Introduction to the laboratory for anaerobic digestion

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 2 Lab for Environmental Engineers

Introduction topics:

OBJECTIVES

SCHEDULE

WORK & MATERIAL

Anaerobic Digestion

3

AD describes the microbial degradation of organic substances (biomass) under oxygen depleted conditions to gaseous end products CH4 and CO2.

AD includes 3 metabolical steps:

Hydrolysis

Fermentation = Acidification

Methanogenesis

From a technical point of view it is however considered as an overall reaction

Organics Methane + CO2

Anaerobic Digestion – a Definition

4

AD Situation in Switzerland Waste, not RenewablesB

aier

U.,

Bau

m S

., H

artm

ann

F., (

2012

) Bio

gene

Güt

erflü

sse

der S

chw

eiz.

BA

FU, B

ern

5

AD Situation in Germany Renewables, not Waste

6

Manure & Agroindustrial Wastes form a backbone

7

Green Waste & Food Waste offer potential

Anaerobic Digestion

BMP = Biochemical Methane Potential

What is BMP-testing & how does it work?

13

How you can interpret your BMP Results!

max. BMPBMP after t(standard)

a(seed)

a(standard)

BMP of 2nd substrategas production rate

Lag phase

Multiple substrate effects

type of kinetics

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 4 Lab for Environmental Engineers

Date Work Reports / Presentations

Day 1 Thu. 10. Nov. 12:45

(HIL D 60.1) Introduction to the laboratory course Assignment to groups Practical introduction to anaerobic batch

experiments Starting first batch experiment Regular control of the batch experiments during

the week

Day 2 Thu. 17. Nov. 12:45

Introduction to analytics: TS, oTS, alkalinity and fatty acids (Titration), pH, gas quality

Practice all methods with experiment I reactors Calculate gas volume from the measured pressure End the first batch experiment until 22th of Nov.

Calculation of first batch gas volume until 23. Nov.

Day 3 Thu. 24. Nov. 12:45

Bring along first-batch gas production results Starting second batch experiment Control and measure the ongoing fermentations End mass balancing analysis of Day 2

Wed. 30. Nov.:

Hand in summary of results

SCHEDULE

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 5 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Date Work Reports / Presentations

Day 4 Thu. 01. Dec. 12:45

Control and measure the ongoing fermentations Discussion of summary of results

Day 5 Thu. 15. Dec. 12:45

Control and measure the ongoing fermentations Once experiment II has ended, measure mass

balancing analysis of the digestate

Present your intermediate results of experiment II

… Tue. 20. Dec.

End the second experiment and clean the reactors, including all mass balancing measurements

Cleaning the work place

Hand in the final report by 29. Dec. 2016

WORK & MATERIAL

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 6 Lab for Environmental Engineers

Gas production in: • small scale • anaerobic • wet digestion • batch reactors • manual pressure measurement

WORK & MATERIAL

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 7 Lab for Environmental Engineers

Reactor Setup:

Described in the SOP

WORK & MATERIAL

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 8 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Process control: pH

WORK & MATERIAL

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 9 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Process control: Titration

WORK & MATERIAL

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 10 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Mass balancing: TS (total solids)

WORK & MATERIAL

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 11 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Mass balancing: oTS (organic total solids)

WORK & MATERIAL

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 12 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Process control / Mass balancing: Gas quality

OBJECTIVES

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 13 Lab for Environmental Engineers

Laboratory measurements to control the fermentation

Input and output characterization applying mass balancing analysis

Hands on experience on anaerobic digestion, carrying out two experiments:

1. Experiment I –get in touch with the instruments, activity of the inoculate (seeding sludge) in use.

2. Experiment II –main experiment, real data of real substrates, possibly to be introduced into a life cycle assessment.

OBJECTIVES

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 14 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

The Experiment’s Details Experiment I • Choose and define reactor properties

• 4 reactors in use per group (2 x blank & 2 x cellulose)

• Goal is to determine the inoculate activity by using cellulose as

standardized substrate

0

500

1000

1500

2000

0 100 200 300 400

Pre

ssu

re [

mb

ar]

Time [hours]

B17 real B18 real Predicted steady stateReactor I Reactor II

0

200

400

600

800

0 100 200 300 400

BM

P [

NL

ga

s /

kg

oT

S]

Time [hours]

B17 B18 PredictedReactor I Reactor II Calculated max. gas

OBJECTIVES

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 15 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

The Experiment’s Details Experiment II • Collaboration with Biogas Zürich

• 9 reactors in use per group

• Goals are: – to determine the BMP

– the rate of decay

– the fermentation behaviour of the substrate under

the conditions applied due to process controling

100 kJ (100%) substrate

50 kJ (50%) gas

50 kJ (50%) remaining

OBJECTIVES

Dienstag, 8. November 2016 16 Labor für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

The Result

• Valuable, meaningful and trustworthy information in order to advise

our project partner.

• Of course knowledge and experience on your side.