Anaerobic Digestion From the Laboratory to the Field: An Experimental Study Into the Scalability of Anaerobic Digestion

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Kevin James Gamble (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Advisor
James Houser

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a unique organic waste treatment method that improves sanitation and environmental quality through pollution control, while providing organic fertilizer in the form of a liquid digestate and renewable energy in the form of clean-burning biogas. In designing AD systems efficiency is key. It can be costly in terms of time, money, and resources to dial-in systems once the full-scale has been constructed and is operational. For these reasons, bench-scale laboratory experimentation is an essential component of AD research and development. In order for bench-scale research to be applicable, a strong correlation between results obtained in the lab and actual performance of large-scale anaerobic digesters must exist. In this study, 100 mL, 1 L, and 10 L digesters treating equine waste were tested to determine the accuracy of scaling between digester sizes. Digesters were compared by the cumulative and daily biogas production, methane content, volatile solids-destruction, and pH of the digestate. Based on these results, a strong correlation was found between the yield of biogas and the digester sizes, showing that the scalability of AD is tenable, but that there is a scaling effect that must be taken into account.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Gamble, K.J. (2014). Anaerobic Digestion From the Laboratory to the Field: An Experimental Study Into the Scalability of Anaerobic Digestion. Unpublished master’s thesis. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
Language: English
Date: 2014
Keywords
Anaerobic Digestion , Biogas , Equine Waste , Modeling Anaerobic Digestion , Scaling Biogas Production

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