Experiments and Modeling for Flexible Biogas Production by Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Sewage Sludge

Yiyun Liu, Tao Huang, Xiaofeng Li, Jingjing Huang, Daoping Peng, Claudia Maurer and Martin Kranert
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Yiyun Liu: Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, Sichuan, China
Tao Huang: Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, Sichuan, China
Xiaofeng Li: Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, Sichuan, China
Jingjing Huang: Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, University of Stuttgart, Bandtäle 2, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Daoping Peng: Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, Sichuan, China
Claudia Maurer: Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, University of Stuttgart, Bandtäle 2, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Martin Kranert: Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, University of Stuttgart, Bandtäle 2, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: This paper explores the feasibility of flexible biogas production by co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge based on experiments and mathematical modeling. First, laboratory-scale experiments were carried out in variable operating conditions in terms of organic loading rate and feeding frequency to the digester. It is demonstrated that biogas production can achieve rapid responses to arbitrary feedings through co-digestion, and the stability of the anaerobic digestion process is not affected by the overloading of substrates. Compared with the conventional continuous mode, the required biogas storage capacity in flexible feeding mode can be significantly reduced. The optimum employed feeding organic loading rate (OLR) is identified, and how to adjust the feeding scheme for flexible biogas production is also discussed. Finally, a simplified prediction model for flexible biogas production is proposed and verified by experimental data, which could be conveniently used for demand-oriented control. It is expected that this research could give some theoretical basis for the enhancement of biogas utilization efficiency, thus expanding the applications of bio-energy.

Keywords: flexible biogas production; co-digestion; food waste; sewage sludge; modeling (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 (2)

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