Journal article

Publication year: 2011

Pages: 343-352

Journal: Journal of Sustainable and Organic Agricultural Systems

Volume number: 61

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0458-6859

Publisher: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut

Abstract: 

Application of sodium bicarbonate in agricultural biogas plants

Biogas plants require consistent volume and quality of feedstock input. Frequent changes in type and quality of feedstock reduce the process stability by causing increased acidification in the biogas digester. In laboratory experiments the addition of sodium bicarbonate to prevent and reverse acidification in biogas digesters has been proven to be successful. This paper focuses on the application in agricultural biogas plants. Two identically designed biogas digesters were used. In one of the digesters the process had destabilized as a result of overfeeding and therefore was treated with sodium bicarbonate, while the other one ran under stable conditions and was used as the control. Both biogas digesters were part of the same biogas plant and were supplied with identical feedstock material. Sodium bicarbonate has been added to the biogas digester to successfully reverse acute acidification as well as to prevent acidification, confirming earlier results from laboratory experiments. At the same time the addition of sodium bicarbonate also enhanced the performance of the biogas digester by increasing the yield of methane thereby improving the quality of the biogas. In addition, the effective input reduces the residual biogas potential and the unwanted emission of greenhouse gases from the digest residues. Therefore, sodium bicarbonate can unequivocally be used in agricultural biogas plants as a process additive for a controlled increase in pH and to stabilize the biological process in the event of acidification.

Harvard Citation style: Burgstaler, J., Wiedow, D., Godlinski, F. and Kanswohl, N. (2011) Application of sodium bicarbonate in agricultural biogas plants, LANDBAUFORSCHUNG, 61(4), pp. 343-352

APA Citation style: Burgstaler, J., Wiedow, D., Godlinski, F., & Kanswohl, N. (2011). Application of sodium bicarbonate in agricultural biogas plants. LANDBAUFORSCHUNG. 61(4), 343-352.