Optimization of Biogas and Biomethane Yield from Anaerobic Conversion of Pepper Waste Using Response Surface Methodology

Chaima Bensegueni, Bani Kheireddine, Amel Khalfaoui, Zahra Amrouci, Maya Ouissem Bouznada and Kerroum Derbal ()
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Chaima Bensegueni: Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Médicament et Développement Durable (ReMeDD), Faculty of Process Engineering, University of Constantine 3, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Bani Kheireddine: Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Médicament et Développement Durable (ReMeDD), Faculty of Process Engineering, University of Constantine 3, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Amel Khalfaoui: Laboratory of Environmental Process Engineering (LIPE), Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Process Engineering, University Salah Boubnider-Constantine 3, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Zahra Amrouci: Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Médicament et Développement Durable (ReMeDD), Faculty of Process Engineering, University of Constantine 3, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Maya Ouissem Bouznada: Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Médicament et Développement Durable (ReMeDD), Faculty of Process Engineering, University of Constantine 3, Constantine 25000, Algeria
Kerroum Derbal: Laboratory of Process Engineering for Sustainable Development and Health Products (GPDDPS), Department of Process Engineering, Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Constantine, Constantine 25000, Algeria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion is a critical method for producing bioenergy from organic waste; however, its efficiency is highly influenced by several factors. This study aimed to enhance the AD process using the removed solid phase generated by the canning plant Amor Benamor (CAB) during the production of harissa. This research sought to identify the optimum pH conditions and inoculum/substrate ratio (I/S) for achieving the maximum biogas production while ensuring a high methane yield, using response surface methodology (RSM) and numerical optimization. The batch anaerobic digestion of pepper waste as a substrate and sewage sludge as an inoculum was conducted. The 11 experimental runs generated by Design Expert Software were conducted in reactors with a capacity of 150 mL and a working volume of 90 mL, under thermophilic conditions. The effects of pH in the range of 7 to 8 and an I/S ratio in the range of 0.167 to 0.5, and their interaction in terms of biogas and methane yield (mL/g VS), were evaluated using a central composite design (CCD). The findings highlighted that a pH of around 7.5 and an I/S ratio of 0.48 could give the highest predicted yield of 884.35 mL/g VS for biogas and 422.828 mL/g VS for methane. These predicted values were confirmed with an experimental validation run which exhibited a deviation of less than 5%. These results offer new opportunities for enhanced biogas production from accumulated waste, contributing to the growth of sustainable energy alternatives.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; pH; inoculum/substrate ratio; design expert; numerical optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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