Use of a Pulsed Electric Field to Improve the Biogas Potential of Maize Silage

Dawid Szwarc and Karolina Szwarc
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Dawid Szwarc: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Karolina Szwarc: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Some types of biomass require great inputs to guarantee high conversion rates to methane. The complex structure of lignocellulose impedes its penetration by cellulolytic enzymes, as a result of which a longer retention time is necessary to increase the availability of nutrients. To use the full biogas potential of lignocellulosic substrates, a substrate pretreatment is necessary before the proper methane fermentation. This article discusses the impact of the pretreatment of maize silage with a pulsed electric field on biogas productivity. The experiment showed a slight decrease in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content in the substrate following pretreatment with a pulsed electric field, which resulted in a higher carbohydrate content in the liquid substrate fraction. The highest biogas production output was obtained for the pretreated sample at the retention time of 180 s for 751.97 mL/g volatile solids (VS), which was approximately 14% higher than for the control sample. The methane production rate for the control sample was 401.83 mL CH 4 /g VS, and for the sample following disintegration it was 465.62 mL CH 4 /g VS. The study found that pretreatment of maize silage with a pulsed electric field increased the biogas potential.

Keywords: PEF; biogas; lignocellulose; anaerobic digestion; pulsed electric field; methane fermentation (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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