Degree of Biomass Conversion in the Integrated Production of Bioethanol and Biogas

Krzysztof Pilarski, Agnieszka A. Pilarska, Piotr Boniecki, Gniewko Niedbała, Kamil Witaszek, Magdalena Piekutowska, Małgorzata Idzior-Haufa and Agnieszka Wawrzyniak
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Krzysztof Pilarski: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Agnieszka A. Pilarska: Department of Dairy and Process Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
Piotr Boniecki: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Gniewko Niedbała: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Kamil Witaszek: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Magdalena Piekutowska: Department of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, ul. Partyzantów 27, 76-200 Słupsk, Poland
Małgorzata Idzior-Haufa: Department of Gerodontology and Oral Pathology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, ul. Bukowska 70, 60-812 Poznan, Poland
Agnieszka Wawrzyniak: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: The integrated production of bioethanol and biogas makes it possible to optimise the production of carriers from renewable raw materials. The installation analysed in this experimental paper was a hybrid system, in which waste from the production of bioethanol was used in a biogas plant with a capacity of 1 MW e . The main objective of this study was to determine the energy potential of biomass used for the production of bioethanol and biogas. Based on the results obtained, the conversion rate of the biomass—maize, in this case—into bioethanol was determined as the efficiency of the process of bioethanol production. A biomass conversion study was conducted for 12 months, during which both maize grains and stillage were sampled once per quarter (QU-I, QU-II, QU-III, QU-IV; QU—quarter) for testing. Between 342 L (QU-II) and 370 L (QU-I) of ethanol was obtained from the organic matter subjected to alcoholic fermentation. The mass that did not undergo conversion to bioethanol ranged from 269.04 kg to 309.50 kg, which represented 32.07% to 36.95% of the organic matter that was subjected to the process of bioethanol production. On that basis, it was concluded that only two-thirds of the organic matter was converted into bioethanol. The remaining part—post-production waste in the form of stillage—became a valuable raw material for the production of biogas, containing one-third of the biodegradable fraction. Under laboratory conditions, between 30.5 m 3 (QU-I) and 35.6 m 3 (QU-II) of biogas per 1 Mg of FM (FM—fresh matter) was obtained, while under operating conditions, between 29.2 m 3 (QU-I) and 33.2 m 3 (QU-II) of biogas was acquired from 1 Mg of FM. The Biochemical Methane Potential Correction Coefficient (BMPCC), which was calculated based on the authors’ formula, ranged from 3.2% to 7.4% in the analysed biogas installation.

Keywords: bioethanol; stillage; biogas; biomass conversion degree; biochemical methane potential correction coefficient (BMPCC) (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 (3)

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