Changing Feeding Regimes To Demonstrate Flexible Biogas Production: Effects on Process Performance, Microbial Community Structure, and Methanogenesis Pathways.

Flexible biogas production that adapts biogas output to energy demand can be regulated by changing feeding regimes. In this study, the effect of changes in feeding intervals on process performance, microbial community structure, and the methanogenesis pathway was investigated. Three different feeding regimes (once daily, every second day, and every 2 h) at the same organic loading rate were studied in continuously stirred tank reactors treating distiller's dried grains with solubles. A larger amount of biogas was produced after feeding in the reactors fed less frequently (once per day and every second day), whereas the amount remained constant in the reactor fed more frequently (every 2 h), indicating the suitability of the former for the flexible production of biogas. Compared to the conventional more frequent feeding regimes, a methane yield that was up to 14% higher and an improved stability of the process against organic overloading were achieved by employing less frequent feeding regimes. The community structures of bacteria and methanogenic archaea were monitored by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 16S rRNA and mcrA genes, respectively. The results showed that the composition of the bacterial community varied under the different feeding regimes, and the observed T-RFLP patterns were best explained by the differences in the total ammonia nitrogen concentrations, H2 levels, and pH values. However, the methanogenic community remained stable under all feeding regimes, with the dominance of the Methanosarcina genus followed by that of the Methanobacterium genus. Stable isotope analysis showed that the average amount of methane produced during each feeding event by acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was not influenced by the three different feeding regimes.

Use of near infrared spectroscopy in monitoring of volatile fatty acids in anaerobic digestion.

Recently biogas production from agricultural sources has rapidly developed. Therefore the demands on biogas plants to optimise the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process have grown immensely. At present there is no online-supervision tool available to monitor the AD process, but costly and time-consuming chemical analyses are necessary. The possibility to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in order to track relevant process parameters like total volatile fatty acids (VFA), acetic acid and propionic acid was investigated in the present research project. A NIR-sensor was integrated into a full-scale 1 MW biogas plant and NIR-spectra of the fermenter contents were recorded semi-continuously for 500 days. Weekly samples were taken and analysed for the above mentioned parameters. Calibration models were calculated, capable of following these parameters: VFA (r(2)=0.94), acetic acid (r(2)=0.69), propionic acid (r(2)=0.89).

Flexible biogas production for demand-driven energy supply--feeding strategies and types of substrates.

Purpose of this work was the evaluation of demand driven biogas production. In laboratory-scale experiments it could be demonstrated that with diurnal flexible feeding and specific combination of substrates with different degradation kinetics biogas can be produced highly flexible in CSTR systems. Corresponding to the feedings the diurnal variation leads to alternations of the methane, carbon dioxide and acid concentrations as well as the pH-value. The long-time process stability was not negatively affected by the dynamic feeding regime at high OLRs of up to 6 kg VS m(-3) d(-1). It is concluded that the flexible gas production can give the opportunity to minimize the necessary gas storage capacity which can save investments for non-required gas storage at site.

Mono-fermentation of chicken manure: ammonia inhibition and recirculation of the digestate.

The effects of ammonia concentration on the performance and stability of mono-fermentation of chicken manure were investigated in a lab-scale continuous stirred tank reactor at 40 °C. Technical stripping was performed to remove ammonia from the liquid fraction of digestate, and the entire product was recycled to the fermenter to control ammonia concentration in the fermenter. Organic loading rate (OLR) of 5.3 gVS/(L d) was achieved with an average free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) concentration of 0.77 g/L and a specific gas yield of 0.39 L/gVS. When OLR was increased to 6.0 gVS/(L d), stable operation could be obtained with an average FAN concentration of 0.86 g/L and a specific gas yield of 0.27 L/gVS. Mono-fermentation of chicken manure was successfully carried out at high ammonia concentrations. Controlled recirculation of treated liquid fraction of digestate could be a solution in large-scale application for both: to avoid ammonia inhibition and minimize digestate.

NIRS-aided monitoring and prediction of biogas yields from maize silage at a full-scale biogas plant applying lumped kinetics.

The aim of this study was to apply near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), available biogas plant data and lumped degradation kinetics to predict biogas production (BPr) of maize silage. A full-scale agricultural biogas plant was equipped with NIRS-metrology at the feeding station. Continuously NIR-spectra were collected for 520 d. Substrate samples were analyzed by means of feedstuff analysis. Biogas potential of the samples was calculated from the laboratory analysis results and for a sample-subset practically assessed by "Hohenheim biogas tests". NIRS-regression-models for all mentioned parameters were calibrated. Continuously gathered spectra, NIRS-models, actual plant-feeding data and degradation kinetics were used to calculate time-series of theoretically expectable BPr. Results were validated against measured gas quantity. Determination coefficients between calculated and measured BPr were up to 58.2%. This outcome was mainly due to the positive correlation between BPr and input amount since the substrate was very homogeneous. The use of NIRS seems more promising for plants with stronger substrate heterogeneity.

Use of near infrared spectroscopy in online-monitoring of feeding substrate quality in anaerobic digestion.

In order to keep the anaerobic process stably and uniformly producing biogas it needs to be supplied with either an even amount of substrate of stable quality or varying amounts according to variations in quality. Feeding amounts are usually adjusted manually as a reaction to changing rates of biogas production. Continuous information about the actual substrate quality is not available and feedstuff analyses are costly. Aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of near infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) online monitoring of substrate quality in order to find ways towards more exact control of biogas plant feeding. A NIRS sensor system was designed, constructed and calibrated for continuous monitoring of (RMSECV in brackets) dry matter (DM) (0.75%fresh matter (FM)), volatile solids (0.74%FM), crude fat (0.09%FM), crude protein (0.22%FM), crude fiber (1.50%DM) and nitrogen-free extracts (0.93%FM) of maize silage.