ADM1 modelling of large-scale covered in-ground anaerobic reactor treating sugarcane vinasse.

In this paper, we demonstrate in a clear procedure the application of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) to model a large-scale covered in-ground anaerobic reactor (Cigar), processing sugarcane vinasse from a biorefinery in Brazil. The biochemical make-up (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) of the substrate was analysed based on the food industry standards. Two distinct subsets of data, based on the sugarcane harvest season for bioethanol and sugar production in 2012 and 2014, were used to direct and cross validate the model, respectively. We fitted measured data by estimating two key parameters against biogas flow rate: the degradation extent (fd) and the first order hydrolysis rate coefficient (khyd). By cross validation we show that the fitted model can be generalised to represent the behaviour of the reactor under study. Therefore, motivated by practical and industrial application of ADM1, for both different reactors types and substrates, we show aspects on the implementation of ADM1 to a specific large-scale reactor for anaerobic digestion of sugarcane vinasse.

Assessment and parameter identification of simplified models to describe the kinetics of semi-continuous biomethane production from anaerobic digestion of green and food waste.

Biochemical reactions occurring during anaerobic digestion have been modelled using reaction kinetic equations such as first-order, Contois and Monod which are then combined to form mechanistic models. This work considers models which include between one and three biochemical reactions to investigate if the choice of the reaction rate equation, complexity of the model structure as well as the inclusion of inhibition plays a key role in the ability of the model to describe the methane production from the semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of green waste (GW) and food waste (FW). A parameter estimation method was used to investigate the most important phenomena influencing the biogas production process. Experimental data were used to numerically estimate the model parameters and the quality of fit was quantified. Results obtained reveal that the model structure (i.e. number of reactions, inhibition) has a much stronger influence on the quality of fit compared with the choice of kinetic rate equations. In the case of GW there was only a marginal improvement when moving from a one to two reaction model, and none with inclusion of inhibition or three reactions. However, the behaviour of FW digestion was more complex and required either a two or three reaction model with inhibition functions for both ammonia and volatile fatty acids. Parameter values for the best fitting models are given for use by other authors.

Towards thermal design optimization of tubular digesters in cold climates: a heat transfer model.

A cold climate, low cost, tubular digester is monitored and temperatures from different parts of the slurry, greenhouse, and adobe walls are presented, discussing the thermal performance of the digester. The slurry exhibits a vertical gradient of 6°C, with a mean value of 24.5°C, while the ambient temperature varies from 10°C to 30°C, showing the efficiency of the system as a solar heat collector with thermal inertia. A simple time-dependent thermal model is developed using inputs of solar radiation, wind velocity, ambient temperature, and digester geometry. The model outputs include temperatures of the slurry, the biogas, its holding membrane and the greenhouse air, wall and cover. Radiative, convective and conductive heat transfer phenomena are considered between all system elements. The model has 0.47°C (2%) standard error for the average slurry temperature. This model can be used to predict the influence of geometry and materials on the performance of the digester.