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeollabukdo 54896, Korea
Young Mo Kim: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: A two-stage temperature-phased mesophilic anaerobic digestion assay was carried out to study the interaction between various biological pretreatment conditions and the possible synergistic co-digestion of microalgae and primary sludge. The study of growth kinetics of the biochemical methane potential test revealed that a maximum of 36% increase in methane yield was observed from co-digestion of a substrate pretreated by thermophilic aerobic conditions (55 °C and HRT = 2 days) and an 8.3% increase was obtained from the anaerobic pretreated substrate (55 °C and HRT = 3 days). Moreover, no synergistic effects on methane yields were observed in co-digesting the substrate pretreated with high temperature (85 °C). The study also identified specific conditions in which interaction between biological pretreatment and co-digestion might substantially reduce methane yield. Careful optimization of operating conditions, both aerobic and anaerobic pretreatment at moderate thermophilic conditions, can be used as a biological pretreatment to enhance methane yield from the co-digestion of microalgae and primary sludge.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; co-digestion; microalgae; primary sludge; biological pretreatment; methane yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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