Integration of a Water Scrubbing Technique and Two-Stage Pressurized Anaerobic Digestion in One Process

Andreas Lemmer, Yuling Chen, Anna-Maria Wonneberger, Frank Graf and Rainer Reimert
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Andreas Lemmer: State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 9, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Yuling Chen: State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 9, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Anna-Maria Wonneberger: DVGW–Research Center at the Engler-Bunte-Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Frank Graf: DVGW–Research Center at the Engler-Bunte-Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Rainer Reimert: Engler-Bunte-Institut, Division Chemical Energy Carriers and Fuel Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: Two-stage pressurized anaerobic digestion is a promising technology. This technology integrates in one process biogas production with upgrading and pressure boosting for grid injection. To investigate whether the efficiency of this novel system could be further increased, a water scrubbing system was integrated into the methanogensis step. Therefore, six leach-bed reactors were used for hydrolysis/acidification and a 30-L pressurized anaerobic filter operated at 9 bar was adopted for acetogenesis/methanogenesis. The fermentation liquid of the pressurized anaerobic filter was circulated periodically via a flash tank, operating at atmospheric pressure. Due to the pressure drop, part of dissolved carbon dioxide was released from the liquid phase into the flash tank. The depressurized fermentation liquid was then recycled to the pressurized reactor. Three different flow rates (0 L·day ?1 , 20 L·day ?1 and 40 L·day ?1 ) were tested with three repetitions. As the daily recycled flashed liquid flow was increased from 0 to 40 L, six times as much as the daily feeding, the methane content in the biogas increased from 75 molar percent (mol%) to 87 mol%. The pH value of the substrate in the methane reactor rose simultaneously from 6.5 to 6.7. The experimental data were verified by calculation.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; pressurized fermentation; methane enrichment; biogas upgrading; biomethane (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: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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