Journal article
Authors list: Janke, Leandro; Weinrich, Soren; Leite, Athaydes F.; Strauber, Heike; Radetski, Claudemir M.; Nikolausz, Marcell; Nelles, Michael; Stinner, Walter
Publication year: 2018
Pages: 188-199
Journal: Energy Conversion and Management
Volume number: 168
ISSN: 0196-8904
eISSN: 1879-2227
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.04.101
Publisher: Elsevier
Abstract:
The concept of year-round biogas production to increase the capacity factor of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants in sugarcane biorefineries was investigated for the first time in semi-continuous feeding mode. To simulate the use of sugarcane vinasse during the sugarcane season and sugarcane filter cake (SFC) during the off-season period, a two-stage reactor system based on an acidogenic continuous stirred-tank reactor (1st stage) followed by solid-liquid separation and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor (2nd stage) to convert the COD-rich liquid fraction into biogas was operated. Additionally, to optimize the biogas production from SFC, the effects of its thermo-chemical pre-treatment on AD were investigated in a parallel reactor set-up. The saponification effect provided by autoclaving the substrate with sodium hydroxide improved the hydrolysis/fermentation of SFC in the acidogenic reactor, which in turn resulted in a 28% higher volumetric methane production in the methanogenic reactor (p < 0.05). However, the methane yields observed during operation of the two-stage reactor system were markedly lower than previously found in biochemical methane potential tests using SFC. In this case, the feed-in with low suspended solids required by UASB reactors prevented the utilization of the non-hydrolyzed/fermented solid fraction of SFC ( >60% of the substrate's methane potential). Nevertheless, the capacity factor of the AD plants in sugarcane biorefineries could be increased from 0.55 up to 0.69 when considering a 200 d a (-1) sugarcane season (0.66-0.83 for a longer season of 240 d a (-1)), representing an increase of 25.7%. The average capacity factor for biogas combined heat and power and upgrading units of around 0.91 (8000 h a (-1)) would be reached if further developments could improve the solubilization of non-hydrolyzed/fermented solids or alternatively allow their direct use in the methanogenic reactor.
Citation Styles
Harvard Citation style: Janke, L., Weinrich, S., Leite, A., Strauber, H., Radetski, C., Nikolausz, M., et al. (2018) Year-round biogas production in sugarcane biorefineries: Process stability, optimization and performance of a two-stage reactor system, Energy Conversion and Management, 168, pp. 188-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.04.101
APA Citation style: Janke, L., Weinrich, S., Leite, A., Strauber, H., Radetski, C., Nikolausz, M., Nelles, M., & Stinner, W. (2018). Year-round biogas production in sugarcane biorefineries: Process stability, optimization and performance of a two-stage reactor system. Energy Conversion and Management. 168, 188-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.04.101
Keywords
BED REACTOR; Capacity factor; Methane potential; Process design; SEMICONTINUOUS ANAEROBIC-DIGESTION; Sugarcane waste; VINASSE; WASTE PRODUCTS; WHEAT-STRAW
