A Review of the Processes, Parameters, and Optimization of Anaerobic Digestion

Jay N. Meegoda, Brian Li, Kush Patel and Lily B. Wang
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Jay N. Meegoda: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
Brian Li: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
Kush Patel: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
Lily B. Wang: The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion is a technology that has been used by humans for centuries. Anaerobic digestion is considered to be a useful tool that can generate renewable energy and significant research interest has arisen recently. The underlying theory of anaerobic digestion has been established for decades; however, a great deal of current research is directed towards the optimization of anaerobic digestion under diverse digestion conditions. This review provides a summary of the processes underlying anaerobic digestion, commonly-utilized measurements of anaerobic sludge, operating parameters of anaerobic digesters, and methods of acceleration and optimization used to improve process efficiency. Recent developments in addition to older research are considered to provide a general but comprehensive summary of accumulated knowledge in the theory of anaerobic digestion, as well as considerations in the efficient operation of digesters. We have determined that the numerous factors pertinent to the design and operation of batch-based anaerobic digesters must each be considered to ensure the maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a digester provided its respective operating conditions.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; biogas; energy; food waste; optimization; parameters; processes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (27)

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