Integrative Effects of Sonication and Particle Size on Biomethanation of Tropical Grass Pennisetum purpureum Using Superior Diverse Inocula Cultures

Chettaphong Phuttaro, Alissara Reungsang, Piyarat Boonsawang and Sumate Chaiprapat
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Chettaphong Phuttaro: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand
Alissara Reungsang: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kean University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Piyarat Boonsawang: Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand
Sumate Chaiprapat: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: Biogas from the fast growing crop, Pennisetum purpureum , has received considerable attention in Southeast Asia since wastewater and bio-waste materials are almost completely utilized. To overcome slow hydrolysis, a rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass, superior microorganism culture, size reduction, and sonication pretreatment were co-applied. In the first experiment, the selection of anaerobic microbial culture to be used in digestion, so-called inoculum, was carried out. Specific anaerobic activities for hydrolysis and methanogenesis of sludge from different sources, a slurry digester of cattle farm (CF) and a wastewater digester of rubber latex factory (RL) were assessed. Results revealed a remarkable synergistic capability in the combined sludge, adding 10% and 49% to the overall biomethanation efficiency over the individual CF and RL sludges. In the second part, interactive effects of size reduction and sonication intensity were studied. Biomethanation efficiency as methane yield increased by 62% by size and 115% by sonication variation, but when optimally combined an additional gain of 40% was recorded. The regression model generated could estimate the energy yield increase as a function of size and sonication intensity with a satisfactory statistical precision R 2 of 0.945.

Keywords: Napier grass; methane yield; anaerobic activity; mixed inoculum; sonication pretreatment; size reduction (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: 2019
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