Effect of substrates and voltages on the performance of bio-electrochemical anaerobic digestion

Ahmad Shabib, Mohamed Abdallah, Abdallah Shanableh and Majid Sartaj

Renewable Energy, 2022, vol. 198, issue C, 16-27

Abstract: This research study investigates the effect of feedstock chemical composition and voltage supply on methane production from bio-electrochemical anaerobic digestion (BEAD). The experimental work was conducted on batch biomethane potential (BMP) bottles equipped with electrodes and connected to external power. Three substrates with distinct elemental compositions, waste activated sludge (WAS), and cow manure (CM), organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), were tested under different voltages (0.7–1.5V). The BMP tests showed that OFMSW had the highest methane yield in the AD control reactors, followed by WAS and CM, which concurred with the estimated theoretical yields. Supplying voltage enhanced the performance of all BEAD reactors, but with different levels of improvement; methane yield, organics removal, and net energy efficiency increased by 7–46%, 16–54%, and 5–37%, respectively, compared to the equivalent controls. The strong relationship between the voltage and substrates with methane production was confirmed statistically through analysis of variance and t-test. Moreover, a regression model was established between the feedstock elemental fractions, power supply, and methane yield, with an adjusted correlation coefficient of 0.9 and a maximum prediction error of 5.4%. The overall findings of this research provide valuable operation and performance insights on the potential bio-electrochemical upgrades to AD systems.

Keywords: Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC); Biomethane potential (BMP); Chemical (elemental) composition; Waste activated sludge; Cow manure; Organic fraction of municipal solid waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:198:y:2022:i:c:p:16-27

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.07.038

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