Biogas Upgrading and Ammonia Recovery from Livestock Manure Digestates in a Combined Electromethanogenic Biocathode—Hydrophobic Membrane System

Miriam Cerrillo, Laura Burgos and August Bonmatí
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Miriam Cerrillo: IRTA, GIRO, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
Laura Burgos: IRTA, GIRO, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
August Bonmatí: IRTA, GIRO, Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion process can be improved in combination with bioelectrochemical systems in order to recover energy and resources from digestates. An electromethanogenic microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) coupled to an ammonia recovery system based on hydrophobic membranes (ARS-HM) has been developed in order to recover ammonia, reduce organic matter content and upgrade biogas from digested pig slurry. A lab-scale dual-chamber MEC was equipped with a cation exchange membrane (CEM) and ARS with a hydrophobic membrane in the catholyte recirculation loop, to promote ammonia migration and absorption in an acidic solution. On the other hand, an electromethanogenic biofilm was developed in the biocathode to promote the transformation of CO 2 into methane. The average nitrogen transference through the CEM was of 0.36 g N m −2 h −1 with a removal efficiency of 31%, with the ARS-HM in the catholyte recirculation loop. The removal of ammonia from the cathode compartment helped to maintain a lower pH value for the electromethanogenic biomass (7.69 with the ARS-HM, against 8.88 without ARS-HM) and boosted methane production from 50 L m −3 d −1 to 73 L m −3 d −1 . Results have shown that the integration of an electromethanogenic MEC with an ARS-HM allows for the concomitant recovery of energy and ammonia from high strength wastewater digestates.

Keywords: microbial electrolysis cell; biocathode; electromethanogenesis; ammonia recovery; hydrophobic membrane (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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