Co-Digestion of Biomass for Methane Production: Recent Research Achievements
bio gas Co-digestion of Biomass for Methane Production: Recent Research
Achievements
Wei Wu
ABSTRACT
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion can be used to treat various organic wastes and recover bio-energy in the form of biogas, which consists mainly of CH4 and CO2. A great option for improving yields of anaerobic digestion of solid wastes is the co-digestion of multiple substrates. Numerous studies demonstrate that using co-substrates in anaerobic digestion system improves the biogas yields due to positives synergisms established in the digestion medium and the supply of missing nutrients by the co-substrates. In addition, codigestion offers several possible ecological economical advantages. Recent research (published during the past three years) on this topic is reviewed in the current paper. Special attention is paid to anaerobic co-digestion of animal waste, crop and crop residues, municipal solid waste
(MSW), as well as municipal sewage sludge.
KEYWORDS: Anaerobic; Co-digestion; Biomass; Methane; Animal Manure
INTRODUCTION
Biomass
Biomass has been defined as organic matter formed by photosynthetic capture of solar energy and stored as chemical energy (Gunaseelan, 1997), which includes agricultural crops and wastes, animal wastes, forest and mill residues, wood and wood wastes, livestock operation residues, aquatic plants, fast-growing trees and plants, and municipal and industrial wastes.
Recently, oil crisis have brought great interest in the exploration of renewable energy, specially, bioenergy contained in biomass. The solar energy stored in biomass could be released as biogas, a mixture of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and some trace gases, through anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic
Achievements
Wei Wu
ABSTRACT
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion can be used to treat various organic wastes and recover bio-energy in the form of biogas, which consists mainly of CH4 and CO2. A great option for improving yields of anaerobic digestion of solid wastes is the co-digestion of multiple substrates. Numerous studies demonstrate that using co-substrates in anaerobic digestion system improves the biogas yields due to positives synergisms established in the digestion medium and the supply of missing nutrients by the co-substrates. In addition, codigestion offers several possible ecological economical advantages. Recent research (published during the past three years) on this topic is reviewed in the current paper. Special attention is paid to anaerobic co-digestion of animal waste, crop and crop residues, municipal solid waste
(MSW), as well as municipal sewage sludge.
KEYWORDS: Anaerobic; Co-digestion; Biomass; Methane; Animal Manure
INTRODUCTION
Biomass
Biomass has been defined as organic matter formed by photosynthetic capture of solar energy and stored as chemical energy (Gunaseelan, 1997), which includes agricultural crops and wastes, animal wastes, forest and mill residues, wood and wood wastes, livestock operation residues, aquatic plants, fast-growing trees and plants, and municipal and industrial wastes.
Recently, oil crisis have brought great interest in the exploration of renewable energy, specially, bioenergy contained in biomass. The solar energy stored in biomass could be released as biogas, a mixture of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and some trace gases, through anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic