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Model-based scale-up and performance of the Biogas Tower Reactor for anaerobic waste-water treatment
The Biogas Tower Reactor (BTR), a new type of reactor for anaerobic waste-water treatment, is presented. The characteristic features of the BTR are the tower shape, its modular structure and the internal installations. Gas loading, mixing and sludge distribution can be controlled. A settler is installed on top of the reactor. Performance data of a pilot-scale BTR are presented for
G. Reinhold; H. Märkl
Methanogenesis in thermophilic biogas reactors
Methanogenesis in thermophilic biogas reactors fed with different wastes is examined. The specific methanogenic activity with acetate or hydrogen as substrate reflected the organic loading of the specific reactor examined. Increasing the loading of thermophilic reactors stabilized the process as indicated by a lower concentration of volatile fatty acids in the effluent from the reactors. The specific methanogenic activity in
Birgitte Kiær Ahring
Performance and microbial community analysis of the anaerobic reactor with coke oven gas biomethanation and in situ biogas upgrading.
A new method for simultaneous coke oven gas (COG) biomethanation and in situ biogas upgrading in anaerobic reactor was developed in this study. The simulated coke oven gas (SCOG) (92% H2 and 8% CO) was injected directly into the anaerobic reactor treating sewage sludge through hollow fiber membrane (HFM). With pH control at 8.0, the added H2 and CO were fully consumed and no negative effects on the anaerobic degradation of sewage sludge were observed. The maximum CH4 content in the biogas was 99%. The addition of SCOG resulted in enrichment and dominance of homoacetogenetic genus Treponema and hydrogenotrophic genus Methanoculleus in the liquid, which indicated that H2 were converted to methane by both direct (hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis) and indirect (homoacetogenesis+aceticlastic methanogenesis) pathways in the liquid. However, the aceticlasitic genus Methanosaeta was dominant for archaea in the biofilm on the HFM, which indicated indirect (homoacetogenesis+aceticlastic methanogenesis) H2 conversion pathway on the biofilm. PMID:23941705
Wang, Wen; Xie, Li; Luo, Gang; Zhou, Qi; Angelidaki, Irini
Model and performance for direct supplying energy system by biogas
The mathematic model of direct supplying energy system by biogas is established. The system consists of biogas engine, compressor, heat pump, generator, etc, which supply cool, heat and electricity. The characteristic of biogas heat pump system and generate electricity system and the total perform at different rotation speeds are studied by the models. The simulation results show that biogas heat
Xu Zhenjun
Mesophilic syntrophic acetate oxidation during methane formation in biogas reactors
The reaction pathway for the formation of methane from acetate was investigated in sludge from 13 different biogas reactors. By following the conversion of [2-14C]acetate and [14C]bicarbonate it was shown that methane formation by syntrophic acetate oxidation was the dominating mechanism for acetotrophic methanogenesis in sludge containing high levels of salts, mainly ammonium, and volatile fatty acids. In one biogas
Anna Schnürer; Gerhard Zellner; Bo H. Svensson
Multiscale hydrodynamic investigation to intensify the biogas production in upflow anaerobic reactors.
Hydrodynamics plays a main role for the performance of an anaerobic reactor involving three phases: wastewater, sludge granules and biogas bubbles. The present work was focused on an original approach to investigate the hydrodynamics at different scales and then to intensify the performance of such complex reactors. The experiments were carried out respectively in a 3D reactor at macroscale, a 2D reactor at mesoscale and a 1D anaerobic reactor at microscale. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), a micro-PIV and a high-speed camera were employed to quantify the liquid flow fields and the relative motion between sludge granules and bubbles. Shear rates exerted on sludge granules were quantified from liquid flow fields. The optimal biogas production is obtained at mean shear rate varying from 28 to 48s(-1), which is controlled by two antagonistic mechanisms. The multiscale approach demonstrates pertinent mechanisms proper to each scale and allows a better understanding of such reactors. PMID:24398185
Jiang, Jiankai; Wu, Jing; Zhang, Jinbai; Poncin, Souhila; Li, Huai Z
Ilchmann, Achim; Pahl, M. : Adaptive Multivariable pH Regulation of a Biogas Tower Reactor
Ilchmann, Achim; Pahl, M. : Adaptive Multivariable pH Regulation of a Biogas Tower Reactor Zuerst. The adaptive controller was successlullytesteclover il pcriod of tu'o nonths at a biogas tower reuetoriu pilot are not applicable to the biogas tower reüctor.since a dontinatingf-eatureof the new reactol' prir-rciplc-is its
Performance evaluation of Janata and Deenbandhu biogas plants
Performance of the Janata and Deenbandhu fixed dome biogas plants for anaerobic digestion of dairy manure was evaluated under the conditions of a hilly region. In contrast to Janata, the Deenbandhu biogas plant was found to be not only cheaper on the basis of cost/m{sup 3} rated capacity of the plant, but it also produced more gas per unit of manure fed and per unit of digester volume in addition to maintaining a consistent rate of gas production during subsequent years from initial charging. The higher production of gas by 28.5% and 12.5% per kg of manure fed and 49.5% and 28.9% per m{sup 3} of digester volume was observed from this plant for highest 24 C and lowest 14 C digester temperatures of the plants for the months of July and December, respectively.
Kalia, A.K.; Kanwar, S.S. [H P Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur (India). Dept. of Agricultural Engineering
Influence of Environmental Conditions on Methanogenic Compositions in Anaerobic Biogas Reactors
The influence of environmental parameters on the diversity of methanogenic communities in 15 full-scale biogas plants operating under different conditions with either manure or sludge as feedstock was studied. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to identify dominant methanogenic members of the Archaea in the reactor samples; enriched and pure cultures were used to support the in situ identification. Dominance
Dimitar Karakashev; Damien J. Batstone; Irini Angelidaki
Influences of the substrate feeding regime on methanogenic activity in biogas reactors approached by molecular and stable isotope methods.
In order to better understand the effects of the substrate feeding regime on methanogenesis during anaerobic digestion in biogas reactors, four continuous stirred tank reactors operated under mesophilic conditions were investigated. In addition to standard physicochemical parameters, the stable isotopic signatures of CH4 and CO2 before and after daily feeding were analyzed. The activity of the methanogens was assessed by methyl coenzyme M reductase alpha-subunit (mcrA/mrtA) gene transcript analysis. Two different feeding regimes i.e. single vs. double consecutive feeding of the otherwise same daily maize silage load were investigated. During the first phase, a single feeding of the whole daily dose increased the biogas production within 70-80 min from around 0.5 to 2.0 L/h. This increase was associated with a transient increase of the acetic acid concentration and a corresponding decrease of the pH. Only moderate increase in biogas yield and VFA concentration (mainly acetate) was observed when the daily substrate was apportioned into two feedings. However, the overall daily gas production was similar in both cases. Regardless of the feeding regime, significantly depleted ?(13)CH4 and minor changes in the CO2 content of biogas were observed after feeding, which were followed by enrichment of ?(13)CH4. This period was associated with detectable changes in activity of methanogenic communities monitored by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis based on the transcripts of mcrA/mrtA genes. Methanoculleus and Methanobacterium spp. were the predominant methanogens in all reactors, while Methanosarcina spp. activity was only significant in two reactors. The activity of Methanoculleus and Methanosarcina spp. increased after the feeding in these reactors, which was followed by a depletion of ?(13)C in the produced gas. In both reactors, the less depleted isotopic values were detected before the second feeding, when Methanobacterium was the most active genus. Variations in reactor performance and methanogenic community characteristics were attributed to inoculum heterogeneity and stochastic factors during the reactor set up. PMID:24291758
Lv, Z; Leite, A F; Harms, H; Richnow, H H; Liebetrau, J; Nikolausz, M
Effect of hydrogen addition on the performance of a biogas fuelled spark ignition engine
Hydrogen was added in small amounts (5%, 10% and 15% on the energy basis) to biogas and tested in a spark ignition engine at constant speed at different equivalence ratios to study the effects on performance, emissions and combustion. Hydrogen significantly enhances the combustion rate and extends the lean limit of combustion of biogas. There is an improvement in brake
E. Porpatham; A. Ramesh; B. Nagalingam
Inactivation of virus during anaerobic digestion of manure in laboratory scale biogas reactors
Reduction of porcine parvovirus, bovine enterovirus and faecal enterococci were measured in biogas reactors continuously run\\u000a on manure and manure supplemented with household waste at 35°C and 55°C and in batch test run at 70°C. The aim of the experiments\\u000a was to study the sanitation effect of anaerobic digestion and to evaluate the use of faecal enterococci as an indicator
Bente Lund; Vibeke Frøkjær Jensen; Per Have; Birgitte Ahring
Microbial-chemical indicator for anaerobic digester performance assessment in full-scale wastewater treatment plants for biogas production.
Anaerobic digestion was introduced into wastewater treatment plants several years ago, but anaerobic digestion performance has not yet been achieved. The variability of the microbial community in digesters is poorly understood, and despite the crucial role of anaerobic digestion reactors, the microbial equilibrium that yields the best performance in these reactors has only recently been hypothesised. In this study, two full-scale continuous anaerobic reactors, placed in Torino's main wastewater treatment plant in northern Italy, were followed to develop a summary indicator for measuring anaerobic digestion performance. A total of 100 sludge samples were collected. The samples were characterised chemically and physically, and microbial groups were quantified by qRT-PCR. A chemical biological performance index strictly correlated to specific biogas production (rho=0.739, p<0.01) is proposed. This approach will produce new management tools for anaerobic digestion in wastewater treatment plants. PMID:25817028
Traversi, Deborah; Romanazzi, Valeria; Degan, Raffaella; Lorenzi, Eugenio; Carraro, Elisabetta; Gilli, Giorgio
Hollow fiber membrane based H? diffusion for efficient in situ biogas upgrading in an anaerobic reactor.
Bubbleless gas transfer through a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) module was used to supply H2 to an anaerobic reactor for in situ biogas upgrading, and it creates a novel system that could achieve a CH4 content higher than 90 % in the biogas. The increase of CH4 content and pH, and the decrease of bicarbonate concentration were related with the increase of the H2 flow rate. The CH4 content increased from 78.4 % to 90.2 % with the increase of the H2 flow rate from 930 to 1,440 ml/(l ?day), while the pH in the reactor remained below 8.0. An even higher CH4 content (96.1 %) was achieved when the H2 flow rate was increased to 1,760 ml/(l? day); however, the pH increased to around 8.3 due to bicarbonate consumption which hampered the anaerobic process. The biofilm formed on the HFM was found not to be beneficial for the process since it increased the resistance of H2 diffusion to the liquid. The study also demonstrated that the biofilm formed on the membrane only contributed 22-36 % to the H2 consumption, while most of the H2 was consumed by the microorganisms in the liquid phase. PMID:23494624
Luo, Gang; Angelidaki, Irini
Anaerobic treatment and biogas recovery for sago wastewater management using a fluidized bed reactor.
Starch manufacturing industrial units, such as sago mills, both at medium and large scale, suffer from inadequate treatment and disposal problems due to high concentration of suspended solid content present in the effluent. In order to investigate the viability of treatment of sago effluent, a laboratory scale study was conducted. The treatment of sago effluent was studied in a continuous flow anaerobic fluidized bed reactor. The start-up of the reactor was carried out using a mixture of digested supernatant sewage sludge and cow dung slurry in different proportions. The effect of operating variables such as COD of the effluent, bed expansion, minimum fluidization velocity on efficiency of treatment and recovery of biogas was investigated. The treated wastewater was analysed for recycling and reuse to ensure an alternative for sustainable water resourse management. The maximum efficiency of treatment was found to be 82% and the nitrogen enriched digested sludge was recommended for agricultural use. PMID:11700653
Saravanane, R; Murthy, D V; Krishnaiah, K
Microbial community analysis of a biogas-producing completely stirred tank reactor fed continuously with fodder beet silage as mono-substrate
The bioconversion of renewable raw material to biogas by anaerobic microbial fermentation processes in completely stirred tank reactors (CSTR) is a valuable alternative resource of energy especially for rural areas. However, knowledge about the microorganisms involved in the degradation of plant biomass is still poor. In this study, a first analysis of the biogas-forming process within a CSTR fed continuously
Michael Klocke; Pia Mähnert; Kerstin Mundt; Khadidja Souidi; Bernd Linke
Guidebook on biogas development
This guidebook covers the practical aspects of small-scale biogas development suitable for use in rural areas in developing countries, especially those of the ESCAP region. It is intended that all aspects of biogas are covered so that someone with no knowledge of the subject can, with confidence, design, build, operate and maintain a biogas plant. Information on biogas technology in China is also included. Chapters cover: the biogas process; factors effecting gas-plant design and operation; the classification and design principles of plants; design, size and site selection; the construction of digesters; gas holders and pipes; household gas appliances and their use; starting and operating a biogas digester; servicing and safety; improving gas-plant performance; commercial uses of biogas; the effluent and its uses, biogas-plant development programmes; community plants; and economics. In the annexes, designs for biogas plants of the fixed-dome, bag and floating gas-holder type are presented. 9 references.
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Long-term monitoring reveals stable and remarkably similar microbial communities in parallel full-scale biogas reactors digesting energy crops.
Biogas is an important renewable energy carrier. It is a product of stepwise anaerobic degradation of organic materials by highly diverse microbial communities forming complex interlinking metabolic networks. Knowledge about the microbial background of long-term stable process performance in full-scale reactors is crucial for rationally improving the efficiency and reliability of biogas plants. To generate such knowledge, in the present study three parallel mesophilic full-scale reactors fed exclusively with energy crops were sampled weekly over one year. Physicochemical process parameters were determined and the microbial communities were analysed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) fingerprinting and 454-amplicon sequencing. For investigating the methanogenic community, a high-resolution T-RFLP approach based on the mcrA gene was developed by selecting restriction enzymes with improved taxonomic resolution compared to previous studies. Interestingly, no Methanosarcina-related generalists, but rather specialized hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenic taxa were detected. In general, the microbial communities in the non-connected reactors were remarkably stable and highly similar indicating that identical environmental and process parameters resulted in identical microbial assemblages and dynamics. Practical implications such as flexible operation schemes comprising controlled variations of process parameters for an efficient microbial resource management under fluctuating process conditions are discussed. PMID:25764564
Lucas, Rico; Kuchenbuch, Anne; Fetzer, Ingo; Harms, Hauke; Kleinsteuber, Sabine
A fuzzy-logic-based model to predict biogas and methane production rates in a pilot-scale mesophilic UASB reactor treating molasses wastewater.
A MIMO (multiple inputs and multiple outputs) fuzzy-logic-based model was developed to predict biogas and methane production rates in a pilot-scale 90-L mesophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating molasses wastewater. Five input variables such as volumetric organic loading rate (OLR), volumetric total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal rate (R(V)), influent alkalinity, influent pH and effluent pH were fuzzified by the use of an artificial intelligence-based approach. Trapezoidal membership functions with eight levels were conducted for the fuzzy subsets, and a Mamdani-type fuzzy inference system was used to implement a total of 134 rules in the IF-THEN format. The product (prod) and the centre of gravity (COG, centroid) methods were employed as the inference operator and defuzzification methods, respectively. Fuzzy-logic predicted results were compared with the outputs of two exponential non-linear regression models derived in this study. The UASB reactor showed a remarkable performance on the treatment of molasses wastewater, with an average TCOD removal efficiency of 93 (+/-3)% and an average volumetric TCOD removal rate of 6.87 (+/-3.93) kg TCOD(removed)/m(3)-day, respectively. Findings of this study clearly indicated that, compared to non-linear regression models, the proposed MIMO fuzzy-logic-based model produced smaller deviations and exhibited a superior predictive performance on forecasting of both biogas and methane production rates with satisfactory determination coefficients over 0.98. PMID:20609515
Turkdogan-Aydinol, F Ilter; Yetilmezsoy, Kaan
Clostridium bornimense sp. nov., isolated from a mesophilic, two-phase, laboratory-scale biogas reactor.
A novel anaerobic, mesophilic, hydrogen-producing bacterium, designated strain M2/40(T), was isolated from a mesophilic, two-phase, laboratory-scale biogas reactor fed continuously with maize silage supplemented with 5% wheat straw. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison revealed an affiliation to the genus Clostridium sensu stricto (cluster I of the clostridia), with Clostridium cellulovorans as the closest characterized species, showing 93.8% sequence similarity to the type strain. Cells of strain M2/40(T) were rods to elongated filamentous rods that showed variable Gram staining. Optimal growth occurred at 35 °C and at pH 7. Grown on glucose, the main fermentation products were H2, CO2, formate, lactate and propionate. The DNA G+C content was 29.6 mol%. The major fatty acids (>10?%) were C(16?:?0), summed feature 10 (C(18?:?1)?11c/?9t/?6t and/or unknown ECL 17.834) and C(18?:?1)?11c dimethylacetal. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic differences, strain M2/40(T) represents a novel species within the genus Clostridium, for which we propose the name Clostridium bornimense sp. nov. The type strain is M2/40(T) (?=?DSM 25664(T)?=?CECT 8097(T)). PMID:24860110
Hahnke, Sarah; Striesow, Jutta; Elvert, Marcus; Mollar, Xavier Prieto; Klocke, Michael
Performance of semi-continuous membrane bioreactor in biogas production from toxic feedstock containing D-Limonene.
A novel membrane bioreactor configuration containing both free and encased cells in a single reactor was proposed in this work. The reactor consisted of 120g/L of free cells and 120g/L of encased cells in a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and d-Limonene were used as the models of substrate and inhibitor for biogas production, respectively. Different concentrations of d-Limonene i.e., 1, 5, and 10g/L were tested, and an experiment without the addition of d-Limonene was prepared as control. The digestion was performed in a semi-continuous thermophilic reactor for 75 days. The result showed that daily methane production in the reactor with the addition of 1g/L d-Limonene was similar to that of control. A lag phase was observed in the presence of 5g/L d-Limonene; however, after 10 days, the methane production increased and reached a similar production to that of the control after 15 days. PMID:25151080
Wikandari, Rachma; Youngsukkasem, Supansa; Millati, Ria; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J
Model biogas steam reforming in a thin Pd-supported membrane reactor to generate clean hydrogen for fuel cells
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Steam reforming of a model biogas mixture is studied for generating clean hydrogen by using an inorganic membrane reactor, in which a composite Pd/Al2O3 membrane separates part of the produced hydrogen through its selective permeation. The characteristics of H2 perm-selectivity of the fresh membrane is expressed in terms of H2/N2 ideal selectivity, in this case equal to 4300. Concerning biogas steam reforming reaction, at 380 °C, 2.0 bar H2O:CH4 = 3:1, GHSV = 9000 h-1 the permeate purity of the recovered hydrogen is around 96%, although the conversion (15%) and hydrogen recovery (>20%) are relatively low; on the contrary, at 450 °C, 3.5 bar H2O:CH4 = 4:1, GHSV = 11000 h-1 the conversion is increased up to more than 30% and the recovery of hydrogen to about 70%. This novel work constitutes a reference study for new developments on biogas steam reforming reaction in membrane reactors.
Iulianelli, A.; Liguori, S.; Huang, Y.; Basile, A.
Aerobic desulfurization of biogas by acidic biotrickling filtration in a randomly packed reactor.
Biotrickling filters for biogas desulfurization still must prove their stability and robustness in the long run under extreme conditions. Long-term desulfurization of high loads of H2S under acidic pH was studied in a lab-scale aerobic biotrickling filter packed with metallic Pall rings. Reference operating conditions at steady-state corresponded to an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 130s, H2S loading rate of 52gS-H2Sm(-3)h(-1) and pH 2.50-2.75. The EBRT reduction showed that the critical EBRT was 75s and the maximum EC 100gS-H2Sm(-3)h(-1). Stepwise increases of the inlet H2S concentration up to 10,000 ppmv lead to a maximum EC of 220gS-H2Sm(-3)h(-1). The H2S removal profile along the filter bed indicated that the first third of the filter bed was responsible for 70-80% of the total H2S removal. The oxidation rate of solid sulfur accumulated inside the bioreactor during periodical H2S starvation episodes was verified under acidic operating conditions. The performance under acidic pH was comparable to that under neutral pH in terms of H2S removal capacity. However, bioleaching of the metallic packing used as support and chemical precipitation of sulfide/sulfur salts occurred. PMID:25151242
Montebello, Andrea M; Mora, Mabel; López, Luis R; Bezerra, Tercia; Gamisans, Xavier; Lafuente, Javier; Baeza, Mireia; Gabriel, David
An Application of Solar Energy Storage in the Gas: Solar Heated Biogas Plants
Temperature is an important factor that may affect the performance of anaerobic digestion. Therefore, biogas plants without heating system work only in warmer regions for the whole year. In regions with extreme temperature variations, for instance in Turkey, the biogas plant should be built with heating system. One of the methods is to use solar energy to increase the reactor
G. Kocar; A. Eryasar
Assessment of energy performance in the life-cycle of biogas production
Energy balances are analysed from a life-cycle perspective for biogas systems based on 8 different raw materials. The analysis is based on published data and relates to Swedish conditions. The results show that the energy input into biogas systems (i.e. large-scale biogas plants) overall corresponds to 20–40% (on average approximately 30%) of the energy content in the biogas produced. The
Maria Berglund; Pål Börjesson
Thermal efficiency and environmental performances of a biogas-diesel stationary engine.
Municipal and agricultural waste, and sludge from wastewater treatment represent a large source of pollution. Gaseous fuels can be produced from waste decomposition and then used to run internal combustion engines for power and heat generation. The present paper focuses on thermal efficiency and environmental performances of dual-fuel engines fuelled with biogas. Experiments have been carried out on a Lister-Petter single cylinder diesel engine, modified for dual-fuel operation. Natural gas was first used as the primary fuel. An empirical correlation was determined to predict the engine load for a given mass flow rate for the pilot fuel (diesel) and for the primary fuel (natural gas). That correlation has then been tested for three synthesized biogas compositions. Computations were performed and the error was estimated to be less than 10%. Additionally, NOx and CO2 contents were measured from exhaust gases. Based on exhausts gas temperature, the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of an Arrhenius law were then proposed, resulting in a simpler mean to predict NOx. PMID:14599150
Bilcan, A; Le Corre, O; Delebarre, A
Continuous production of biogas from dairy manure using an innovative no-mix reactor
A 25 L no-mix anaerobic digester was designed and fabricated. The digester was designed to act as liquid-solid separator.\\u000a The sludges obtained from the bottom of the digester had high nitrogen and ash concentrations while the effluent had no offensive\\u000a odor. The performance of the no-mix digester was compared to that of a continuous stirred tank reactor at two temperatures
A. E. Ghaly; R. M. Ben-Hassan
Utilization of high-strength wastewater for the production of biogas as a renewable energy source using hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactor
Anaerobic digestion of distillery spentwash, a high-strength wastewater, was studied using a hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactor for 240 days under ambient conditions. The HUASB reactor combined an open volume in the bottom two-thirds of the reactor for sludge blanket and polypropylene pall rings packing in the upper one-third of the reactor. The aim of the study was to achieve optimum biogas production and waste treatment. Using non-granular anaerobic sewage sludge as seed, the start-up of the HUASB reactor was successfully completed, with the production of active bacterial granules of 1--2 mm size, within 90 days. Examination of the bacterial granules under scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that Methanothrix like microorganisms were the dominant species besides Methanosarcina. An organic loading of 24 kg COD/m{sup 3}d at a low hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 hours was achieved with 82% reduction in COD. Biogas with high methane content (80%) was produced at these loadings. The specific biogas yield was 0.36 m{sup 3} CH{sub 4}/kg COD. Packing in the upper third of the reactor was very efficient as a gas-solid separator (GSS); and in addition it retained the biomass.
Shivayogimath, C.B.; Ramanujam, T.K.
Argonne National Laboratory's Reactor Performance
SHARP Argonne National Laboratory's Reactor Performance and Safety Simulation Suite #12;SHARPcouldsavemillionsinnuclearreactordesignanddevelopment... The Simulation-based High-efficiency Advanced Reactor Prototyping (SHARP) suite of codes'smostpowerfulsupercomputers. Exploiting the power of Argonne Leadership Computing Facility's near-petascale computers, researchers have
Kemner, Ken
Managing Manure with Biogas Recovery Systems
Managing Manure with Biogas Recovery Systems Improved Performance at Competitive Costs 1EPA United is managing manure and process water in a way that controls odors and protects environ- mental quality. Biogas emissions and capture biogas--a useful source of energy. About Anaerobic Digestion Biogas recovery systems
Mukhtar, Saqib
Updated guidebook on biogas development
On the practical aspects of small-scale biogas development suitable for use in rural areas of developing countries reviews biogas development throughout the ESCAP region and examines each of the steps involved in developing and operating a biogas plant. It details both the process and the microbiology of biogas fermentation and analyses the factors affecting gas plant design and operation. Also covered are the classification and design principles of plants, design, site, and site selection; starting and operating a gas plant; servicing and safety; and efficient plant performance. Also considered are the commercial uses of biogas and possible use of effluent.
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Options for successfully using biogas depend on project scale. Almost all biogas from anaerobic digesters must first go through a gas handling system that pressurizes, meters, and filters the biogas. Additional treatment, including hydrogen sulfide-mercaptan scrubbing, gas drying, and carbon dioxide removal may be necessary for specialized uses, but these are complex and expensive processes. Thus, they can be justified only for large-scale projects that require high-quality biogas. Small-scale projects (less than 65 cfm) generally use biogas (as produced) as a boiler fuel or for fueling internal combustion engine-generators to produce electricity. If engines or boilers are selected properly, there should be no need to remove hydrogen sulfide. Small-scale combustion turbines, steam turbines, and fuel cells are not used because of their technical complexity and high capital cost. Biogas cleanup to pipeline or transportation fuel specifications is very costly, and energy economics preclude this level of treatment.
Moser, M.A. [Resource Conservation Management, Inc., Berkeley, CA (United States)
Anaerobic co-digestion of biodiesel waste glycerin with municipal wastewater sludge: Microbial community structure dynamics and reactor performance.
Two 10L completely mixed reactors operating at 37°C and 20days SRT were used to evaluate the relationships between reactor performance and microbial community dynamics during anaerobic co-digestion of biodiesel waste glycerin (BWG) with municipal wastewater sludge (MWS). The addition of up to 1.35% (v/v) BWG to reactor feeds yielded increased VS and COD removal together with enhanced the biogas production and methane yield. This represented 50% of the MWS feed COD. Pyrosequencing analysis showed Methanosaeta (acetoclastic) and Methanomicrobium (hydrogenotrophic) to be the methanogenic genera present in greatest diversity during stable reactor operation. Methanosaeta sequences predominated at the lowest BWG loading while those of Methanomicrobium were present in greatest abundance at the higher BWG loadings. Genus Candidatus cloacamonas was present in the greatest number of bacterial sequences at all loadings. Alkalinity, pH, biogas production and methane yield declined and VFA concentrations (especially propionate) increased during the highest BWG loading. PMID:25678409
Razaviarani, Vahid; Buchanan, Ian D
Options for successfully using biomass depend on project scale. Almost all biogas from anaerobic digesters must first go through a gas handling system that pressurizes, meters, and filters the biogas. Additional treatment, including hydrogen sulfide-mercaptan scrubbing, gas drying, and carbon dioxide removal may be necessary for specialized uses, but these are complex and expensive processes. Thus, they can be justified only for large-scale projects that require high-quality biogas. Small-scale projects (less than 65 cfm) generally use biogas (as produced) as a boiler fuel or for fueling internal combustion engine generators to produce electricity. If engines or boilers as selected properly, there should be no need to remove hydrogen sulfide. Small-scale combustion turbines, steam turbines, and fuel cells are not used because of their technical complexity and high capital cost. Biogas cleanup to pipeline or transportation fuel specification is very costly, and energy economics preclude this level of treatment.
Moser, M.A. [Resource Conservation Management, Inc., Berkeley, CA (United States)
Improvement of Biogas Production by Bioaugmentation
Biogas production technologies commonly involve the use of natural anaerobic consortia of microbes. The objective of this study was to elucidate the importance of hydrogen in this complex microbial food chain. Novel laboratory biogas reactor prototypes were designed and constructed. The fates of pure hydrogen-producing cultures of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Enterobacter cloacae were followed in time in thermophilic and mesophilic natural biogas-producing communities, respectively. Molecular biological techniques were applied to study the altered ecosystems. A systematic study in 5-litre CSTR digesters revealed that a key fermentation parameter in the maintenance of an altered population balance is the loading rate of total organic solids. Intensification of the biogas production was observed and the results corroborate that the enhanced biogas productivity is associated with the increased abundance of the hydrogen producers. Fermentation parameters did not indicate signs of failure in the biogas production process. Rational construction of more efficient and sustainable biogas-producing microbial consortia is proposed. PMID:23484123
Kovács, K. L.; Ács, N.; Kovács, E.; Wirth, R.; Rákhely, G.; Strang, Orsolya; Herbel, Zsófia; Bagi, Z.
Performance of three microalgal strains in biogas slurry purification and biogas upgrade in response to various mixed light-emitting diode light wavelengths.
The three microalgal strains were cultivated, namely, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Neochloris oleoabundans, by applying mixed light-emitting diode wavelength treatments to biogas slurry in a photobioreactor bag. This study aims to compare the growth and nutrient removal efficiency of the algae and determine their roles for biogas upgrading. At red:blue=5:5, S. obliquus and C. vulgaris efficiently removed COD and TP, respectively. S. obliquus demonstrated high N removal efficiency at red:blue=7:3. The same strain significantly improved removal capacity for all nutrients compared with C. vulgaris and N. oleoabundans, particularly at red:blue=5:5, 7:3, and 3:7. For biogas upgrade, CH4 contents were higher than 75% (v/v) for all strains. The algae exhibited particularly good CH4 enrichment at red:blue=7:3, 5:5. Results show that microalgal biomass production offers real opportunities for addressing issues, such as nutrient reduction, CO2 removal, and biogas enrichment. PMID:25863212
Zhao, Yongjun; Sun, Shiqing; Hu, Changwei; Zhang, Hui; Xu, Jie; Ping, Lifeng
Synthesis of NiO–MgO–ZrO 2 catalysts and their performance in reforming of model biogas
Catalysts containing NiO\\/MgO\\/ZrO2 mixtures were synthesized by the polymerization method in a single step. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and physisorption of N2 (BET) and then tested in the reforming of a model biogas (1.5CH4:1CO2) in the presence of air (1.5CH4+1CO2+0.25O2) at 750°C for 6h. It was observed that the catalyst Ni20MZ performed better
Yvan J. O. Asencios; Jorge D. A. Bellido; Elisabete M. Assaf
Performance evaluation of a completely stirred anaerobic reactor treating pig manure at a low range of mesophilic conditions
Highlights: • The biogas process can run stably at 20 °C at extremely low OLR after long-term acclimation of bacteria. • A biogas plant running at 28 °C seems as efficient as that operated at 38 °C at low OLR of 1.3 g ODM L{sup ?1} d{sup ?1}. • Lower temperature operation is inadvisable for the commercial biogas plant running at rather high OLR. • The estimated sludge yield at 28 °C is higher than that at 38 °C. - Abstract: Many Chinese biogas plants run in the lower range of mesophilic conditions. This study evaluated the performance of a completely stirred anaerobic reactor treating pig manure at different temperatures (20, 28 and 38 °C). The start-up phase of the reactor at 20 °C was very long and extremely poor performance was observed with increasing organic loading rate (OLR). At an OLR of 4.3 g ODM L{sup ?1} d{sup ?1}, methane production at 28 °C was comparable (3% less) with that at 38 °C, but the risk of acidification was high at 28 °C. At low OLR (1.3 g ODM L{sup ?1} d{sup ?1}), the biogas process appeared stable at 28 °C and gave same methane yields as compared to the reactor operating at 38 °C. The estimated sludge yield at 28 °C was 0.065 g VSS g{sup ?1} COD{sub removed,} which was higher than that at 38 °C (0.016 g VSS g{sup ?1} COD{sub removed})
Guo, Jianbin, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Dong, Renjie [College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, P.O. Box 184, Beijing 100083 (China); Clemens, Joachim [Institute of Crop Science and Resource Reservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Karlrobert-Kreiten-Strasse 13, 53115 Bonn (Germany); Wang, Wei [Department of Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)
Biogas is produced by the methanation of organic matter. It involves a process of fermentation carried out in an air-free environment by populations of bacteria living in symbiosis. The methane content of biogas is high (50 - 80%) and it constitutes an advantageous solution to the problems of energy supply in developing countries and in rural zones where natural gas is not distributed. Everywhere, methanation contributes to the control of environmental pollution, and biogas production is sometimes accompanied by the output of high quality fertilizer. Over the last few years, France has engaged in a certain number of research projects for the development of high performance techniques in the field of biogas, and the gas industry has made a considerable contribution in the setting up of a certain number of installations. The researchers and manufacturers involved have therefore acquired wide experience in this domain. Solutions, original both in technical and economic terms, have been found, and they are henceforth available to all those countries who wish to produce and exploit biogas.
Donat, G.
Janata biogas technology and fodder production
An effective bio-gas program leads to efficient use of cow dung for gas recovery and partial supplement to plant nutrient requirements. Bio-gas program leads to improvement in rural living including rural sanitation. The Janata biogas plant designed by the State Planning Institute, Lucknow, based on biogas technology, has proved to be efficient and economical. This book contains the various papers presented at the seminar held to review this technology. The various topics covered are: Status of Biogas Program in India; Role of Extension Agencies in Developing Program of Energy Utilization; Introduction to Drumless Biogas Plant; Principles and Application of Anaerobic Fermentation and Biogas Production, Operational System of Gobar Gas in Rural India; Complete Recycling of Cattle Shed Wastes through Biogas Plant; Chemical Composition of Cattle Excreta and Its Manurial Value; Profitability of Biogas Plant; Biogas Production from Various Organic Wastes; Performance of Janata Biogas Plant and Biogas Utilization in Appliances; Utilization of Solar Energy for Domestic Purposes; and Conservation of Forages. Plant requirements and cost estimates have been given for several units.
Neelakantan, S.
Harvesting biogas from wastewater sludge and food waste
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wastewater sludge and food waste are good source of biogas. Anaerobic treatment of slude and food waste able to produce biogas which is a potential renewable energy source. This study looks into the potential biogas generation and the effects of temperature on biogas generation. A lab scale reactor was used to simulate the biogas generation. The results show that wastewater sludge able to produced upto 44.82 ml biogas/kg of sludge. When mixed with food waste at a ratio of 30:70 (food waste), the biogas generated were 219.07 ml/kg of waste. Anaerobic of food waste alone produced biogas amount to 59.75 ml/kg of food waste. Anaerobic treatment also reduces the volume of waste. The effect of temperature shows that higher temperature produces more biogas than lower temperature.
Chua, K. H.; Cheah, W. L.; Tan, C. F.; Leong, Y. P.
A pyrosequencing-based metagenomic study of methane-producing microbial community in solid-state biogas reactor
Background A solid-state anaerobic digestion method is used to produce biogas from various solid wastes in China but the efficiency of methane production requires constant improvement. The diversity and abundance of relevant microorganisms play important roles in methanogenesis of biomass. The next-generation high-throughput pyrosequencing platform (Roche/454 GS FLX Titanium) provides a powerful tool for the discovery of novel microbes within the biogas-generating microbial communities. Results To improve the power of our metagenomic analysis, we first evaluated five different protocols for extracting total DNA from biogas-producing mesophilic solid-state fermentation materials and then chose two high-quality protocols for a full-scale analysis. The characterization of both sequencing reads and assembled contigs revealed that the most prevalent microbes of the fermentation materials are derived from Clostridiales (Firmicutes), which contribute to degrading both protein and cellulose. Other important bacterial species for decomposing fat and carbohydrate are Bacilli, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes (belonging to Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, respectively). The dominant bacterial species are from six genera: Clostridium, Aminobacterium, Psychrobacter, Anaerococcus, Syntrophomonas, and Bacteroides. Among them, abundant Psychrobacter species, which produce low temperature-adaptive lipases, and Anaerococcus species, which have weak fermentation capabilities, were identified for the first time in biogas fermentation. Archaea, represented by genera Methanosarcina, Methanosaeta and Methanoculleus of Euryarchaeota, constitute only a small fraction of the entire microbial community. The most abundant archaeal species include Methanosarcina barkeri fusaro, Methanoculleus marisnigri JR1, and Methanosaeta theromphila, and all are involved in both acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Conclusions The identification of new bacterial genera and species involved in biogas production provides insights into novel designs of solid-state fermentation under mesophilic or low-temperature conditions. PMID:23320936
Comparative life cycle assessment of biogas plant configurations for a demand oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation.
The environmental performance of biogas plant configurations for a demand - oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation is comparatively assessed in this study. Those configurations indicate an increased energy demand to operate the operational enhancements compared to conventional biogas plants supplying biogas for baseload power generation. However, findings show that in contrast to an alternative supply of power generators with natural gas, biogas supplied on demand by adapted biogas plant configurations saves greenhouse gas emissions by 54-65 g CO(2-eq) MJ(-1) and primary energy by about 1.17 MJ MJ(-1). In this regard, configurations with flexible biogas production profit from reduced biogas storage requirements and achieve higher savings compared to configurations with continuous biogas production. Using thicker biogas storage sheeting material reduces the methane permeability of up to 6m(3) d(-1) which equals a reduction of 8% of the configuration's total methane emissions. PMID:25553565
Hahn, Henning; Hartmann, Kilian; Bühle, Lutz; Wachendorf, Michael
Complete genome sequence of the novel Porphyromonadaceae bacterium strain ING2-E5B isolated from a mesophilic lab-scale biogas reactor.
In this study, the whole genome sequence of the mesophilic, anaerobic Porphyromonadaceae bacterium strain ING2-E5B (LMG 28429, DSM 28696) is reported. The new isolate belongs to the phylum Bacteroidetes and was obtained from a biogas-producing lab-scale completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) optimized for anaerobic digestion of maize silage in co-fermentation with pig and cattle manure. The genome of strain ING2-E5B contains numerous genes encoding proteins and enzymes involved in the degradation of complex carbohydrates and proteinaceous compounds. Moreover, it possesses genes catalyzing the production of volatile fatty acids. Hence, this bacterium was predicted to be involved in hydrolysis and acidogenesis during anaerobic digestion and biomethanation. PMID:25444871
Hahnke, Sarah; Maus, Irena; Wibberg, Daniel; Tomazetto, Geizecler; Pühler, Alfred; Klocke, Michael; Schlüter, Andreas
Study on the flow characteristics and the wastewater treatment performance in modified internal circulation reactor.
A modified internal circulation (MIC) reactor with an external circulation system was proposed and the performance of treating dyeing wastewater using both MIC and typical IC reactor were compared. Utilization of the external circulation system in the MIC reactor could dramatically improve the mixing intensity of the biomass with the wastewater and resulted in better performance. The COD removal efficiency, biogas production, volatile fatty acids and effluent color were approximately 87%, 98 L d?1, 180 mg L?1 and 100 times, respectively, in the MIC reactor with a hydraulic retention time of 5 h and organic loading rate of 15 kg COD m?3 d?1. The hydrodynamics of the MIC reactor under different flows rate of external circulation were also analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The optimal flow rate of external circulation was 12 L min?1, which resulted in a corresponding up-flow velocity of 40 m h?1. The consistency of the result between experiment and simulation validated the scientificity of CFD technique applied to numerical simulation of the MIC reactor. PMID:25461928
Wang, Jiade; Xu, Weijun; Yan, Jingjia; Yu, Jianming
Importance of reduced sulfur for the equilibrium chemistry and kinetics of Fe(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) supplemented to semi-continuous stirred tank biogas reactors fed with stillage.
The objective of the present study was to assess major chemical reactions and chemical forms contributing to solubility and speciation of Fe(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) during anaerobic digestion of sulfur (S)-rich stillage in semi-continuous stirred tank biogas reactors (SCSTR). These metals are essential supplements for efficient and stable performance of stillage-fed SCSTR. In particular, the influence of reduced inorganic and organic S species on kinetics and thermodynamics of the metals and their partitioning between aqueous and solid phases were investigated. Solid phase S speciation was determined by use of S K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. Results demonstrated that the solubility and speciation of supplemented Fe were controlled by precipitation of FeS(s) and formation of the aqueous complexes of Fe-sulfide and Fe-thiol. The relatively high solubility of Co (? 20% of total Co content) was attributed to the formation of compounds other than Co-sulfide and Co-thiol, presumably of microbial origin. Nickel had lower solubility than Co and its speciation was regulated by interactions with FeS(s) (e.g. co-precipitation, adsorption, and ion substitution) in addition to precipitation/dissolution of discrete NiS(s) phase and formation of aqueous Ni-sulfide complexes. PMID:24576559
Shakeri Yekta, Sepehr; Lindmark, Amanda; Skyllberg, Ulf; Danielsson, Asa; Svensson, Bo H
This article describes plans for a dry anaerobic composting plant in Brecht, Belgium. The new plant will utilize dry conditions and thermophilic temperatures to produce an average of 6 to 8 volumes of biogas per volume of reactor per day could be produced from vegetable, fruit, garden and paper waste, and a soil amendment from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste according to researchers.
Not Available
Jules Horowitz Reactor: a high performance material testing reactor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The physical modelling of materials' behaviour under severe conditions is an indispensable element for developing future fission and fusion systems: screening, design, optimisation, processing, licensing, and lifetime assessment of a new generation of structure materials and fuels, which will withstand high fast neutron flux at high in-service temperatures with the production of elements like helium and hydrogen. JANNUS and other analytical experimental tools are developed for this objective. However, a purely analytical approach is not sufficient: there is a need for flexible experiments integrating higher scales and coupled phenomena and offering high quality measurements; these experiments are performed in material testing reactors (MTR). Moreover, complementary representative experiments are usually performed in prototypes or dedicated facilities such as IFMIF for fusion. Only such a consistent set of tools operating on a wide range of scales, can provide an actual prediction capability. A program such as the development of silicon carbide composites (600-1200 °C) illustrates this multiscale strategy. Facing the long term needs of experimental irradiations and the ageing of present MTRs, it was thought necessary to implement a new generation high performance MTR in Europe for supporting existing and future nuclear reactors. The Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) project copes with this context. It is funded by an international consortium and will start operation in 2014. JHR will provide improved performances such as high neutron flux ( 10 n/cm/s above 0.1 MeV) in representative environments (coolant, pressure, temperature) with online monitoring of experimental parameters (including stress and strain control). Experimental devices designing, such as high dpa and small thermal gradients experiments, is now a key objective requiring a broad collaboration to put together present scientific state of art, end-users requirements and advanced instrumentation. To cite this article: D. Iracane et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008).
Iracane, Daniel; Chaix, Pascal; Alamo, Ana
Insights into the annotated genome sequence of Methanoculleus bourgensis MS2(T), related to dominant methanogens in biogas-producing plants.
The final step of the biogas production process, the methanogenesis, is frequently dominated by members of the genus Methanoculleus. In particular, the species Methanoculleus bourgensis was identified to play a role in different biogas reactor systems. The genome of the type strain M. bourgensis MS2(T), originally isolated from a sewage sludge digestor, was completely sequenced to analyze putative adaptive genome features conferring competitiveness within biogas reactor environments to the strain. Sequencing and assembly of the M. bourgensis MS2(T) genome yielded a chromosome with a size of 2,789,773bp. Comparative analysis of M. bourgensis MS2(T) and Methanoculleus marisnigri JR1 revealed significant similarities. The absence of genes for a putative ammonium uptake system may indicate that M. bourgensis MS2(T) is adapted to environments rich in ammonium/ammonia. Specific genes featuring predicted functions in the context of osmolyte production were detected in the genome of M. bourgensis MS2(T). Mapping of metagenome sequences derived from a production-scale biogas plant revealed that M. bourgensis MS2(T) almost completely comprises the genetic information of dominant methanogens present in the biogas reactor analyzed. Hence, availability of the M. bourgensis MS2(T) genome sequence may be valuable regarding further research addressing the performance of Methanoculleus species in agricultural biogas plants. PMID:25455016
Maus, Irena; Wibberg, Daniel; Stantscheff, Robbin; Stolze, Yvonne; Blom, Jochen; Eikmeyer, Felix-Gregor; Fracowiak, Jochen; König, Helmut; Pühler, Alfred; Schlüter, Andreas
Performance comparison between mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic reactors for treatment of palm oil mill effluent.
The anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was carried out under mesophilic (37°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions without long-time POME storage in order to compare the performance of each condition in the field of Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The anaerobic treatment system was composed of anaerobic hybrid reactor and anaerobic baffled filter. Raw POME was pretreated by screw decanter to reduce suspended solids and residual oil. The total COD removal rate of 90-95% was achieved in both conditions at the OLR of 15kg[COD]/m(3)/d. The COD removal in thermophilic conditions was slightly better, however the biogas production was much higher than that in the mesophilic one at high OLR. The organic contents in pretreated POME were highly biodegradable in mesophilic under the lower OLRs. The biogas production was 13.5-20.0l/d at the 15kg[COD]/m(3)/d OLR, and the average content of carbon dioxide was 5-35% in both conditions. PMID:24797939
Jeong, Joo-Young; Son, Sung-Min; Pyon, Jun-Hyeon; Park, Joo-Yang
Methods for increasing the biogas potential from the recalcitrant organic matter contained in manure
The biogas potential of manure could be significantly increased by treatment of the recalcitrant organic matter (biofibers) contained in the manure. Several treatment methods were tested. Mechanical maceration resulted in an average increase of the biogas potential of approximately 17% as shown by the continuous stirred reactor experiment. In general the smaller the fibers the higher the biogas potential was.
I. Angelidaki; B. K. Ahring
In-reactor performance of pressure tubes in CANDU reactors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The pressure tubes in CANDU reactors have been operating for times up to about 25 years. The in-reactor performance of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes has been evaluated by sampling and periodic inspection. This paper describes the behaviour and discusses the factors controlling the behaviour of these components in currently operating CANDU reactors. The mechanical properties (such as ultimate tensile strength, UTS, and fracture toughness), and delayed-hydride-cracking properties (crack growth rate Vc, and threshold stress intensity factor, KIH) change with irradiation; the former reach a limiting value at a fluence of <1 × 10 25 n m -2, while Vc and KIH reach a steady-state condition after a fluence of about 3 × 10 25 n m -2 and 3 × 10 24 n m -2, respectively. At saturation the UTS is raised by about 200 MPa, toughness is reduced to about 40% of its initial value, Vc increases by about a factor of ten while KIH is only slightly reduced. The role of microstructure and trace elements in these behaviours is described. Pressure tubes exhibit elongation and diametral expansion. The deformation behaviour is a function of operating conditions and material properties that vary from tube-to-tube and as a function of axial location. Semi-empirical predictive models have been developed to describe the deformation response of average tubes as a function of operating conditions. For corrosion and, more importantly deuterium pickup, semi-empirical predictive models have also been developed to represent the behaviour of an average tube. The effect of material variability on corrosion behaviour is less well defined compared with other properties. Improvements in manufacturing have increased fracture resistance by minimising trace elements, especially H and Cl, and reduced variability by tightening controls on forming parameters, especially hot-working temperatures.
Rodgers, D. K.; Coleman, C. E.; Griffiths, M.; Bickel, G. A.; Theaker, J. R.; Muir, I.; Bahurmuz, A. A.; Lawrence, S. St.; Resta Levi, M.
Improved biogas production from rice straw by co-digestion with kitchen waste and pig manure
Highlights: • Biogas production was enhanced by co-digestion of rice straw with other materials. • The optimal ratio of kitchen waste, pig manure and rice straw is 0.4:1.6:1. • The maximum biogas yield of 674.4 L/kg VS was obtained. • VFA inhibition occurred when kitchen waste content was more than 26%. • The dominant VFA were propionate and acetate in successful reactors. - Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of feedstock ratios in biogas production, anaerobic co-digestions of rice straw with kitchen waste and pig manure were carried out. A series of single-stage batch mesophilic (37 ± 1 °C) anaerobic digestions were performed at a substrate concentration of 54 g/L based on volatile solids (VS). The results showed that the optimal ratio of kitchen waste, pig manure, and rice straw was 0.4:1.6:1, for which the C/N ratio was 21.7. The methane content was 45.9–70.0% and rate of VS reduction was 55.8%. The biogas yield of 674.4 L/kg VS was higher than that of the digestion of rice straw or pig manure alone by 71.67% and 10.41%, respectively. Inhibition of biogas production by volatile fatty acids (VFA) occurred when the addition of kitchen waste was greater than 26%. The VFA analysis showed that, in the reactors that successfully produced biogas, the dominant intermediate metabolites were propionate and acetate, while they were lactic acid, acetate, and propionate in the others.
Ye, Jingqing [Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Li, Dong; Sun, Yongming [Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Wang, Guohui [School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Yuan, Zhenhong, E-mail: email@example.com [Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Zhen, Feng; Wang, Yao [Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China)
Optimizing the performance of a reactor by reducing the retention time and addition of glycerin for anaerobically digesting manure.
Anaerobic digestion of manure is a widely accepted technology for energy production. However, only a minimal portion of the manure production in the EU is anaerobically digested and occurs predominantly in codigestion plants. There is substantial potential for biogas plants that primarily operate on manure (>90%); however, the methane yields of manure are less compared to coproducts, which is one of the reasons for manure-based biogas plants often being economically non-viable. Therefore, it is essential to begin increasing the efficiency of these biogas plants. This study investigated the effect of decreasing retention time and introducing a moderate amount of glycerin on the biogas production as methods to improve efficiency. An experiment has been conducted with two different manure types in four biogas reactors. The results of the study demonstrated that, first, it was possible to decrease the retention time to 10-15 days; however, the effect on biogas production varied per manure type. Secondly, the biogas production almost triples at a retention time of 15.6 days with an addition of 4% glycerin. The relative production-enhancing effect of glycerin did not vary significantly with both manure types. However, the absolute production-enhancing effect of glycerin differed per manure type since the biogas production per gram VS differed per manure type. Thirdly, the positive effect of the glycerin input declines with shorter retention times. Therefore, the effect of glycerin addition depends on the manure type and retention time. PMID:25401272
Timmerman, Maikel; Schuman, Els; van Eekert, Miriam; van Riel, Johan
List of publications 1. Sun, L., Mller, B. and Schnrer, A. (2013) Biogas production from wheat straw community
List of publications 1. Sun, L., Müller, B. and Schnürer, A. (2013) Biogas production from wheat biogas digesters. Biores. Technol. 132, 327Â332 4. Manzoor, S., Müller, B., Niazi A., Bongcam-Rudloff E of syntrophic acetate- oxidising culture in biogas reactors exposed to increasing levels of ammonia. Applied
Biogas is a medium-Btu methane and carbon dioxide mix produced by bacterial decomposition of organic matter. Its sources include landfills, waste water sludges, and animal wastes. It can fuel energy applications, of which electricity generation is a frequently-preferred option. The greatest current U.S. biogas recovery and energy use is at landfills, where biogas at about 80 landfill sites fuels a total of approximately 300 MWe. Wastewater treatment plants and confined animal waste management systems support additional electric power production. Generation of electricity from biogas can present difficulties due to the generally small scale of the generating facility, variable energy content of the gas, fluctuating availability, contaminant problems, and often-demanding control needs. However, such difficulties are being successfully addressed and economics for electricity generation are often favorable as biogas can be essentially {open_quotes}free{close_quotes} fuel. Biogas recovery and use has the additional advantage of mitigating a potent greenhouse gas. Biogas from U.S. landfills alone could fuel about 1% of U.S. electrical generation while giving climate change benefit equivalent to reducing CO{sub 2} emissions in the electricity sector by more than 10%. Growth in landfill gas use will be facilitated by recent regulations, advances in equipment, and improved management techniques such as {open_quotes}controlled landfilling{close_quotes}. The potential for biogas recovery and electricity production from sewage sludges, animal wastes and other organic resources such as agricultural residues is uncertain but probably exceeds the estimate for landfills.
Augenstein, D.; Benemann, J. [Institute for Environmental Management, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Hughes, E. [Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (United States)
Improved biogas production from rice straw by co-digestion with kitchen waste and pig manure.
In order to investigate the effect of feedstock ratios in biogas production, anaerobic co-digestions of rice straw with kitchen waste and pig manure were carried out. A series of single-stage batch mesophilic (37±1 °C) anaerobic digestions were performed at a substrate concentration of 54 g/L based on volatile solids (VS). The results showed that the optimal ratio of kitchen waste, pig manure, and rice straw was 0.4:1.6:1, for which the C/N ratio was 21.7. The methane content was 45.9-70.0% and rate of VS reduction was 55.8%. The biogas yield of 674.4 L/kg VS was higher than that of the digestion of rice straw or pig manure alone by 71.67% and 10.41%, respectively. Inhibition of biogas production by volatile fatty acids (VFA) occurred when the addition of kitchen waste was greater than 26%. The VFA analysis showed that, in the reactors that successfully produced biogas, the dominant intermediate metabolites were propionate and acetate, while they were lactic acid, acetate, and propionate in the others. PMID:23790673
Ye, Jingqing; Li, Dong; Sun, Yongming; Wang, Guohui; Yuan, Zhenhong; Zhen, Feng; Wang, Yao
Mini digester and biogas production from plant biomass
Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present the construction of a mini digester for biogas production from different agriculture plant biomass and other organic wastes. The amount of biogas production (methane) is observed by the mini digester. Design\\/methodology\\/approach: The mini digester consisting of twelve units was built and some measurements with agriculture plant biomass were performed according to
P. Vindis; B. Mursec; C. Rozman; M. Janzekovic; F. Cus
Production and energetic use of biogas from energy crops and wastes in Germany
The production of biogas for reducing fossil CO2 emissions is one of the key strategic issues of the German government and has resulted in the development of new process\\u000a techniques and new technologies for the energetic use of biogas. Progress has been made in cultivating energy crops for biogas\\u000a production, in using new reactor systems for anaerobic digestion, and in
Peter Weiland
Trace compounds of biogas from different biogas production plants
Biogas composition and variation in three different biogas production plants were studied to provide information pertaining to its potential use as biofuel. Methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sulphur compounds were measured in samples of biogases from a landfill, sewage treatment plant sludge digester and farm biogas plant. Methane content ranged from 48% to 65%, carbon
S. Rasi; A. Veijanen; J. Rintala
Biogas energy technology in Sudan
Biogas from biomass appears to have potential as an alternative energy in Sudan, which is potentially rich in biomass resources. This is an overview of some salient points and perspectives of biogas technology in Sudan. The current literature is reviewed regarding the ecological, social, cultural and economic impacts of biogas technology. Sudan is blessed with abundant solar, wind, hydro, and
A. M. Omer; Y. Fadalla
Horse dung waste utilization as a household energy resource and estimation of biogas production
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Horses are still used as traditional transportation in Soreang, West Java. About 6-7 horses can produce 25-30 kg of dung every day. Horse dung can produce biogas that can be used as an energy resource. A biogas reactor with capacity of 4 m3 has been built in Soreang. The reactor is filled with a mixture of 50 kg of horse dung and 100 liters of water every two days. This research was conducted to observe the quality of biogas produced from the reactor and to estimate the volume of biogas produced per day. The observation of daily biogas production conducted in 22 days. Laboratory tests showed that the composition of gases contained in the produced biogas consists of 56.53% of CH4, 26.98% of CO2, 12.35% of N2, 4.13% of O2, and 0.007% of H2. Daily biogas production data indicate a stationary trend. A moving average time series model is used to model the data. Using the model, it is estimated that the reactor can produce 0.240112 m3 of biogas per day, which is sufficient to meet the energy needs of a household.
Umbara, Rian F.; Sumaryatie, Erni D.; Kirom, M. R.; Iskandar, Reza F.
A review on optimization production and upgrading biogas through CO2 removal using various techniques.
Biogas from anaerobic digestion of organic materials is a renewable energy resource that consists mainly of CH4 and CO2. Trace components that are often present in biogas are water vapor, hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, hydrocarbons, ammonia, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. Considering the biogas is a clean and renewable form of energy that could well substitute the conventional source of energy (fossil fuels), the optimization of this type of energy becomes substantial. Various optimization techniques in biogas production process had been developed, including pretreatment, biotechnological approaches, co-digestion as well as the use of serial digester. For some application, the certain purity degree of biogas is needed. The presence of CO2 and other trace components in biogas could affect engine performance adversely. Reducing CO2 content will significantly upgrade the quality of biogas and enhancing the calorific value. Upgrading is generally performed in order to meet the standards for use as vehicle fuel or for injection in the natural gas grid. Different methods for biogas upgrading are used. They differ in functioning, the necessary quality conditions of the incoming gas, and the efficiency. Biogas can be purified from CO2 using pressure swing adsorption, membrane separation, physical or chemical CO2 absorption. This paper reviews the various techniques, which could be used to optimize the biogas production as well as to upgrade the biogas quality. PMID:24293277
Andriani, Dian; Wresta, Arini; Atmaja, Tinton Dwi; Saepudin, Aep
Performance and dynamic characteristics of microbial communities in an internal circulation reactor for treating brewery wastewater.
A laboratory-scale internal circulation (IC) anaerobic reactor fed with brewery wastewater was operated at 35 degrees C + 1 degrees C. The influent was pumped into the bottom of the IC reactor by a pulse pump, whereas the effluent was drawn from the upper outlet and allowed to flow into the effluent tank. The biogas volume was recorded using a gas container connected to a biogas metre. The results indicated that the maximum organic loading rate (OLR) of the IC reactor was 19.5 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m3/day; at which point, the dominant archaeal populations found in the sludge using the polymerase chain reaction with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were Methanosaeta species. The COD removal efficiencies of the reactor exceeded 85%, with a maximum specific methane production rate of 210 mL CH4/g volatile suspended solids (VSS)/day and a coenzyme F420 content of 0.16 micromol/g VSS, respectively. The main archaeal species in the sludge samples at different OLRs varied greatly, as compared with the organisms in the inoculated sludge. The dominant archaeal species in the treated sludge at low OLRs were Methanosarcina species, whereas those at high OLRs were Methanosaeta species. PMID:24527653
Xu, Fu; Miao, Heng-Feng; Huang, Zhen-Xing; Ren, Hong-Yan; Zhao, Ming-Xing; Ruan, Wen-Quan
Anaerobic digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage with swine manure for biogas production: batch and continuous study.
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for anaerobic co-digestion of Chinese cabbage waste silage (CCWS) with swine manure (SM). Batch and continuous experiments were carried out under mesophilic anaerobic conditions (36-38°C). The batch test evaluated the effect of CCWS co-digestion with SM (SM: CCWS=100:0; 25:75; 33:67; 0:100, % volatile solids (VS) basis). The continuous test evaluated the performance of a single stage completely stirred tank reactor with SM alone and with a mixture of SM and CCWS. Batch test results showed no significant difference in biogas yield up to 25-33% of CCWS; however, biogas yield was significantly decreased when CCWS contents in feed increased to 67% and 100%. When testing continuous digestion, the biogas yield at organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.0 g VSL?¹ d?¹ increased by 17% with a mixture of SM and CCWS (SM:CCWS=75:25) (423 mL g?¹ VS) than with SM alone (361 mL g?¹ VS). The continuous anaerobic digestion process (biogas production, pH, total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) and TVFA/total alkalinity ratios) was stable when co-digesting SM and CCWS (75:25) at OLR of 2.0 g VSL?¹ d?¹ and hydraulic retention time of 20 days under mesophilic conditions. PMID:25176305
Kafle, Gopi Krishna; Bhattarai, Sujala; Kim, Sang Hun; Chen, Lide
Understanding biogas generation. Technical paper
Biogas is a by-product of the biological breakdown - under oxygen-free conditions - of organic wastes such as plants, crop residues, wood and bark residues, and human and animal manure. Biogas generators or digesters yield two products: the biogas itself, and a semi-solid by-product called effluent or sludge. Biogas systems are most popular for their ability to produce fuel from products that might otherwise be wasted-crop residues, manures, etc. The fuel is a flammable gas suitable for cooking, lighting, and fueling combustion engines. The digested waste--sludge--is a high quality ferterlizer.
Mattocks, R.
Bioelectrochemical removal of carbon dioxide (CO2): an innovative method for biogas upgrading.
Innovative methods for biogas upgrading based on biological/in-situ concepts have started to arouse considerable interest. Bioelectrochemical removal of CO2 for biogas upgrading was proposed here and demonstrated in both batch and continuous experiments. The in-situ biogas upgrading system seemed to perform better than the ex-situ one, but CO2 content was kept below 10% in both systems. The in-situ system's performance was further enhanced under continuous operation. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and alkali production with CO2 absorption could be major contributors to biogas upgrading. Molecular studies showed that all the biocathodes associated with biogas upgrading were dominated by sequences most similar to the same hydrogenotrophic methanogen species, Methanobacterium petrolearium (97-99% sequence identity). Conclusively, bioelectrochemical removal of CO2 showed great potential for biogas upgrading. PMID:25444882
Xu, Heng; Wang, Kaijun; Holmes, Dawn E
Use of biogas for cogeneration of heat and electricity for local application: performance evaluation of an engine power generator and a sludge thermal dryer.
A small unit of cogeneration of energy and heat was tested at the Centre for Research and Training on Sanitation UFMG/COPASA - CePTS, located at the Arrudas Sewage Treatment Plant, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The unit consisted of an engine power generator adapted to run on biogas, a thermal dryer prototype and other peripherals (compressor, biogas storage tank, air blower, etc.). The heat from engine power generator exhaust gases was directed towards the thermal dryer prototype to dry the sludge and disinfect it. The results showed that the experimental apparatus is self-sufficient in electricity, even producing a surplus, available for other uses. The tests of drying and disinfection of sludge lasted 7 h, leading to an increase in solids content from 4 to 8% (50% reduction in sludge volume). Although the drying of sludge was not possible (only thickening was achieved), the disinfection process proved very effective, enabling the complete inactivation of helminth eggs. PMID:23128634
Lobato, L C S; Chernicharo, C A L; Pujatti, F J P; Martins, O M; Melo, G C B; Recio, A A R
Ecological analysis of a typical farm-scale biogas plant in China
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The aim of this work was to present the common anaerobic digestion technologies in a typical farm-scale biogas plant in China. The comprehensive benefits of most biogas plants in China have not been fully assessed in past decades due to the limited information of the anaerobic digestion processes in biogas plants. This paper analyzed four key aspects (i.e., operational performance, nonrenewable energy (NE) savings, CO2 emission reduction (CER) and economic benefits (EBs)) of a typical farm-scale biogas plant, where beef cattle manure was used as feedstock. Owing to the monitoring system, stable operation was achieved with a hydraulic retention time of 18-22 days and a production of 876,000 m3 of biogas and 37,960 t of digestate fertilizer annually. This could substantially substitute for the nonrenewable energy and chemical fertilizer. The total amount of NE savings and CER derived from biogas and digestate fertilizer was 2.10×107 MJ (equivalent to 749.7 tce) and 9.71×105 kg, respectively. The EBs of the biogas plant was 6.84×105 CNY·yr-1 with an outputs-to-inputs ratio of 2.37. As a result, the monitoring system was proved to contribute significantly to the sound management and quantitative assessment of the biogas plant. Biogas plants could produce biogas which could be used to substitute fossil fuels and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, and digestate fertilizer is also an important bio-product.
Duan, Na; Lin, Cong; Wang, Pingzhi; Meng, Jing; Chen, Hui; Li, Xue
Density dependence of reactor performance with thermal confinement scalings
Energy confinement scalings for the thermal component of the plasma published thus far have a different dependence on plasma density and input power than do scalings for the total plasma energy. With such thermal scalings, reactor performance (measured by Q, the ratio of the fusion power to the sum of the ohmic and auxiliary input powers) worsens with increasing density. This dependence is the opposite of that found using scalings based on the total plasma energy, indicating that reactor operation concepts may need to be altered if this density dependence is confirmed in future research.
Stotler, D.P.
Mechanical Energy Unrecoverable Waste Heat Recoverable Waste Heat Treatment Plant / Cogeneration Site Layout 8 Biogas Hot Water Electrical Cogeneration Site 9 LESSEE/DEVELOPER RESPONSIBILITY DWU RESPONSIBILITY Southside Digesters Gas...Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant Biogas Cogeneration Project November 9, 2011 2011 Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency Conference ?Turning Waste Into Energy? What to Expect ? ? Southside Overview ? Wastewater Treatment Process...
Wagner, R.
Shell structures for biogas plants
The shell structures designed for biogas plants of the fixed-dome type by the Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association are described. Biogas digesters of the design described have been successfully tested in Rwanda and India without structural or contractural problems.
Sasse, L.
Biogas production from olive pomace
Biogas production from a slurry obtained by mixing finely ground olive pomace in water was investigated using anaerobic digesters of 1-l working volume at 37°C. A start-up culture was obtained from a local landfill area and was adopted to the slurry within 10 days at this temperature. The biogas generation rates were determined by varying the total solids (TS) concentration
Ali R Tekin; A. Co?kun Dalg?ç
Technological assumptions for biogas purification.
Biogas can be used in the engines of transport vehicles and blended into natural gas networks, but it also requires the removal of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and moisture. Biogas purification process flow diagrams have been developed for a process enabling the use of a dolomite suspension, as well as for solutions obtained by the filtration of the suspension, to obtain biogas free of hydrogen sulphide and with a carbon dioxide content that does not exceed 2%. The cost of biogas purification was evaluated on the basis of data on biogas production capacity and biogas production cost obtained from local water treatment facilities. It has been found that, with the use of dolomite suspension, the cost of biogas purification is approximately six times lower than that in the case of using a chemical sorbent such as monoethanolamine. The results showed travelling costs using biogas purified by dolomite suspension are nearly 1.5 time lower than travelling costs using gasoline and slightly lower than travelling costs using mineral diesel fuel. PMID:25609385
Makareviciene, Violeta; Sendzikiene, Egle
Continuous dry fermentation of swine manure for biogas production.
A down plug-flow anaerobic reactor (DPAR) was designed for the feasibility study on continuous dry fermentation of swine manure without any additional stirring. Using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration (w/w) of 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%, stable volumetric biogas production rates of 2.40, 1.92, 0.911, and 0.644L·(Ld)(-1) and biogas yields of 0.665, 0.532, 0.252, and 0.178Lg(-)(1)VS were obtained respectively, and the TS degradation rates were 46.5%, 45.4%, 53.2%, and 55.6%, respectively. With the increase of feedstock TS concentration, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen grew up to the maximum value of 3500mgL(-1). Biogas production was obviously inhibited when the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was above 3000mgL(-1). The maximal volumetric biogas production rate of 2.34L·(Ld)(-1) and biogas yield of 0.649Lg(-1)VS were obtained with TS concentration of 25% at 25°C without inhibition. Liquidity experiments showed that TS concentration of digestate could be less than 15.8%, and the flow rate of digestate more than 0.98ms(-1) when the feedstock TS concentration was less than 35%, which indicated the digestate could be easily discharged from a DPAR. Therefore, it is feasible to conduct a continuous dry fermentation in a DPAR using fresh swine manure as the feedstock with TS concentration less than 35%, whereas the feedstock TS concentration should not exceed 30% to achieve the maximal biogas production rate and biogas yield. PMID:25618755
Chen, Chuang; Zheng, Dan; Liu, Gang-Jin; Deng, Liang-Wei; Long, Yan; Fan, Zhan-Hui
Computational Neutronics Methods and Transmutation Performance Analyses for Fast Reactors
The once-through fuel cycle strategy in the United States for the past six decades has resulted in an accumulation of Light Water Reactor (LWR) Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF). This SNF contains considerable amounts of transuranic (TRU) elements that limit the volumetric capacity of the current planned repository strategy. A possible way of maximizing the volumetric utilization of the repository is to separate the TRU from the LWR SNF through a process such as UREX+1a, and convert it into fuel for a fast-spectrum Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR). The key advantage in this scenario is the assumption that recycling of TRU in the ABR (through pyroprocessing or some other approach), along with a low capture-to-fission probability in the fast reactor's high-energy neutron spectrum, can effectively decrease the decay heat and toxicity of the waste being sent to the repository. The decay heat and toxicity reduction can thus minimize the need for multiple repositories. This report summarizes the work performed by the fuel cycle analysis group at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to establish the specific technical capability for performing fast reactor fuel cycle analysis and its application to a high-priority ABR concept. The high-priority ABR conceptual design selected is a metallic-fueled, 1000 MWth SuperPRISM (S-PRISM)-based ABR with a conversion ratio of 0.5. Results from the analysis showed excellent agreement with reference values. The independent model was subsequently used to study the effects of excluding curium from the transuranic (TRU) external feed coming from the LWR SNF and recycling the curium produced by the fast reactor itself through pyroprocessing. Current studies to be published this year focus on analyzing the effects of different separation strategies as well as heterogeneous TRU target systems.
R. Ferrer; M. Asgari; S. Bays; B. Forget
Ultrasound pretreatment for enhanced biogas production from olive mill wastewater.
This study investigates applicability of low frequency ultrasound technology to olive mill wastewaters (OMWs) as a pretreatment step prior to anaerobic batch reactors to improve biogas production and methane yield. OMWs originating from three phase processes are characterized with high organic content and complex nature. The treatment of the wastewater is problematic and alternative treatment options should be investigated. In the first part of the study, OMW samples were subjected to ultrasound at a frequency of 20kHz with applied powers varying between 50 and 100W under temperature controlled conditions for different time periods in order to determine the most effective sonication conditions. The level of organic matter solubilization at ultrasound experiments was assessed by calculating the ratio of soluble chemical oxygen demand/total chemical oxygen demand (SCOD/TCOD). The results revealed that the optimum ultrasonic condition for diluted OMW is 20kHz, 0.4W/mL for 10min. The application of ultrasound to OMW increased SCOD/TCOD ratio from 0.59 to 0.79. Statistical analysis (Friedman's tests) show that ultrasound was significantly effective on diluted OMW (p<0.05) in terms of SCOD parameter, but not for raw OMW (p>0.05). For raw OMW, this increase has been found to be limited due to high concentration of suspended solids (SS). In the second part of the study, biogas and methane production rates of anaerobic batch reactor fed with the ultrasound pretreated OMW samples were compared with the results of control reactor fed with untreated OMW in order to determine the effect of sonication. A nonparametric statistical procedure, Mann-Whitney U test, was used to compare biogas and methane production from anaerobic batch reactors for control and ultrasound pretreated samples. Results showed that application of low frequency ultrasound to OMW significantly improved both biogas and methane production in anaerobic batch reactor fed with the wastewater (p<0.05). Anaerobic batch reactor fed with ultrasound pretreated diluted OMW produced approximately 20% more biogas and methane compared with the untreated one (control reactor). The overall results indicated that low frequency ultrasound pretreatment increased soluble COD in OMW and subsequently biogas production. PMID:24880765
Oz, Nilgun Ayman; Uzun, Alev Cagla
Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households
Highlights: ? A novel approach for biogas production from a waste fraction that today is incinerated. ? Biogas production is possible in spite of the impurities of the waste. ? Tracer studies are applied in a novel way. ? Structural material is needed to improve the flow pattern of the waste. ? We provide a solution to biological treatment for the complex waste fraction. - Abstract: At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a dry fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m{sup 3}/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane.
Murto, Marika, E-mail: email@example.com [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Björnsson, Lovisa, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Rosqvist, Håkan, E-mail: email@example.com [Rosqvist Resurs, Gamla Malmövägen 25, SE-230 41 Klågerup (Sweden); Bohn, Irene, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [NSR AB, Hjortshögsvägen 1, SE-251 89 Helsingborg (Sweden)
Augmented biogas production from protein-rich substrates and associated metagenomic changes.
This study demonstrates that appropriate adaptation of the microbial community to protein-rich biomass can lead to sustainable biogas production. The process of acclimation to these unusual mono-substrates was controlled by the protease activity of the microbial community. Meat extract (C/N=3.32) and kitchen waste (C/N=12.43) were used as biogas substrates. Metagenome analysis highlighted several mesophilic strains that displayed a preference for protein degradation. Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens were chosen for detailed investigation. Pure cultures were added to biogas reactors fed solely with protein-rich substrates. The bioaugmentation resulted in a 50% increase in CH4 production even without any acclimation. The survival and biological activity of the added bacteria were followed in fed-batch fermenters by qPCR. Stable biogas production was observed for an extended period of time in laboratory CSTR reactors fed with biomass of low C/N. PMID:25316194
Kovács, Etelka; Wirth, Roland; Maróti, Gergely; Bagi, Zoltán; Nagy, Katalin; Minárovits, János; Rákhely, Gábor; Kovács, Kornél L
Biogas plasticization coupled anaerobic digestion: the anaerobic pump stoichiometry.
This paper presents the stoichiometry section of a bioenergetics investigation into the biogas plasticization of wastewater sludge using the Anaerobic Pump (TAP). Three residue samples, an input substrate and two residual products, were collected from two side by side operated AD systems, a conventional continuous flow and stirred reactor, and TAP, and submitted for elemental and calorimetric analyses. The elemental compositions of the residues were fitted to a heterotrophic metabolism model [1] for both systems. To facilitate balanced stoichiometric models, a simple "cell" correction computation separates measured residual composites into "real" residual composition and cell growth (C5H7NO2) components. The elemental data and model results show that the TAP stage II residual composition (C1H0.065O0.0027N0.036) was nearly devoid of hydrogen and oxygen, leaving only fixed carbon and cells grown as the composition of the remaining mass. This quantitative evidence supports prior measurements of very high methane yields from TAP stage II reactor during steady-state experiments [2]. All performance parameters derived from the stoichiometric model(s) showed good agreement with measured steady-state averaged values. These findings are strong evidence that plasticization-disruption (TAP) cycle is the mechanism responsible for the observed increases in methane yield. The accuracy achieved by the stoichiometry models qualifies them for thermodynamic analysis to obtain potentials and bioconversion efficiencies. How applied pressure causes matrix conformation changes triggered by a functional consequence (plasticization and disruption) is this study's essential focus. PMID:24347158
Schimel, Keith A
LQG\\/LTR robust control of nuclear reactors with improved temperature performance
The authors present the design of a robust controller using the linear quadratic Gaussian with loop transfer recovery (LQG\\/LTR) for nuclear reactors with the objective of maintaining a desirable performance for reactor fuel temperature and the temperature of the coolant leaving the reactor for a wide range of reactor powers. The results obtained are compared to those for an observer-based
Adel Ben-Abdennour; Robert M. Edwards; Kwang Y. Lee
High Performance Fuel Desing for Next Generation Pressurized Water Reactors
The use of internally and externally cooled annular fule rods for high power density Pressurized Water Reactors is assessed. The assessment included steady state and transient thermal conditions, neutronic and fuel management requirements, mechanical vibration issues, fuel performance issues, fuel fabrication methods and econmic assessment. The investigation was donducted by a team from MIT, Westinghouse, Gamma Engineering, Framatome ANP, and AECL. The analyses led to the conclusion that raising the power density by 50% may be possible with this advanced fuel. Even at the 150% power level, the fuel temperature would be a few hundred degrees lower than the current fuel temperatre. Significant economic and safety advantages can be obtained by using this fuel in new reactors. Switching to this type of fuel for existing reactors would yield safety advantages, but the economic return is dependent on the duration of plant shutdown to accommodate higher power production. The main feasiblity issue for the high power performance appears to be the potential for uneven splitting of heat flux between the inner and outer fuel surfaces due to premature closure of the outer fuel-cladding gap. This could be overcome by using a very narrow gap for the inner fuel surface and/or the spraying of a crushable zirconium oxide film at the fuel pellet outer surface. An alternative fuel manufacturing approach using vobropacking was also investigated but appears to yield lower than desirable fuel density.
Mujid S. Kazimi; Pavel Hejzlar
An Implicit Solution Framework for Reactor Fuel Performance Simulation
The simulation of nuclear reactor fuel performance involves complex thermomechanical processes between fuel pellets, made of fissile material, and the protective cladding that surrounds the pellets. An important design goal for a fuel is to maximize the life of the cladding thereby allowing the fuel to remain in the reactor for a longer period of time to achieve higher degrees of burnup. This presentation presents an initial approach for modeling the thermomechanical response of reactor fuel, and details of the solution method employed within INL's fuel performance code, BISON. The code employs advanced methods for solving coupled partial differential equation systems that describe multidimensional fuel thermomechanics, heat generation, and oxygen transport within the fuel. This discussion explores the effectiveness of a JFNK-based solution of a problem involving three dimensional fully coupled, nonlinear transient heat conduction and that includes pellet displacement and oxygen diffusion effects. These equations are closed using empirical data that is a function of temperature, density, and oxygen hyperstoichiometry. The method appears quite effective for the fuel pellet / cladding configurations examined, with excellent nonlinear convergence properties exhibited on the combined system. In closing, fully coupled solutions of three dimensional thermomechanics coupled with oxygen diffusion appear quite attractive using the JFNK approach described here, at least for configurations similar to those examined in this report.
Glen Hansen; Chris Newman; Derek Gaston; Cody Permann
The design and performance of the research reactor fuel counter
This paper describes the design features, hardware specifications, and performance characteristics of the Research Reactor Fuel Counter (RRFC) System. The system is an active mode neutron coincidence counter intended to assay material test reactor fuel assemblies under water. The RRFC contains 12 {sup 3}He tubes, each with its own preamplifier, and a single ion chamber. The neutron counting electronics are based on the Los Alamos Portable Shift Register (PSR) and the gamma readout is a manual-range pico-ammeter of Los Alamos design. The RRFC is connected to the surface by a 20-m-long cable bundle. The PSR is controlled by a portable IBM computer running a modified version of the Los Alamos neutron coincidence counting code also called RRFC. There is a manual that describes the RRFC software.
Abhold, M.E.; Hsue, S.T.; Menlove, H.O.; Walton, G.; Holt, S.
Evaluation of performance of select fusion experiments and projected reactors
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
The performance of NASA Lewis fusion experiments (SUMMA and Bumpy Torus) is compared with other experiments and that necessary for a power reactor. Key parameters cited are gain (fusion power/input power) and the time average fusion power, both of which may be more significant for real fusion reactors than the commonly used Lawson parameter. The NASA devices are over 10 orders of magnitude below the required powerplant values in both gain and time average power. The best experiments elsewhere are also as much as 4 to 5 orders of magnitude low. However, the NASA experiments compare favorably with other alternate approaches that have received less funding than the mainline experiments. The steady-state character and efficiency of plasma heating are strong advantages of the NASA approach. The problem, though, is to move ahead to experiments of sufficient size to advance in gain and average power parameters.
Miley, G. H.
Biogas-conditioning with microalgae
To promote the expansion of feasible biogas production, an optimisation of the whole process chain is essential. In this context the optimisation of the biogas-conditioning process is of great importance. By improving this process, new fields of application, e.g. its usage as car fuel or natural gas substitute can be developed. Currently applied chemical\\/physical conditioning techniques are cost intensive and
G. Mann; M. Schlegel; R. Schumann; A. Sakalauskas
Biogenic Hydrogen Conversion of De-Oiled Jatropha Waste via Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor Operation: Process Performance, Microbial Insights, and CO2 Reduction Efficiency
We report the semicontinuous, direct (anaerobic sequencing batch reactor operation) hydrogen fermentation of de-oiled jatropha waste (DJW). The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) was studied and results show that the stable and peak hydrogen production rate of 1.48?L/L?d and hydrogen yield of 8.7?mL?H2/g volatile solid added were attained when the reactor was operated at HRT 2 days (d) with a DJW concentration of 200?g/L, temperature 55°C, and pH 6.5. Reduced HRT enhanced the production performance until 1.75?d. Further reduction has lowered the process efficiency in terms of biogas production and hydrogen gas content. The effluent from hydrogen fermentor was utilized for methane fermentation in batch reactors using pig slurry and cow dung as seed sources. The results revealed that pig slurry was a feasible seed source for methane generation. Peak methane production rate of 0.43?L CH4/L?d and methane yield of 20.5?mL CH4/g?COD were observed at substrate concentration of 10?g?COD/L, temperature 30°C, and pH 7.0. PCR-DGGE analysis revealed that combination of celluloytic and fermentative bacteria were present in the hydrogen producing ASBR. PMID:24672398
Lin, Chiu-Yue
Active and passive safety control performance in sub - critical, accelerator - driven nuclear reactors
Traditional safety performance requirements for nuclear reactors have been developed for critical reactors, whose kinetics characteristics differ significantly from sub-critical, accelerator-driven nuclear reactors. In a critical nuclear reactor, relatively small amounts of reactivity (negative or positive) can produce large changes in the fission rate. In sub-critical reactors, the self-multiplication (k) decreases as the sub-criticality (1-k) increases, and the responsiveness to
J. E. Cahalan; M. Eriksson
Assessment of innovative fuel designs for high performance light water reactors
To increase the power density and maximum allowable fuel burnup in light water reactors, new fuel rod designs are investigated. Such fuel is desirable for improving the economic performance light water reactors loaded with ...
Carpenter, David Michael
Economic viability of biogas technology
Biogas has emerged as a suitable technology for providing alternative and additional sources of energy, especially for rural areas of developing countries. Although the experience gained in China and India established its technological success, social scientists are still involved in the controversial issue of its economic viability. The available literature presents very contradictory situations, ranging between the two extreme poles of high economic viability and nonviability. Such contradictory conclusions are derived since economic benefits from the technology are influenced by a number of factors. A review of the literature reveals that various factors are either not considered, or that the economics have been worked out assuming a very ideal situation, while biogas plants are operating under very different conditions. Using the coal replacement method even as coal is seldom used by villages is only a single example of this approach. In most of the developing countries, rural populations depend mainly on non-commercial fuels like firewood, dungcakes, agricultural wastes and leaves for cooking and heating purposes. Under the present technological limitations, biogas can most commonly be used for cooking and lighting. For testing the economic viability of biogas systems, a number of authors have considered the benefits in terms of savings in traditional fuels. But considering the actual thermal efficiency of different non-commercial fuel items, as well as biogas, it has still be be decided at what point of the market prices of fuel items that the biogas system becomes economically viable and remains viable. The present paper thus reviews different approaches adopted and suggested for working out the economics or the cost-benefit ratio of the biogas technology at the first stage, and then spells out the factors influencing the economic benefits of the technology under various situations, with the help of empirical
Agrawal, S.C.; Agrawal, S.; Khare, O.P.
Biogas production from Jatropha curcas press-cake
Seeds of the tropical plant Jatropha curcas (purge nut, physic nut) are used for the production of oil. Several methods for oil extraction have been developed. In all processes, about 50% of the weight of the seeds remain as a press cake containing mainly protein and carbohydrates. Investigations have shown that this residue contains toxic compounds and cannot be used as animal feed without further processing. Preliminary experiments have shown that the residue is a good substrate for biogas production. Biogas formation was studied using a semicontinous upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor; a contact-process and an anaerobic filter each reactor having a total volume of 110 L. A maximum production rate of 3.5 m{sup 3} m{sup -3} d{sup -1} was obtained in the anaerobic filter with a loading rate of 13 kg COD m{sup -3} d{sup -1}. However, the UAS reactor and the contact-process were not suitable for using this substrate. When using an anaerobic filter with Jatropha curcas seed cake as a substrate, 76% of the COD was degraded and 1 kg degraded COD yielded 355 L of biogas containing 70% methane. 28 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.
Staubmann, R.; Guebitz, G.M.; Lafferty, R.M. [Graz Technical Univ. (Austria)] [and others
Introduction to biogas production on the farm
A number of farmers, ranchers, and engineers received support from the US Department of Energy Appropriate Technology Small Grants Program to design, construct, and demonstrate biogas production systems. Many of these projects generated more than just biogas; grantees' work and results have contributed to a growing body of information about practical applications of this technology. This publication was developed to share some of that information, to answer the basic questions about biogas production, and to lead farmers to more information. Section I introduces biogas and the various components of a biogas production system, discusses the system's benefits and liabilities, and provides a brief checklist to determine if biogas production may be applicable to an individual's particular situation. Section II features descriptions of four biogas projects of various sizes. Section III provides sources of additional information including descriptions of other biogas production projects.
Not Available
Environmental and economic analysis of application of water hyacinth for eutrophic water treatment coupled with biogas production.
The proliferation of water hyacinth is currently controlled by removing it from a water body and disposing it by landfill in China. Using water hyacinth to remove nutrients from water bodies and to produce biogas is another technically feasible option for the control of water hyacinth, but its environmental and economic performances are not well understood. This study collected data from an experimental biogas plant to develop a lifecycle analysis and a cost benefit analysis for the control of water hyacinth proliferation in a eutrophic lake in China. Comparison was made between the alternative option of using water hyacinth for biogas production and the current practice of disposing it in landfills. The results reveal that the biogas option is economically feasible with a positive energy balance. The removal of water hyacinth to produce biogas can contribute to water quality improvement and GHG emission reduction whose values, however, depend on the processing scale of the biogas plant. Since both the current approach and the biogas option can remove nutrients from water bodies, the additional value of water quality improvement resulting from the biogas option is only possible when the processing scale of the biogas plant is greater than the amount of water hyacinth disposed by landfill. The emission of methane deserves attention when water hyacinth is disposed by landfill. The biogas option can respond to China's policies on water pollution control, renewable energy development, and energy saving and emission reduction. PMID:22813757
Wang, Zanxin; Calderon, Margaret M
Biogasification of biowaste and sewage sludge--measurement of biogas quality.
Biogas quality, the presence of some trace components (siloxanes, sulfur compounds, volatile organic compounds, VOCs) in biogas, is in a decisive role when determining the biogas utilization and the purification requirements and equipments. In the present work, the effects of process changes related to reactor loading variations on the concentrations of selected trace compounds in biogas were studied. Source separated biowaste and sewage sludge were co-digested in a mesophilic pilot reactor (200 L) for four months during which the organic load was stepwise increased. The results showed that the process worked steadily up to the load of 8 kgVS m(-3)d(-1). Also the community composition of methanogenic archae stayed largely unaffected by the load increase, and was at all stages typical for a mesophilic biogasification process. Gaseous concentrations of siloxanes, hydrogen sulfide and most VOCs remained at a constant low level, showing no sensitivity to variations in the load and related process changes. However, the total siloxane concentration in the biogas was dependent on feed quality, and the detected concentrations require removal prior to use in turbines or fuel cells. Otherwise, after the removal of siloxanes, the biogas studied in this work is well applicable in various electricity production options, like in gas engines, turbines, microturbines and fuel cells. PMID:21295904
Kymäläinen, M; Lähde, K; Arnold, M; Kurola, J M; Romantschuk, M; Kautola, H
Biogas production from wheat straw and manure--impact of pretreatment and process operating parameters.
Non-treated or steam-exploded straw in co-digestion with cattle manure was evaluated as a substrate for biogas production compared with manure as the sole substrate. All digestions were performed in laboratory-scale CSTR reactors (5L) operating with an organic loading late of approximately 2.8 g VS/L/day, independent of substrate mixture. The hydraulic retention was 25 days and an operating temperature of 37, 44 or 52°C. The co-digestion with steam exploded straw and manure was evaluated with two different mixtures, with different proportion. The results showed stable performance but low methane yields (0.13-0.21 N L CH4/kg VS) for both manure alone and in co-digestion with the straw. Straw appeared to give similar yield as manure and steam-explosion treatment of the straw did not increase gas yields. Furthermore, there were only slight differences at the different operating temperatures. PMID:24121239
Risberg, Kajsa; Sun, Li; Levén, Lotta; Horn, Svein Jarle; Schnürer, Anna
Thermal analysis of a simple-cycle gas turbine in biogas power generation
This paper investigates the technical feasibility of utilizing small simple-cycle gas turbines (25 kW to 125 kW) for biogas power generation through thermal analysis. A computer code, GTPower, was developed to evaluate the performance of small simple-cycle gas turbines specifically for biogas combustion. The 125 KW Solar Gas Turbine (Tital series) has been selected as the base case gas turbine for biogas combustion. After its design parameters and typical operating conditions were entered into GTPower for analysis, GTPower outputted expected values for the thermal efficiency and specific work. For a sensitivity analysis, the GTPower Model outputted the thermal efficiency and specific work. For a sensitivity analysis, the GTPower Model outputted the thermal efficiency and specific work profiles for various operating conditions encountered in biogas combustion. These results will assist future research projects in determining the type of combustion device most suitable for biogas power generation.
Yomogida, D.E. [California Energy Commission, Sacramento, CA (United States); Thinh, Ngo Dinh [California State Univ., Sacramento, CA (United States)
Titer-plate formatted continuous flow thermal reactors: Design and performance of a nanoliter reactor
Arrays of continuous flow thermal reactors were designed, configured, and fabricated in a 96-device (12 × 8) titer-plate format with overall dimensions of 120 mm × 96 mm, with each reactor confined to a 8 mm × 8 mm footprint. To demonstrate the potential, individual 20-cycle (740 nL) and 25-cycle (990 nL) reactors were used to perform the continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (CFPCR) for amplification of DNA fragments of different lengths. Since thermal isolation of the required temperature zones was essential for optimal biochemical reactions, three finite element models, executed with ANSYS (v. 11.0, Canonsburg, PA), were used to characterize the thermal performance and guide system design: (1) a single device to determine the dimensions of the thermal management structures; (2) a single CFPCR device within an 8 mm × 8 mm area to evaluate the integrity of the thermostatic zones; and (3) a single, straight microchannel representing a single loop of the spiral CFPCR device, accounting for all of the heat transfer modes, to determine whether the PCR cocktail was exposed to the proper temperature cycling. In prior work on larger footprint devices, simple grooves between temperature zones provided sufficient thermal resistance between zones. For the small footprint reactor array, 0.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high fins were necessary within the groove to cool the PCR cocktail efficiently, with a temperature gradient of 15.8°C/mm, as it flowed from the denaturation zone to the renaturation zone. With temperature tolerance bands of ±2°C defined about the nominal temperatures, more than 72.5% of the microchannel length was located within the desired temperature bands. The residence time of the PCR cocktail in each temperature zone decreased and the transition times between zones increased at higher PCR cocktail flow velocities, leading to less time for the amplification reactions. Experiments demonstrated the performance of the CFPCR devices as a function of flow velocity, fragment length, and copy number. A 99 bp DNA fragment was successfully amplified at flow velocities from 1 mm/s to 3 mm/s, requiring from 8.16 minutes for 20 cycles (24.48 s/cycle) to 2.72 minutes for 20 cycles (8.16 s/cycle), respectively. Yield compared to the same amplification sequence performed using a bench top thermal cycler decreased nonlinearly from 73% (at 1 mm/s) to 13% (at 3 mm/s) with shorter residence time at the optimal temperatures for the reactions due to increased flow rate primarily responsible. Six different DNA fragments with lengths between 99 bp and 997 bp were successfully amplified at 1 mm/s. Repeatable, successful amplification of a 99 bp fragment was achieved with a minimum of 8000 copies of the DNA template. This is the first demonstration and characterization of continuous flow thermal reactors within the 8 mm × 8 mm footprint of a 96-well micro-titer plate and is the smallest continuous flow PCR to date. PMID:20871807
Chen, Pin-Chuan; Park, Daniel S.; You, Byoung-Hee; Kim, Namwon; Park, Taehyun; Soper, Steven A.; Nikitopoulos, Dimitris E.; Murphy, Michael C.
Titer-plate formatted continuous flow thermal reactors: Design and performance of a nanoliter reactor.
Arrays of continuous flow thermal reactors were designed, configured, and fabricated in a 96-device (12 × 8) titer-plate format with overall dimensions of 120 mm × 96 mm, with each reactor confined to a 8 mm × 8 mm footprint. To demonstrate the potential, individual 20-cycle (740 nL) and 25-cycle (990 nL) reactors were used to perform the continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (CFPCR) for amplification of DNA fragments of different lengths. Since thermal isolation of the required temperature zones was essential for optimal biochemical reactions, three finite element models, executed with ANSYS (v. 11.0, Canonsburg, PA), were used to characterize the thermal performance and guide system design: (1) a single device to determine the dimensions of the thermal management structures; (2) a single CFPCR device within an 8 mm × 8 mm area to evaluate the integrity of the thermostatic zones; and (3) a single, straight microchannel representing a single loop of the spiral CFPCR device, accounting for all of the heat transfer modes, to determine whether the PCR cocktail was exposed to the proper temperature cycling. In prior work on larger footprint devices, simple grooves between temperature zones provided sufficient thermal resistance between zones. For the small footprint reactor array, 0.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high fins were necessary within the groove to cool the PCR cocktail efficiently, with a temperature gradient of 15.8°C/mm, as it flowed from the denaturation zone to the renaturation zone. With temperature tolerance bands of ±2°C defined about the nominal temperatures, more than 72.5% of the microchannel length was located within the desired temperature bands. The residence time of the PCR cocktail in each temperature zone decreased and the transition times between zones increased at higher PCR cocktail flow velocities, leading to less time for the amplification reactions. Experiments demonstrated the performance of the CFPCR devices as a function of flow velocity, fragment length, and copy number. A 99 bp DNA fragment was successfully amplified at flow velocities from 1 mm/s to 3 mm/s, requiring from 8.16 minutes for 20 cycles (24.48 s/cycle) to 2.72 minutes for 20 cycles (8.16 s/cycle), respectively. Yield compared to the same amplification sequence performed using a bench top thermal cycler decreased nonlinearly from 73% (at 1 mm/s) to 13% (at 3 mm/s) with shorter residence time at the optimal temperatures for the reactions due to increased flow rate primarily responsible. Six different DNA fragments with lengths between 99 bp and 997 bp were successfully amplified at 1 mm/s. Repeatable, successful amplification of a 99 bp fragment was achieved with a minimum of 8000 copies of the DNA template. This is the first demonstration and characterization of continuous flow thermal reactors within the 8 mm × 8 mm footprint of a 96-well micro-titer plate and is the smallest continuous flow PCR to date. PMID:20871807
Chen, Pin-Chuan; Park, Daniel S; You, Byoung-Hee; Kim, Namwon; Park, Taehyun; Soper, Steven A; Nikitopoulos, Dimitris E; Murphy, Michael C
Biogas in Nepal--Retrospects and prospects
The tremendous need and potential of biogas in Nepal, supported by a very large cattle population, seems to be primarily limited by manpower and budgetary constraints and poor planning and implementation. Besides cooking and lighting, considerable potential, particularly at the rural level exists for biogas powered agro-processing applications such as rice hulling, oil expelling and flour grinding. Experience has shown that such applications, for which equipment is easily available, can be better served by community Biogas plants. The government of Nepal, with assistance from international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, is strengthening the Biogas Company and taking other appropriate measures to disseminate and establish biogas on a firm footing.
Sood, D.K.
Influence of partial wetting on trickle-bed reactor performance
, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrogenation. and hydrocracking of heavy oil residuals. Trickle-bed reactors are also being used for treatment of waste water. A trickle-bed reactor is a. three-phase reactor in which gas and liquid phases flow cocurrently downward over a.... Because of the high boiling point, of these oils, it becomes economically impractical to vaporize the oil so 4hat, hydroprocessing reactions can be carried out in the gas phase using a. fixed bed reactor. Thus, trickle-bed reactors are becoming more...
Ruecker, Craig Michael
Biogas Production from Citrus Waste by Membrane Bioreactor
Rapid acidification and inhibition by d-limonene are major challenges of biogas production from citrus waste. As limonene is a hydrophobic chemical, this challenge was encountered using hydrophilic polyvinylidine difluoride (PVDF) membranes in a biogas reactor. The more sensitive methane-producing archaea were encapsulated in the membranes, while freely suspended digesting bacteria were present in the culture as well. In this membrane bioreactor (MBR), the free digesting bacteria digested the citrus wastes and produced soluble compounds, which could pass through the membrane and converted to biogas by the encapsulated cell. As a control experiment, similar digestions were carried out in bioreactors containing the identical amount of just free cells. The experiments were carried out in thermophilic conditions at 55 °C, and hydraulic retention time of 30 days. The organic loading rate (OLR) was started with 0.3 kg VS/m3/day and gradually increased to 3 kg VS/m3/day. The results show that at the highest OLR, MBR was successful to produce methane at 0.33 Nm3/kg VS, while the traditional free cell reactor reduced its methane production to 0.05 Nm3/kg VS. Approximately 73% of the theoretical methane yield was achieved using the membrane bioreactor. PMID:25167328
Wikandari, Rachma; Millati, Ria; Cahyanto, Muhammad Nur; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J.
Biogas production from citrus waste by membrane bioreactor.
Rapid acidification and inhibition by d-limonene are major challenges of biogas production from citrus waste. As limonene is a hydrophobic chemical, this challenge was encountered using hydrophilic polyvinylidine difluoride (PVDF) membranes in a biogas reactor. The more sensitive methane-producing archaea were encapsulated in the membranes, while freely suspended digesting bacteria were present in the culture as well. In this membrane bioreactor (MBR), the free digesting bacteria digested the citrus wastes and produced soluble compounds, which could pass through the membrane and converted to biogas by the encapsulated cell. As a control experiment, similar digestions were carried out in bioreactors containing the identical amount of just free cells. The experiments were carried out in thermophilic conditions at 55 °C, and hydraulic retention time of 30 days. The organic loading rate (OLR) was started with 0.3 kg VS/m3/day and gradually increased to 3 kg VS/m3/day. The results show that at the highest OLR, MBR was successful to produce methane at 0.33 Nm3/kg VS, while the traditional free cell reactor reduced its methane production to 0.05 Nm3/kg VS. Approximately 73% of the theoretical methane yield was achieved using the membrane bioreactor. PMID:25167328
Wikandari, Rachma; Millati, Ria; Cahyanto, Muhammad Nur; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J
Anaerobic digestion of different feedstocks: impact on energetic and environmental balances of biogas process.
The possibility of limiting the global warming is strictly linked to the reduction of GHG emissions. Renewable energy both allows reducing emissions and permits to delay fossil fuel depletion. The anaerobic digestion of animal manure and energy crops is a promising way of reducing GHG emissions. In Italy agricultural biogas production was considerably increased; nowadays there are about 520 agricultural biogas plants. The increasing number of biogas plants, especially of those larger than 500 kW(e) (electrical power), involves a high consumption of energy crops, large transport distances of biomass and digestate and difficulties on thermal energy valorization. In this study the energetic (CED) and environmental (GHG emissions) profiles associated with the production of electricity derived from biogas have been identified. Three biogas plants located in Northern Italy have been analyzed. The study has been carried out considering a cradle-to-grave perspective and thus, special attention has been paid on the feedstock production and biogas production process. The influences on the results taking into account different plant sizes and feeding rate has been assessed in detail. Energy analysis was performed using the Cumulative Energy Demand method (CED). The climate change was calculated for a 100-year time frame based on GHG emissions indicated as CO2 equivalents (eq) and defined by the IPCC (2006). In comparison to the fossil reference system, the electricity production using biogas saves GHG emissions from 0.188 to 1.193 kg CO2eq per kWh(e). Electricity supply from biogas can also contribute to a considerable reduction of the use of fossil energy carriers (from -3.97 to 10.08 MJ(fossil) per kWh(e)). The electricity production from biogas has a big potential for energy savings and reduction of GHG emissions. Efficient utilization of the cogenerated heat can substantially improve the GHG balance of electricity production from biogas. PMID:23831800
Bacenetti, Jacopo; Negri, Marco; Fiala, Marco; González-García, Sara
A novel application of red mud-iron on granulation and treatment of palm oil mill effluent using upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.
The performance of the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor that used red mud-iron (RM-Fe) for methane production for the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) at various hydraulic retention time (HRT) was determined. POME was used as the substrate carbon source. The biogas production rate was 1.7 l biogas/h with a methane yield of 0.78 l CH4/g CODremoved and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 85% at POME concentration of 30 g COD/l at HRT 16 h. The reactor R2 showed average methane content of biogas and COD reduction of 78% and 85% at 400 mg/l RM-Fe. Significant increase in the granule diameter (up to 2900 ?m) in R2 was compared to control R1 (up to 86 ?m) at end of the experiment. PMID:25176306
Ahmad, Anwar
Economic viability of biogas technology
Biogas has emerged as a suitable technology for providing alternative and additional sources of energy, especially for rural areas of developing countries. Although the experience gained in China and India established its technological success, social scientists are still involved in the controversial issue of its economic viability. The available literature presents very contradictory situations, ranging between the two extreme poles
S. C. Agrawal; O. P. Khare
Biogas project advances in California
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has given a `thumbs up` rating to the high solids anaerobic digester project which is designed to produce biogas. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the local utility, is considering the use of biogas to run a fuel cell pilot project. The designs for the three digesters are state-of-the-art, with each containing a horizontal trough measuring 120 feet long, 32 feet wide and 22 feet tall. NREL was asked by the PIA to review the mixing method in the digesters and analyze the overall potential success of the operation. The design employs a redundant system for foam removal from the digester gas, and has provisions to remove moisture from the biogas. However, there are no systems specified to reduce hydrogen sulfide levels. Since hydrogen sulfide is known to be corrosive, it may be destructive to the ultimate use as biogas in fuel cells. A suggested remedy from NREL is to add redundant iron sponge systems to remove hydrogen sulfide gases. A redundant system would allow regenerating one while the other is in service. In general, the lab found the design offers low construction costs, relative ease of operation, and a reasonably high level of anticipated success in operation. Therefore, NREL recommends proceeding with the current digester design plans, once the modifications as indicated are made.
Wittrup, L. [Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA (United States)
Microalgae conversion to biogas: thermal pretreatment contribution on net energy production.
Microalgal biomass harvested from wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds may be valorised through anaerobic digestion producing biogas. However, microalgae anaerobic biodegradability is limited by their complex cell wall structure. Thus, pretreatment techniques are being investigated to improve microalgae methane yield. In the current study, thermal pretreatment at relatively low temperatures of 75-95 °C was effective at enhancing microalgae anaerobic biodegradability; increasing the methane yield by 70% in respect to nonpretreated biomass. Microscopic images showed how the pretreatment damaged microalgae cells, enhancing subsequent anaerobic digestion. Indeed, digestate images showed how after pretreatment only species with resistant cell walls, such as diatoms, continued to be present. Energy balances based on lab-scale reactors performance at 20 days HRT, shifted from neutral to positive (energy gain around 2.7 GJ/d) after thermal pretreatment. In contrast with electricity consuming pretreatment methods, such as microwave irradiation, thermal pretreatment of microalgae seems to be scalable. PMID:24825469
Passos, Fabiana; Ferrer, Ivet
Stable isotope composition of biogas allows early warning of complete process failure as a result of ammonia inhibition in anaerobic digesters.
Four 15-L lab-scale continuous stirred tank reactors were operated under mesophilic conditions to investigate the effect of ammonia inhibition. Stable isotope fingerprinting of biogas was applied as a process monitoring tool. Ammonia inhibition was initiated by amendment of chicken manure to maize silage fed reactors. During the accumulation of ammonia, the concentration of volatile fatty acids increased while the biogas production and pH decreased. However, in one reactor, an inhibited steady state with stable gas production even at high ammonia levels was achieved, while the other reactor proceeded to complete process failure. A depletion of the ?(13)CH4 and ?(13)CO2 values preceded the process inhibition. Moreover, the stable isotope composition of biogas also forecasted the complete process failure earlier than other standard parameters. The stable isotope analyses of biogas have a potential for mechanistic insights in anaerobic processes, and may be used to pre-warn process failure under stress conditions. PMID:24994682
Lv, Zuopeng; Hu, Meng; Harms, Hauke; Richnow, Hans Hermann; Liebetrau, Jan; Nikolausz, Marcell
ForPeerReview Microbiology and performance of a methanogenic biofilm reactor during the1
ForPeerReview 1 Microbiology and performance of a methanogenic biofilm reactor during the1 start 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 CRESSON, R., DABERT, P., BERNET, N. - 2009. Microbiology and performance of a methanogenic biofilm reactor during the start-up period. Journal of Applied Microbiology, vol
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
An integrated performance model for high temperature gas cooled reactor coated particle fuel
The performance of coated fuel particles is essential for the development and deployment of High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) systems for future power generation. Fuel performance modeling is indispensable for understanding ...
Wang, Jing, 1976-
Biogas from waste seen as fuel option
Users with access to organic wastes have the option of producing biogas as an alternative fuel. With half the Btu content of natural gas, biogas costs only 40% as much to produce. The anaerobic biogas process results in a 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide product, which can be used as a boiler fuel to generate power and run equipment or sold to gas utilities for further processing as a pipeline fuel. Transportation costs make ready access to manure or garbage essential. (DCK)
Tucker, L.
Developing a Comprehensive Software Suite for Advanced Reactor Performance and Safety Analysis
This paper provides an introduction to the reactor analysis capabilities of the nuclear power reactor simulation tools that are being developed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Toolkit. The NEAMS Toolkit is an integrated suite of multi-physics simulation tools that leverage high-performance computing to reduce uncertainty in the prediction of performance and safety of advanced reactor and fuel designs. The Toolkit effort is comprised of two major components, the Fuels Product Line (FPL), which provides tools for fuel performance analysis, and the Reactor Product Line (RPL), which provides tools for reactor performance and safety analysis. This paper provides an overview of the NEAMS RPL development effort.
Pointer, William David [ORNL] [ORNL; Bradley, Keith S [ORNL] [ORNL; Fischer, Paul F [ORNL] [ORNL; Smith, Micheal A [ORNL] [ORNL; Tautges, Timothy J [ORNL] [ORNL; Ferencz, Robert M [ORNL] [ORNL; Martineau, Richard C [ORNL] [ORNL; Jain, Rajeev [ORNL] [ORNL; Obabko, Aleksandr [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)] [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Billings, Jay Jay [ORNL] [ORNL
Investigations for biogas operated MHD power generators
Biogas is produced from the anaerobic fermentation of the organic matter containing cellulose, such as agricultural wastes, human wastes, animal wastes, etc. It contains methane (50-70%), carbon dioxide (30-50%), and very small amounts of hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide. Adequate quantities of raw material to generate biogas are normally available in rural areas, and therefore, there is a possibility that almost all the energy requirements of the rural sector may be fulfilled by biogas. Presently in the rural sector, biogas is used mainly to provide thermal energy (for cooking, etc.), and up to a limited extent, to meet the electrical energy requirements by running electrical generators with engines powered by a mixture of oil and biogas. In this paper, the authors propose a scheme in which biogas can be used to generate electricity more efficiently by using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators. Investigations have been carried out to make feasibility studies for biogas-operated open cycle MHD power generators. Composition, temperature and electrical conductivity of the seeded (with potassium) combustion products of biogas-air/oxygen systems have been analytically investigated for different percentages of CO/sub 2/ in biogas and at various combustor pressures for a seeding ratio of 1 percent by weight. The effect of preheating and enrichment of air on temperature and electrical conductivity of the seeded combustion plasmas has also been studied.
Dahiya, R.P.; Chand, A.; Sharma, S.C.
Swine lagoon biogas utilization system
A project was conceived to design and build a system to recover methane from pig manure with covered anaerobic lagoon technology. Covered lagoon technology lends itself both to new lagoon construction and to retrofit designs on existing anaerobic lagoons. A two cell passive in-ground digester/lagoon system was designed for a 600 sow feeder pig farm. The digester was covered with a flexible fabric cover made of 30 mil XR-5. The biogas has 1,100 ppm hydrogen sulfide. For the first month of operation 473 cubic feet of biogas per hour has been recovered from the digester 24 hours per day. At this gas flow the engine turns an induction generator to produce 17.1 KW per hour. A little over 80% of the farm`s electrical needs are generated with methane from swine manure. On an annual basis there will be 150,000 KWh of electricity produced from 4.3 million cubic feet of biogas.
Gettier, S.W.; Roberts, M. [Carroll`s Foods of Va., Inc., Waverly, VA (United States)
Comparison of reactor performance in the nonthermal plasma chemical processing of hazardous air pollutants
The performances of three different types of plasma reactors such as ferroelectric packed-bed (FPB), pulsed corona (PCR), and silent discharge (SDP) were compared in the decomposition of trichloroethylene (Cl2C=CHCl, TCE), bromomethane (CH3Br), and tetrafluoromethane (CF4). Irrespective of reactors, HAP (hazardous air pollutants) reactivity decreased in the order: TCE>CH 3Br>CF4. Similar byproducts were obtained with any of the above reactors, and
Shigeru Futamura; Hisahiro Einaga; Aihua Zhang
Space reactor fuels performance and development issues. [SP-100; 100 kW(e)
Three compact reactor concepts are now under consideration by the US Space Nuclear Power Program (the SP-100 Program) as candidates for the first 100-kWe-class space reactor. Each of these reactor designs puts unique constraints and requirements on the fuels system, and raises issues of fuel systems feasibility and performance. This paper presents a brief overview of the fuel requirements for the proposed space reactor designs, a delineation of the technical feasibility issues that each raises, and a description of the fuel systems development and testing program that has been established to address key technical issues.
Wewerka, E.M.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: The Evaluation of Reactor Performance by using Flibe and Flinabe Molten Salts in the APEX Hybrid Reactor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The modeling of APEX hybrid reactor, produced by using ARIES-RS hybrid reactor technology, has been performed by using the MCNP-4B computer code and ENDF/B-V-VI nuclear data. Around the fusion chamber, molten salts Flibe (Li2BeF4) and Flinabe (LiNaBeF4) were used as cooling materials. APEX reactor was modeled in the torus form by adding nuclear materials of low significance in the specified percentages between percent 0-12 to the molten salts. The result of the study indicated that fissile material production, UF4 and ThF4 heavy metal salt increased nearly at the same percentage and it was observed that the percentage of it was practically the same in both materials. In order for the hybrid reactor to work itself in terms of tritium, TBR (tritium breeding ratio) should be lower than 1.05. When flibe molten salt was utilized in the APEX hybrid reactor, TBR was calculated as >1, 22 and when flinabe molten salt was used, TBR was calculated as >1.06.
Korkut, Turgay; Hançerlio?ullar?, Aybaba
Thermal hydraulic performance analysis of a small integral pressurized water reactor core
A thermal hydraulic analysis of the International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS) core has been performed. Thermal margins for steady state and a selection of Loss Of Flow Accidents have been assessed using three ...
Blair, Stuart R. (Stuart Ryan), 1972-
The effect of velocity and porosity profiles on the performance of fixed bed reactors
OF SCIENCE December 1983 Major Subject: Chemical Engineering THE EFFECT OF VELOCITY AND POROSITY PROFILES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FIXED BED REACTORS A Thesis by KAUSHIK AHIN Approved as to style and content by: R. G. Anthony (Chairman) Aydin german... (m r) R. H. Loeppert (member) C. D. 1 and (Head of the Dept. ) December 1983 ABSTRACT THE Effect of Velocity and Porosity Profiles on the Performance of Fixed Bed Reactors (December 1983) Kaushik Amin, B. S. , M. S. University of Barcda...
Amin, Kaushik
Biogas Production through the Syntrophic Acetate-Oxidising Pathway
Biogas Production through the Syntrophic Acetate-Oxidising Pathway Characterisation and Detection Uppsala 2012 #12;Acta Universitatis agriculturae Sueciae 2012:45 #12;Biogas production through 1.1 Aims of the thesis 12 2 Biogas production 15 2.1 Biogas production in Europe 16 2.2 Substrate
biogas for rural communities TD390 Supervised learning: Study report
0 biogas for rural communities TD390 Supervised learning: Study report Vaibhav Nasery Roll No. 08D highly successful rural biogas models wherein biogas is produced and utilized as a cooking fuel by the villagers. The two models studied are the Community Biogas plant established by SUMUL Dairy at Bhintbudrak
Sohoni, Milind
Technical\\/economic\\/environmental analysis of biogas utilisation
Biogas may be utilised for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) production or for transport fuel production (CH4-enriched biogas). When used to produce transport fuel either electricity is imported to power the plant or some of the biogas is used in a small CHP unit to meet electricity demand on site. The potential revenue from CH4-enriched biogas when replacing petrol is
J. D. Murphy; E. McKeogh; G. Kiely
Biogas plants in Denmark: technological and economic developments
Biogas plants are one of the important elements in the Danish energy-policy of having reduced CO2 emissions by 20% by 2005. Since 1984, development efforts concerning centralised biogas plants in Denmark have been carried out, and Denmark now has approximately 20 large centralised biogas plants. All Danish biogas plants have increased gas production as a result of admixing industrial organic
H. Mæng; H. Lund; F. Hvelplund
Life cycle assessment of biogas upgrading technologies.
This article evaluates the life cycle assessment (LCA) of three biogas upgrading technologies. An in-depth study and evaluation was conducted on high pressure water scrubbing (HPWS), as well as alkaline with regeneration (AwR) and bottom ash upgrading (BABIU), which additionally offer carbon storage. AwR and BABIU are two novel technologies that utilize waste from municipal solid waste incinerators - namely bottom ash (BA) and air pollution control residues (APC) - and are able to store CO(2) from biogas through accelerated carbonation processes. These are compared to high pressure water scrubbing (HPWS) which is a widely used technology in Europe. The AwR uses an alkaline solution to remove the CO(2) and then the solution - rich in carbonate and bicarbonate ions - is regenerated through carbonation of APC. The BABIU process directly exposes the gas to the BA to remove and immediately store the CO(2), again by carbonation. It was determined that the AwR process had an 84% higher impact in all LCA categories largely due to the energy intensive production of the alkaline reactants. The BABIU process had the lowest impact in most categories even when compared to five other CO(2) capture technologies on the market. AwR and BABIU have a particularly low impact in the global warming potential category as a result of the immediate storage of the CO(2). For AwR, it was determined that using NaOH instead of KOH improves its environmental performance by 34%. For the BABIU process the use of renewable energies would improve its impact since accounts for 55% of the impact. PMID:22230660
Starr, Katherine; Gabarrell, Xavier; Villalba, Gara; Talens, Laura; Lombardi, Lidia
Biogas production performance of mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion with fat, oil, and grease in semi-continuous flow digesters: effects of temperature, hydraulic retention time, and organic loading rate.
Anaerobic co-digestions with fat, oil, and grease (FOG) were investigated in semi-continuous flow digesters under various operating conditions. The effects of hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 12 and 24 days, organic loading rates (OLRs) between 1.19 and 8.97 gTVS/Ld, and digestion temperatures of 37 degrees C and 55 degrees C on biogas production were evaluated. It was proposed that, compared to anaerobic digestion with wastewater treatment plant sludge (primary raw sludge), semi-continuous flow anaerobic co-digestion with FOG could effectively enhance biogas and methane production. Thermophilic (55 degrees C) co-digestions exhibited higher biogas production and degradation of organics than mesophilic co-digestions. The best biogas production rate of 17.4 +/- 0.86 L/d and methane content 67.9 +/- 1.46% was obtained with a thermophilic co-digestion at HRT = 24 days and OLR = 2.43 +/- 0.15 g TVS/Ld. These were 32.8% and 7.10% higher than the respective values from the mesophilic co-digestion under similar operating conditions. PMID:24350466
Li, C; Champagne, P; Anderson, B C
Accident Performance of Light Water Reactor Cladding Materials
During a loss of coolant accident as experienced at Fukushima, inadequate cooling of the reactor core forces component temperatures ever higher where they must withstand aggressive chemical environments. Conventional zirconium cladding alloys will readily oxidize in the presence of water vapor at elevated temperatures, rapidly degrading and likely failing. A cladding breach removes the critical barrier between actinides and fission products and the coolant, greatly increasing the probability of the release of radioactivity in the event of a containment failure. These factors have driven renewed international interest in both study and improvement of the materials used in commercial light water reactors. Characterization of a candidate cladding alloy or oxidation mitigation technique requires understanding of both the oxidation kinetics and hydrogen production as a function of temperature and atmosphere conditions. Researchers in the MST division supported by the DOE-NE Fuel Cycle Research and Development program are working to evaluate and quantify these parameters across a wide range of proposed cladding materials. The primary instrument employed is a simultaneous thermal analyzer (STA) equipped with a specialized water vapor furnace capable of maintaining temperatures above 1200 C in a range of atmospheres and water vapor contents. The STA utilizes thermogravimetric analysis and a coupled mass spectrometer to measure in situ oxidation and hydrogen production of candidate materials. This capability is unprecedented in study of materials under consideration for reactor cladding use, and is currently being expanded to investigate proposed coating techniques as well as the effect of coating defects on corrosion resistance.
Nelson, Andrew T. [Los Alamos National Laboratory
Performance of coimmobilized yeast and amyloglucosidase in a fluidized bed reactor for fuel ethanol production.
The performance of coimmobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae and amyloglucosidase (AG) was evaluated in a fluidized-bed reactor. Soluble starch and yeast extracts were used as feed stocks. Conversion of soluble starch streams to ethanol has potential practical applications in corn dry and wet milling and in developmental lignocellulosic processes. The biocatalyst performed well, and demonstrated no significant loss of activity or physical integrity during 10 wk of continuous operation. The reactor was easily operated and required no pH control. No operational problems were encountered from bacterial contaminants even though the reactor was operated under nonsterile conditions over the entire course of experiments. Productivities ranged between 25 and 44 g ethanol/L/h/. The experiments demonstrated that ethanol inhibition and bed loading had significant effects on reactor performance. PMID:9170248
Sun, M Y; Bienkowski, P R; Davison, B H; Spurrier, M A; Webb, O F
Biogas, compost and fuel cells
A pilot project now under development in Folsom, California, incorporates an anaerobic digestion/aerobic composting process that could eventually supply enough biogas to a fuel cell. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has two fuel cells in operation and is participating in the research project. Recently, the California Prison Industry Authority (PIA) began operating a processing facility at the Folsom prison, designed for 100 tons/day of mixed waste from the City of Folsom. The 35,000 square foot Correctional Resource Recovery Facility (CRRF) uses minimum security inmates from Folsom`s Return to Custody Facility to manually separate recyclables and compostable materials from the waste stream. The PIA will be using a new technology, high solids anaerobic digestion, to compost the organic fraction (representing approximately 60 to 70 percent of the waste stream). Construction began in June on a 40-foot wide by 120-foot long and 22-foot deep anaerobic digester. Once the vessel is operational in 1995, the composting process and the gradual breakdown of organic material will produce biogas, which SMUD hopes to use to power an adjacent two megawatt fuel cell. The electricity generated will serve SMUD customers, including the waste facility and nearby correctional institutions. 1 fig.
Wichert, B.; Wittrup, L.; Robel, R. [Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA (United States)
Passive solar technology aids biogas digesters
Farming communities throughout China rely on biogas generators as a primary source of light and heat, as well as using the sludge as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Now researchers at Beijing's Solar Energy Laboratory have improved efficiency by building a rectangular tank out of concrete slabs, with one slanted surface painted black and covered with glass. According to a report in New Scientist, this passive solar panel generates heat in the same way as a greenhouse, raising inside temperatures by 10{degree}C and increasing biogas production by 50%. Another advantage of the new tanks is easy access, since the tank's lid sites in wells of water which form a seal against oxygen. (Old biogas tanks were made of soil, sand and a little concrete, prone to developing severe cracks which would allow oxygen to enter thus slowing down anaerobic reaction). Explains Debora MacKenzie of New Scientist: with the new tank, the farmer can simply remove the lid and attack the contents with a spade. This means that the mixture can comprise more than 10% solids. Greater density allows smaller tanks. Rural families need one cubic meter of biogas daily for light and heat; instead of the former 8 cm biogas generator, the new tanks need only be 1 cm. The prediction is that the smaller size could make biogas more popular in China's crowded towns. The biogas department is headed by He Shao Qi, who is also investigating ways to reduce production costs for the tanks.
Not Available
Sludge storage lagoon biogas recovery and use
The City of Memphis has two wastewater treatment plants. The SWTP employs two large anaerobic digestion sludge lagoons as part of the overall sludge treatment system. Although these lagoons are effective in concentrating and digesting sludge, they can generate offensive odors. The SWTP uses aerobic digesters to partially stabilize the sludge and help reduce objectionable odors before it enters the lagoons. The anaerobic digestion of sludge in the lagoons results in the dispersion of a large quantity of biogas into the atmosphere. The City realized that if the lagoons could be covered, the odor problem could be resolved, and at the same, time, biogas could be recovered and utilized as a source of energy. In 1987, the City commissioned ADI International to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate alternative methods of covering the lagoons and recovering and utilizing the biogas. The study recommended that the project be developed in two phases: (1) recovery of the biogas and (2) utilization of the biogas. Phase 1 consists of covering the two lagoons with an insulated membrane to control odor and temperature and collect the biogas. Phase 1 was found to be economically feasible and offered a unique opportunity for the City to save substantial operating costs at the treatment facility. The Memphis biogas recovery project is the only application in the world where a membrane cover has been used on a municipal wastewater sludge lagoon. It is also the largest lagoon cover system in the world.
Muller, D.; Norville, C. (Memphis and Shelby County Div. of Planning and Development, TN (United States))
Multi-phased anaerobic baffled reactor treating food waste.
This study was conducted to identify the performance of a multi-phased anaerobic baffled reactor (MP-ABR) with food waste (FW) as the substrate for biogas production and thereby to promote an efficient energy recovery and treatment method for the wastes with high organic solid content through phase separation. A four-chambered ABR was operated at an HRT of 30days with an OLR of 0.5-1.0g-VS/Ld for a period of 175days at 35±1°C. Consistent overall removal efficiencies of 85.3% (CODt), 94.5% (CODs), 89.6% (VFA) and 86.4% (VS) were observed throughout the experiment displaying a great potential to treat FW. Biogas generated was 215.57mL/g-VSremovedd. Phase separation was observed and supported by the COD and VFA trends, and an efficient recovery of bioenergy from FW was achieved. PMID:25704096
Ahamed, A; Chen, C-L; Rajagopal, R; Wu, D; Mao, Y; Ho, I J R; Lim, J W; Wang, J-Y
Effects of cycle-frequency and temperature on the performance of anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBRs) treating swine waste.
Anaerobic digestion of animal waste is a technically viable process for the abatement of adverse environmental impacts caused by animal wastes; however, widespread acceptance has been plagued by poor economics. This situation is dismal if the technology is adapted for treating low strength animal slurries because of large digester-volume requirements and a corresponding high energy input. A possible technology to address these constraints is the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR). The ASBR technology has demonstrated remarkable potential to improve the economics of treating dilute animal waste effluents. This paper presents preliminary data on the effects of temperature and frequency-cycle on the operation of an ASBR at a fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT). The results suggest that within the parameter range under consideration, temperature did not affect the biogas yield significantly, however, higher cycle-frequency had a negative effect. The biogas quality (%CH(4)) was not significantly affected by temperature nor by the cycle-frequency. The operating principle of the ASBR follows four phases: feed, react, settle, and decant in a cyclic mode. To improve the biogas production in an ASBR, one long react-phase was preferable compared to three shorter react-phases. Treatment of dilute manure slurries in an ASBR at 20 degrees C was more effective than at 35 degrees C; similarly more bio-stable effluents were obtained at low cycle-frequency. The treatment of dilute swine slurries in an ASBR at the lower temperature (20 degrees C) and lower cycle-frequency is, therefore, recommended for the bio-stabilization of dilute swine wastewaters. The results also indicate that significantly higher VFA degradation occurred at 20 degrees C than at 35 degrees C, suggesting that the treatment of dilute swine slurries in ASBRs for odor control might be more favorable at the lower than at the higher temperatures examined in this study. Volatile fatty acid reduction at the two reactor temperatures and cycle-frequencies, from a high of 639+/-75 mg/L to a low of 92+/-23 mg/L, greatly reduced the odor and the odor-generation potential in post-treatment storage. The nutrients (both N and P) in the waste influent were conserved in the effluents. PMID:17532625
Ndegwa, P M; Hamilton, D W; Lalman, J A; Cumba, H J
Moving bed biofilm reactor technology: process applications, design, and performance.
The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) can operate as a 2- (anoxic) or 3-(aerobic) phase system with buoyant free-moving plastic biofilm carriers. These systems can be used for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, aquaculture, potable water denitrification, and, in roughing, secondary, tertiary, and sidestream applications. The system includes a submerged biofilm reactor and liquid-solids separation unit. The MBBR process benefits include the following: (1) capacity to meet treatment objectives similar to activated sludge systems with respect to carbon-oxidation and nitrogen removal, but requires a smaller tank volume than a clarifier-coupled activated sludge system; (2) biomass retention is clarifier-independent and solids loading to the liquid-solids separation unit is reduced significantly when compared with activated sludge systems; (3) the MBBR is a continuous-flow process that does not require a special operational cycle for biofilm thickness, L(F), control (e.g., biologically active filter backwashing); and (4) liquid-solids separation can be achieved with a variety of processes, including conventional and compact high-rate processes. Information related to system design is fragmented and poorly documented. This paper seeks to address this issue by summarizing state-of-the art MBBR design procedures and providing the reader with an overview of some commercially available systems and their components. PMID:21751715
McQuarrie, James P; Boltz, Joshua P
Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households.
At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a dry fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m3/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane. PMID:23465311
Murto, Marika; Björnsson, Lovisa; Rosqvist, Håkan; Bohn, Irene
Co-digestion of sewage sludge with glycerol to boost biogas production
The feasibility of adding crude glycerol from the biodiesel industry to the anaerobic digesters treating sewage sludge in wastewater treatment plants was studied in both batch and continuous experiments at 35 {sup o}C. Glycerol addition can boost biogas yields, if it does not exceed a limiting 1% (v/v) concentration in the feed. Any further increase of glycerol causes a high imbalance in the anaerobic digestion process. The reactor treating the sewage sludge produced 1106 {+-} 36 ml CH{sub 4}/d before the addition of glycerol and 2353 {+-} 94 ml CH{sub 4}/d after the addition of glycerol (1% v/v in the feed). The extra glycerol-COD added to the feed did not have a negative effect on reactor performance, but seemed to increase the active biomass (volatile solids) concentration in the system. Batch kinetic experiments showed that the maximum specific utilization rate ({mu}{sub max}) and the saturation constant (K{sub S}) of glycerol were 0.149 {+-} 0.015 h{sup -1} and 0.276 {+-} 0.095 g/l, respectively. Comparing the estimated values with the kinetics constants for propionate reported in the literature, it can be concluded that glycerol uptake is not the rate-limiting step during the process.
Fountoulakis, M.S., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Heraklion (Greece); Petousi, I.; Manios, T. [School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Heraklion (Greece)
A Framework for Human Performance Criteria for Advanced Reactor Operational Concepts
This report supports the determination of new Operational Concept models needed in support of the operational design of new reactors. The objective of this research is to establish the technical bases for human performance and human performance criteria frameworks, models, and guidance for operational concepts for advanced reactor designs. The report includes a discussion of operating principles for advanced reactors, the human performance issues and requirements for human performance based upon work domain analysis and current regulatory requirements, and a description of general human performance criteria. The major findings and key observations to date are that there is some operating experience that informs operational concepts for baseline designs for SFR and HGTRs, with the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) as a best-case predecessor design. This report summarizes the theoretical and operational foundations for the development of a framework and model for human performance criteria that will influence the development of future Operational Concepts. The report also highlights issues associated with advanced reactor design and clarifies and codifies the identified aspects of technology and operating scenarios.
Jacques V Hugo; David I Gertman; Jeffrey C Joe
Comparison of reactor performance in the nonthermal plasma chemical processing of hazardous air pollutants
The performance of three different types of plasma reactors such as ferroelectric packed-bed (FPR), pulsed corona (PCR), and silent discharge (SDR) were compared in the decomposition of trichloroethylene (Cl2C=CHCl, TCE), bromomethane (CH3Br), and tetrafluoromethane (CF4). Irrespective of reactors, hazardous air pollutant (HAP) reactivity in dry N2 decreased in the order: TCE>CH3Br>CF4. Similar byproducts were obtained with any of the above
Shigeru Futamura; Hisahiro Einaga; Aihua Zhang
Advanced Concepts for Pressure-Channel Reactors: Modularity, Performance and Safety
Based on an analysis of the development of advanced concepts for pressure-tube reactor technology, we adapt and adopt the pressure-tube reactor advantage of modularity, so that the subdivided core has the potential for optimization of the core, safety, fuel cycle and thermal performance independently, while retaining passive safety features. In addition, by adopting supercritical water-cooling, the logical developments from existing
Romney B. Duffey; Igor L. Pioro; Sermet Kuran
Evaluation of models for the prediction of fluidized-bed reactor performance
, and also govern bed characteristics at higher levels in the reactor. Single perforated plale Staggered perforated plates $$$$$$$$$$ ~ ~ $$$$$$$$ ~ $$$ Nozzfes Bubblecaps hflkl~ Sandwiched packed bed Slits Grate bars . TTTTTTTT)T: 7 Multiple... hger plates Pipe gnd hokodoh 1 Concave or dished perforated plate $$$$$$$$ Convex perforated plate $$ \\ $$$$$ bra Fig. 4 Distributors coffgtfonly used in industry [4] ~Hd 4 namic The performance of the fluidized-bed reactor is related...
Frederick, John Michael
Performance of a hybrid anaerobic baffled reactor (HABR) treating brewery wastewater
The performance and the characteristics of a laboratory scale hybrid anaerobic baffled reactor (HABR) were investigated using synthetic brewery wastewater. The reactor had been operated continuously at 35°C for 109d, with organic loading rate (OLR) increased from 1.2 to 5.6 kg COD\\/(m3 · d). The results demonstrated that the system was very effective in the treatment of the high-strength wastewater,
Li Hui-ting; Li Yong-feng
Initial in-reactor performance of the Cornell cold neutron source
The Cornell Cold Neutron Beam Facility consists of two major subsystems, a cold neutron source (CNS) and a 13-m-long curved neutron guide. This paper describes the initial in-reactor performance tests of the CNS. The results agree closely with predictions from out-of-reactor tests and meet the design criteria for safety and simplicity of operation. This phase of the project has therefore
S. A. Spern; D. D. Clark; A. G. Atwood
Absorption degree analysis on biogas separation with ionic liquid systems.
For biogas upgrading, present work mainly focuses on either thermodynamics or mass transfer properties. A systematical study on these two aspects is important for developing a new biogas separation process. In this work, a new criterion "absorption degree", which combines both thermodynamics and mass transfer properties, was proposed for the first time to comprehensively evaluate the absorption performance. Henry's law constants of CO2 and CH4 in ionic liquids-polyethylene glycol dimethyl ethers mixtures were investigated. The liquid-side mass transfer coefficients (kL) were determined. The results indicate that IL-NHD mixtures exhibit not only a high CO2/CH4 selectivity, but also a fast kL for CO2 absorption. The [bmim][NO3]+NHD mixtures present a high absorption degree value for CO2 but a low value for CH4. For presenting a highest relative absorption degree value, the 50wt% [bmim][NO3]+50wt% NHD mixture is recommended for biogas upgrading. PMID:25459814
Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Suojiang; Bao, Di; Huang, Ying; Zhang, Xiangping
Quantifying temperature and flow rate effects on the performance of a fixed-bed chromatographic reactor.
Chromatographic reactors are based on coupling chemical reactions with chromatographic separation in fixed-beds. Temperature and flow rate are important parameters for the performance of such reactors. Temperature affects mainly adsorption, chemical equilibria, mass transfer and reaction kinetics, whereas flow rate influences residence time and dispersion. In order to evaluate the mentioned effects, the hydrolysis reactions of methyl formate (MF) and methyl acetate (MA) were chosen as case studies. These reactions were performed experimentally in a lab-scale fixed-bed chromatographic reactor packed with a strong acidic ion exchange resin. The chosen reactions can be considered to represent a relative fast (MF) and a relative slow (MA) reaction. The processes which take place inside the reactor were described and simulated using an isothermal equilibrium dispersive model. The essential model parameters were determined experimentally at different temperatures and flow rates. The performance of the chromatographic reactor was evaluated at several discrete constant temperature levels by quantifying product purity, productivity and yield. The work provides insight regarding the influence of temperature and flow rate on values of the model parameters and the performance criteria. PMID:21963179
Vu, Tien D; Seidel-Morgenstern, A
Investigation on the Neutronic Performance of a Fusion Reactor Using Flibe with Heavy Metal Fluorides
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Using liquid wall between the plasma and solid first wall in a fusion reactor allows to use high neutron wall loads and could eliminate frequent replacement of the first wall structure during reactor's lifetime. Liquid wall should have a certain effective or optimum thickness to extend solid first wall lifetime to reactor's lifetime and supply sufficient tritium for deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion driver. This study presents the effect of thickness of flowing liquid wall containing 90 mol % Flibe+10 mol % UF4 or ThF4 on the neutronic performance of a magnetic fusion reactor design called APEX. Neutron transport calculations were carried out with the aid of code Scale4.3. Numerical results brought out that optimum liquid wall thickness of ˜38 cm was found for the blankets using Flibe+10% UF4 whereas, 56 cm for that with Flibe+10% ThF4. Significant amount of high quality fissile fuel was produced by using heavy metal salt.
Übeyli, Mustafa
Microaerobic digestion of sewage sludge on an industrial-pilot scale: the efficiency of biogas desulphurisation under different configurations and the impact of O2 on the microbial communities.
Biogas produced in an industrial-pilot scale sewage sludge reactor (5m(3)) was desulphurised by imposing microaerobic conditions. The H2S concentration removal efficiency was evaluated under various configurations: different mixing methods and O2 injection points. Biogas was entirely desulphurised under all the configurations set, while the O2 demand of the digester decreased over time. Although the H2S removal seemed to occur in the headspace, S(0) (which was found to be the main oxidation product) was scarcely deposited there in the headspace. O2 did not have a significant impact on the digestion performance; the VS removal remained around 47%. Conversely, DGGE revealed that the higher O2 transfer rate to the sludge maintained by biogas recirculation increased the microbial richness and evenness, and caused an important shift in the structure of the bacterial and the archaeal communities in the long term. All the archaeal genera identified (Methanosaeta, Methanospirillum and Methanoculleus) were present under both anaerobic and microaerobic conditions. PMID:24874874
Ramos, I; Pérez, R; Reinoso, M; Torio, R; Fdz-Polanco, M
Treatment efficiency and VFA composition of a thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor treating food industry wastewater.
The objective of this study was to examine the effects of organic loading rate and hydraulic retention time on volatile fatty acid composition and treatment efficiency of high rate thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor (TACR) treating potato-chips wastewaters. The operational performance of TACR was monitored from start-up by assessing chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and biogas composition. The reactor was studied at different organic loading rates (OLRs) ranging from 0.6 to 8 kg COD/m(3) d. The COD removal efficiencies were found to be 86-97% and the methane percentage of the biogas produced was 68-89% during the OLRs studied. The approximate methane yield was found to be 0.42 m(3) CH(4)/kg COD(removed). The major intermediate products of anaerobic digestion were acetate, propionate, iso-butyrate, butyrate, iso-valerate, valerate, iso-caproate and caproate. The use of thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor offers a sustainable technology for the treatment of potato-chips wastewaters since high COD removal efficiencies and high methane percentage in the biogas produced can be attained even at high OLRs. PMID:20022175
Sentürk, E; Ince, M; Engin, G Onkal
Production of biogas from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) (Mart) (Solms) in a two-stage bioreactor
A two-stage rumen-derived anaerobic digestion process was tested for the conversion of water hyacinth shoots and a mixture of the shoots with cowdung (7:3) into biogas. Under conditions similar to those of the rumen and loading rates (LR) in the range of 11.6–19.3g volatile solids (VS) l-1d-1 in the rumen reactor, the degradation efficiencies were 38% for the shoots and
A. K. Kivaisi; M. Mtila
Strategies for optimizing recovery of the biogas process following ammonia inhibition
Strategies for recovery of ammonia-inhibited thermophilic biogas process, were evaluated in batch and lab-scale reactors. Active methane producing biomass (digested cattle manure) was inhibited with NH4Cl and subsequently, 3–5 days later, diluted with 50% of water, or with 50% digested manure, or with 50% fresh manure or kept undiluted. Dilution with fresh cattle manure resulted in the highest methane production
Henrik Bangsø Nielsen; Irini Angelidaki
Growth kinetics of thermophilic Methanosarcina spp. isolated from full-scale biogas plants treating animal manures
This study determines the growth kinetics of thermophilic strains of Methanosarcina spp. from full-scale thermophilic biogas plants. The complete set of kinetic parameters, including maximum specific growth rate ?max, half saturation constant KS, acetate threshold concentration and cell growth yield YX\\/S, were determined for six Methanosarcina strains newly isolated from full-scale reactors and the type strain Methanosarcina thermophila TM-1T. The
Zuzana Mladenovska; Birgitte Kiær Ahring
Performance and Safety Analysis of a Generic Small Modular Reactor
the publically available performance criteria of the mPower SMR from B&W. The Monte Carlo codes MCNP5/MCNPX are used to model the core. Fuel enrichment, core inventory, core size are all variables optimized to meet the set goals of core lifetime and fuel... .........................................................................................................................7 2.2. MCNPX ......................................................................................................................8 2.3. ORIGEN...
Kitcher, Evans Damenortey, 1987-
Performance of two-stage vegetable waste anaerobic digestion depending on varying recirculation rates.
Vegetable waste, which characterized by high moisture content, was evaluated as a substrate for biogas production. The effects of recirculation rate (RR) on the performance of two-stage anaerobic digestion were investigated. The system was operated at an organic loading rate of 1.7 g VS/L/d with varying RRs (0, 0.6, 1, and 1.4). Results demonstrated that volumetric biogas production rates in acidogenic reactor increased from approximately 0.2 7 L/L/d to 0.97 L/L/d, when pH is increased from approximately 5.1 to 6.7. These indicate that recirculation of alkaline effluent from the methanogenic reactor helps create a favorable condition for biogas production in the acidogenic reactor. The decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations from approximately 21,000 mg/L to 6800 mg/L was also observed in the acidogenic reactor. This condition may be attributed to dilution under recirculation. The dynamics between hydrolysis and methanogenesis under recirculation indicated that mass transfer capacity between two-stage reactors improved. PMID:24759642
Zuo, Zhuang; Wu, Shubiao; Zhang, Wanqin; Dong, Renjie
Improvement of Biogas Production from Orange Peel Waste by Leaching of Limonene
Limonene is present in orange peel wastes and is known as an antimicrobial agent, which impedes biogas production when digesting the peels. In this work, pretreatment of the peels to remove limonene under mild condition was proposed by leaching of limonene using hexane as solvent. The pretreatments were carried out with homogenized or chopped orange peel at 20–40°C with orange peel waste and hexane ratio (w/v) ranging from 1?:?2 to 1?:?12 for 10 to 300?min. The pretreated peels were then digested in batch reactors for 33 days. The highest biogas production was achieved by treating chopped orange peel waste and hexane ratio of 12?:?1 at 20°C for 10?min corresponding to more than threefold increase of biogas production from 0.061 to 0.217?m3 methane/kg?VS. The solvent recovery was 90% using vacuum filtration and needs further separation using evaporation. The hexane residue in the peel had a negative impact on biogas production as shown by 28.6% reduction of methane and lower methane production of pretreated orange peel waste in semicontinuous digestion system compared to that of untreated peel.
Wikandari, Rachma; Nguyen, Huong; Millati, Ria; Niklasson, Claes; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J.
Potential errors in the quantitative evaluation of biogas production in anaerobic digestion processes.
Errors that are commonly made in the quantification of biogas from anaerobic digestion experiments were investigated. For liquid displacement gasometers where a barrier solution separates the biogas and the atmosphere, inaccuracy due to gas diffusion was examined experimentally. Acidified saturated saline solution was the most suitable barrier solution, as biogas characteristics changed least with time. Using acidified or tap water caused considerable biogas losses and should therefore be avoided where biogas is stored before measurement. Errors associated with volume calculation from three common liquid displacement gasometer types were investigated theoretically. Corrections that must be made to obtain gas volumes at standard temperature and pressure when using this equipment are discussed. Regarding experimental errors, gasometer designs where displaced liquid is weighed to determine the volume are the most versatile since errors depend mainly upon balance sensitivity. Using liquid heights to calculate volume requires appropriate sizing of the gasometer relative to the volume of gas measured. The calibration of a low flow gas meter was investigated and an approximately linear variation with flow rate was found; hence in situ calibration is advised for this type of instrument. Correction for atmospheric conditions should be performed in real time to reduce errors. PMID:19660937
Walker, Mark; Zhang, Yue; Heaven, Sonia; Banks, Charles
Performance of an Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) in treatment of cassava wastewater
The performance of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) was evaluated in the treatment of cassava wastewater, a pollutant residue. An ABR divided in four equal volume compartments (total volume 4L) and operated at 35ºC was used in cassava wastewater treatment. Feed tank chemical oxygen demand (COD) was varied from 2000 to 7000 mg L -1 and it was evaluated the
Fernanda M. Ferraz; Aline T. Bruni; Vanildo L. Del Bianchi
Impact of Magnetic Diversion on Laser IFE Reactor Design and Performance
Team The High Average Power Laser (HAPL) Program Aims at Developing a New Energy Source: IFE BasedImpact of Magnetic Diversion on Laser IFE Reactor Design and Performance A. R. Raffray1, J, MS-6169, Oak Ridge, TN, USA Combination of Chamber Size, Xe Chamber Gas Density and Chamber Size
Raffray, A. René
Relative performance properties of the ORNL Advanced Neutron Source Reactor with reduced enrichment fuels
Three cores for the Advanced Neutron Source reactor, differing in size, enrichment, and uranium density in the fuel meat, have been analyzed. Performance properties of the reduced enrichment cores are compared with those of the HEU reference configuration. Core lifetime estimates suggest that none of these configurations will operate for the design goal of 17 days at 330 MW. With
M. M. Bretscher; J. R. Deen; N. A. Hanan; J. E. Matos; S. C. Mo; R. B. Pond; A. Travelli; W. L. Woodruff
Assessing the influence of reactor system design criteria on the performance of model colon fermentation units.
Fermentation reactor systems are a key platform in studying intestinal microflora, specifically with respect to questions surrounding the effects of diet. In this study, we develop computational representations of colon fermentation reactor systems as a way to assess the influence of three design elements (number of reactors, emptying mechanism, and inclusion of microbial immobilization) on three performance measures (total biomass density, biomass composition, and fibre digestion efficiency) using a fractional-factorial experimental design. It was determined that the choice of emptying mechanism showed no effect on any of the performance measures. Additionally, it was determined that none of the design criteria had any measurable effect on reactor performance with respect to biomass composition. It is recommended that model fermentation systems used in the experimenting of dietary effects on intestinal biomass composition be streamlined to only include necessary system design complexities, as the measured performance is not benefited by the addition of microbial immobilization mechanisms or semi-continuous emptying scheme. Additionally, the added complexities significantly increase computational time during simulation experiments. It was also noted that the same factorial experiment could be directly adapted using in vitro colon fermentation systems. PMID:24216456
Moorthy, Arun S; Eberl, Hermann J
The development of waste-composting facilities and anaerobic waste-treatment plants, which produce smaller volumes of cleaner gas than landfills, has caused companies to reexamine how methane-rich offgas streams are handled. Now, biogas producers are beginning to extract further value from the methane, mainly by cleaning the gas to allow it to be fed to the growing natural-gas grids in the US and Europe. Another value-added route is to clean and boost the gas pressure to 250 bars for use as a fuel in compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. Depending on the volume and concentration of contaminants, absorption, carbon adsorption, biofilters, membrane separation, iron-based scavengers and wet oxidation are the principal clean-up routes being pursued. For high flowrates and sulfur loadings in excess o 500 lb/d, liquid oxidation or scavenger-based schemes are the most economic approaches. For lower volumes, however, liquid scrubbing, carbon adsorption and biofilters are more promising. These systems are discussed.
Fouhy, K.; Shelley, S.
Choosing co-substrates to supplement biogas production from animal slurry--a life cycle assessment of the environmental consequences.
Biogas production from animal slurry can provide substantial contributions to reach renewable energy targets, yet due to the low methane potential of slurry, biogas plants depend on the addition of co-substrates to make operations profitable. The environmental performance of three underexploited co-substrates, straw, organic household waste and the solid fraction of separated slurry, were assessed against slurry management without biogas production, using LCA methodology. The analysis showed straw, which would have been left on arable fields, to be an environmentally superior co-substrate. Due to its low nutrient content and high methane potential, straw yields the lowest impacts for eutrophication and the highest climate change and fossil depletion savings. Co-substrates diverted from incineration to biogas production had fewer environmental benefits, due to the loss of energy production, which is then produced from conventional fossil fuels. The scenarios can often provide benefits for one impact category while causing impacts in another. PMID:25226057
Croxatto Vega, Giovanna Catalina; ten Hoeve, Marieke; Birkved, Morten; Sommer, Sven G; Bruun, Sander
Biogas electricity -- The Pura village case study
A potentially useful decentralized source of energy is biogas, which is an approximately 60:40 mixture of methane (CH{sub 4}) and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), produced by the anaerobic fermentation of cellulosic biomass materials such as bovine wastes. Since 1987, the traditional system of obtaining water, illumination, and fertilizer in Pura village in south India has been replaced with a community biogas plant electricity-generation system. The technical, managerial, and economical aspects of this system are the subject manner of the present paper. Various subsystems are described, and the problems of operation and maintenance under field conditions are also discussed. A comparison of Pura`s present community biogas system with its traditional means for obtaining water, illumination, and fertilizer shows that the households are winners on all counts, having obtained such benefits as improved hygiene and convenience at relatively low cost. The Pura community biogas plant is held together and sustained by the convergence of individual and collective interests. Noncooperation with the community biogas plant results in a heavy individual price (access to water and light being cut off by the village), which is too great a personal loss to compensate for the minor advantages of noncooperation and noncontribution to collective interests.
Rajabapaiah, P.; Jayakumar, S. [Indian Inst. of Science, Bangalore (India); Reddy, A.K.N. [International Energy Initiative, Bangalore (India)
Biogas as a Renewable Energy Source—A Review
This article reviews the production processes and characterization of biogas as an alternative energy source. Biogas, the gas generated from organic digestion under anaerobic conditions by mixed population of microorganisms, is an alternative energy source, which has been commenced to be utilized both in rural and industrial areas at least since 1958. Biogas technology offers a very attractive route to
M. Balat; H. Balat
5. oktober 2009 Precision control of biogas plants
5. oktober 2009 Precision control of biogas plants Final report Henrik B. Møller, Anders M. Nielsen: "Precision control of biogas plants", J. Nr. 33031-0028, funded by EUDP 2005. The final report consists. Danish summary of the results: Det har været formålet at udvikle drift og design af biogas anlæg med
Thermal performance of a packed bed reactor for a high-temperature chemical heat pump
SUMMARY The thermal performance of a chemical heat pump that uses the reaction system of calcium oxide\\/lead oxide\\/carbon dioxide, which is developed for utilization of high-temperature heat above 8003C, is studied experimentally. The thermal performance of a packed-bed reactor of a calcium oxide\\/carbon dioxide reac- tion system, which stores and transforms a high-temperature heat source in the heat pump operation,
Yukitaka Kato; Tadashi O-shim; Yoshio Yoshizawa
A Comparison of Photocatalytic Oxidation Reactor Performance for Spacecraft Cabin Trace Contaminant Control Applications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is a maturing process technology that shows potential for spacecraft life support system application. Incorporating PCO into a spacecraft cabin atmosphere revitalization system requires an understanding of basic performance, particularly with regard to partial oxidation product production. Four PCO reactor design concepts have been evaluated for their effectiveness for mineralizing key trace volatile organic com-pounds (VOC) typically observed in crewed spacecraft cabin atmospheres. Mineralization efficiency and selectivity for partial oxidation products are compared for the reactor design concepts. The role of PCO in a spacecraft s life support system architecture is discussed.
Perry, Jay L.; Frederick, Kenneth R.; Scott, Joseph P.; Reinermann, Dana N.
Model-based predictions of anaerobic digestion of agricultural substrates for biogas production.
A modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1), calibrated on a laboratory digester with a feeding mix of 30% weight of cow manure and 70% weight of corn silage, was implemented, showing its performances of simulation as a decision-making and planning-supporting tool for the anaerobic digestion of agricultural substrates. The virtual fermenter obtained was used to conduct simulations with different feeding compositions and loading rates of cow manure, corn silage, grass silage and rape oil. All simulations were started at the same initial state which was represented by a steady state with an organic loading rate of 2.5 kg ODM/(mdigester3?d). The effects of the different feeding combinations on biogas composition and biogas yield were predicted reasonably, and partly verified with the available literature data. Results demonstrated that the simulations could be helpful for taking decisions on agricultural biogas plant operation or experimental set-ups, if used advisedly. PMID:21974886
Zhou, Haidong; Löffler, Daniel; Kranert, Martin
The good, the bad or the ugly: Microbial biomass of biogas residues as a contributor to soil carbon cycle
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Loss of soil organic matter is a recent problem in soils all over the world. This can be related to enhanced mineralization of the soil organic matter due to land use change, which is a source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide increase. For example, the carbon input from plant residues is reduced because of the increased cultivation of bioenergy crops. In order to avoid soil degradation, application of biogas residues is a common practice in such areas. Biogas residues are side products of biogas production and contain microbial biomass. Application of these residues as soil additive influences the soil microorganisms as well as the carbon cycle. We study this effect by incubating 13C-labeled biogas residues in an arable soil from the Static Fertilization Experiment in Bad Lauchstaedt, Germany. Labeled residues were produced via labeling of active microbial biomass by addition of KH13CO3 to biogas reactors. High enrichment in the various phospholipid fatty acids proved the successful labeling of the biomass. The labeled biogas residues are being long-term incubated in the soil. During incubation, we monitor the fate of the carbon by analyzing the label in phospholipid fatty acids, amino acids as well as carbon dioxide. This allows us to trace the fate of the biogas residues-derived C in soil and to quantify the effect on the transformation of the natural soil organic matter (e.g. negative effects such as priming effects). Also, microbial community dynamics will be determined using molecular biology tools such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). In order to prevent potentially negative effects, various additives such as charred biomaterials, clays and chopped bark will be tested to improve the carbon storage in soil. In conclusion, this study investigates the fate and impact of biogas residues used as a soil additive on the soil microbial community and amount of soil organic matter. It is aimed to understand and clarify whether the biogas residues play the good, the bad or just the ugly in soil carbon cycling. Thus, recommendations about the use of biogas residues as fertilizers or soil additives in agriculture will be contributed. Furthermore, the data will be a potential input to a landscape generator model which will predict soil quality development in Central Germany.
Coban, H.; Miltner, A.; Kaestner, M.
Comparison of different procedures to stabilize biogas formation after process failure in a thermophilic waste digestion system: influence of aggregate formation on process stability.
Following a process failure in a full-scale biogas reactor, different counter measures were undertaken to stabilize the process of biogas formation, including the reduction of the organic loading rate, the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the introduction of calcium oxide (CaO). Corresponding to the results of the process recovery in the full-scale digester, laboratory experiments showed that CaO was more capable of stabilizing the process than NaOH. While both additives were able to raise the pH to a neutral milieu (pH>7.0), the formation of aggregates was observed particularly when CaO was used as the additive. Scanning electron microscopy investigations revealed calcium phosphate compounds in the core of the aggregates. Phosphate seemed to be released by phosphorus-accumulating organisms, when volatile fatty acids accumulated. The calcium, which was charged by the CaO addition, formed insoluble salts with long chain fatty acids, and caused the precipitation of calcium phosphate compounds. These aggregates were surrounded by a white layer of carbon rich organic matter, probably consisting of volatile fatty acids. Thus, during the process recovery with CaO, the decrease in the amount of accumulated acids in the liquid phase was likely enabled by (1) the formation of insoluble calcium salts with long chain fatty acids, (2) the adsorption of volatile fatty acids by the precipitates, (3) the acid uptake by phosphorus-accumulating organisms and (4) the degradation of volatile fatty acids in the aggregates. Furthermore, this mechanism enabled a stable process performance after re-activation of biogas production. In contrast, during the counter measure with NaOH aggregate formation was only minor resulting in a rapid process failure subsequent the increase of the organic loading rate. PMID:22405750
Kleyböcker, A; Liebrich, M; Kasina, M; Kraume, M; Wittmaier, M; Würdemann, H
Modelling biogas production of solid waste: application of the BGP model to a synthetic landfill
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Production of biogas as a result of the decomposition of organic matter included on solid waste landfills is still an issue to be understood. Reports on this matter are rarely included on the engineering construction projects of solid waste landfills despite it can be an issue of critical importance while operating the landfill and after its closure. This paper presents an application of BGP (Bio-Gas-Production) model to a synthetic landfill. The evolution in time of the concentrations of the different chemical compounds of biogas is studied. Results obtained show the impact on the air quality of different management alternatives which are usually performed in real landfills.
Rodrigo-Ilarri, Javier; Segura-Sobrino, Francisco
Effect of substrate and cation requirement on anaerobic volatile fatty acid conversion rates at elevated biogas pressure.
This work studied the anaerobic conversion of neutralized volatile fatty acids (VFA) into biogas under Autogenerative High Pressure Digestion (AHPD) conditions. The effects of the operating conditions on the biogas quality, and the substrate utilisation rates were evaluated using 3 AHPD reactors (0.6 L); feeding a concentration of acetate and VFA (1-10 g COD/L) corresponding to an expected pressure increase of 1-20 bar. The biogas composition improved with pressure up to 4.5 bar (>93% CH4), and stabilized at 10 and 20 bar. Both, acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenic activity was observed. Substrate utilisation rates of 0.2, 0.1 and 0.1 g CODCH4/g VSS/d for acetate, propionate and butyrate were found to decrease by up to 50% with increasing final pressure. Most likely increased Na(+)-requirement to achieve CO2 sequestration at higher pressure rather than end-product inhibition was responsible. PMID:24152787
Lindeboom, Ralph E F; Ferrer, Ivet; Weijma, Jan; van Lier, Jules B
Light water reactor fuel performance modeling and multi-dimensional simulation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Light water reactor fuel is a multicomponent system required to produce thermal energy through the fission process, efficiently transfer the thermal energy to the coolant system, and provide a barrier to fission product release by maintaining structural integrity. The operating conditions within a reactor induce complex multi-physics phenomena that occur over time scales ranging from less than a microsecond to years and act over distances ranging from inter-atomic spacing to meters. These conditions impose challenging and unique modeling, simulation, and verification data requirements in order to accurately determine the state of the fuel during its lifetime in the reactor. The capabilities and limitations of the current engineering-scale one-dimensional and two-dimensional fuel performance codes is discussed and the challenges of employing higher level fidelity atomistic modeling techniques such as molecular dynamics and phase-field simulations is presented.
Rashid, Joseph Y. R.; Yagnik, Suresh K.; Montgomery, Robert O.
Comparative analysis of environmental impacts of maize-biogas and photovoltaics on a land use basis
This study aims to stimulate the discussion on how to optimize a sustainable energy mix from an environmental perspective and how to apply existing renewable energy sources in the most efficient way. Ground-mounted photovoltaics (PV) and the maize-biogas-electricity route are compared with regard to their potential to mitigate environmental pressure, assuming that a given agricultural area is available for energy production. Existing life cycle assessment (LCA) studies are taken as a basis to analyse environmental impacts of those technologies in relation to conventional technology for power and heat generation. The life-cycle-wide mitigation potential per area used is calculated for the impact categories non-renewable energy input, green house gas (GHG) emissions, acidification and eutrophication. The environmental performance of each system depends on the scenario that is assumed for end energy use (electricity and heat supply have been contemplated). In all scenarios under consideration, PV turns out to be superior to biogas in almost all studied impact categories. Even when maize is used for electricity production in connection with very efficient heat usage, and reduced PV performance is assumed to account for intermittence, PV can still mitigate about four times the amount of green house gas emissions and non-renewable energy input compared to maize-biogas. Soil erosion, which can be entirely avoided with PV, exceeds soil renewal rates roughly 20-fold on maize fields. Regarding the overall Eco-indicator 99 (H) score under most favourable assumptions for the maize-biogas route, PV has still a more than 100% higher potential to mitigate environmental burden. At present, the key advantages of biogas are its price and its availability without intermittence. In the long run, and with respect to more efficient land use, biogas might preferably be produced from organic waste or manure, whereas PV should be integrated into buildings and infrastructures. (author)
Graebig, Markus; Fenner, Richard [Centre for Sustainable Development, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom); Bringezu, Stefan [Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy. P.B. 100480, 42004 Wuppertal (Germany)
A pilot-scale photocatalyst-membrane hybrid reactor: performance and characterization.
We developed and tested a pilot-scale photocatalyst-membrane hybrid reactor for water treatment. The performance of the pilot-scale reactor was evaluated by monitoring the degradation efficiency of several organic pollutants and the membrane suction pressure at different operating conditions. The concentration of humic acids rather increased in the initial period of UV illumination and then decreased gradually, which could be ascribed to the photoinduced desorption of humic acids from the TiO2 surface. The decoloring rate of methylene blue was faster than that of rhodamine B, whereas the order of mineralization rates of the dyes was reversed. 4-chlorophenol of 100 ppb was fully degraded under UV irradiation in 2 hours, which suggests that this hybrid reactor would be more suitable in removing micropollutants in water. The reactor was operated with either continuous or intermittent suction mode. In a continuous suction mode, the formation of TiO2 cake layers on the membrane surface occurred and caused a substantial increase in suction pressure. However, no further fouling (or suction pressure build-up) took place with an intermittent suction mode with the 9-min suction and 3-min pause period. The photocatalyst-membrane hybrid reactor system developed in this study could be an attractive option for controlling micropollutants in water. PMID:16004012
Ryu, J; Choi, W; Choo, K H
Performance Assessment of the Commercial CFD Software for the Prediction of the Reactor Internal Flow
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
As the computer hardware technology develops the license applicants for nuclear power plant use the commercial CFD software with the aim of reducing the excessive conservatism associated with using simplified and conservative analysis tools. Even if some of CFD software developer and its user think that a state of the art CFD software can be used to solve reasonably at least the single-phase nuclear reactor problems, there is still limitation and uncertainty in the calculation result. From a regulatory perspective, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) is presently conducting the performance assessment of the commercial CFD software for nuclear reactor problems. In this study, in order to examine the validity of the results of 1/5 scaled APR+ (Advanced Power Reactor Plus) flow distribution tests and the applicability of CFD in the analysis of reactor internal flow, the simulation was conducted with the two commercial CFD software (ANSYS CFX V.14 and FLUENT V.14) among the numerous commercial CFD software and was compared with the measurement. In addition, what needs to be improved in CFD for the accurate simulation of reactor core inlet flow was discussed.
Lee, Gong Hee; Bang, Young Seok; Woo, Sweng Woong; Kim, Do Hyeong; Kang, Min Ku
Biogas production potential from cotton wastes
The anaerobic treatability and methane generation potential of three different cotton wastes namely, cotton stalks, cotton seed hull and cotton oil cake were determined in batch reactors. In addition, the effects of nutrient and trace metal supplementation were also investigated. To this purpose biochemical methane potential (BMP) experiments were performed for two different waste concentrations, namely 30 and 60g\\/l. The
A. Isci; G. N. Demirer
Fuel Cells on Bio-Gas (Presentation)
The conclusions of this presentation are: (1) Fuel cells operating on bio-gas offer a pathway to renewable electricity generation; (2) With federal incentives of $3,500/kW or 30% of the project costs, reasonable payback periods of less than five years can be achieved; (3) Tri-generation of electricity, heat, and hydrogen offers an alternative route to solving the H{sub 2} infrastructure problem facing fuel cell vehicle deployment; and (4) DOE will be promoting bio-gas fuel cells in the future under its Market Transformation Programs.
Remick, R. J.
Renewable Hydrogen Potential from Biogas in the United States
This analysis updates and expands upon previous biogas studies to include total potential and net availability of methane in raw biogas with respect to competing demands and includes a resource assessment of four sources of biogas: (1) wastewater treatment plants, including domestic and a new assessment of industrial sources; (2) landfills; (3) animal manure; and (4) a new assessment of industrial, institutional, and commercial sources. The results of the biogas resource assessment are used to estimate the potential production of renewable hydrogen from biogas as well as the fuel cell electric vehicles that the produced hydrogen might support.
Saur, G.; Milbrandt, A.
Improvement of Membrane Performances to Enhance the Yield of Vanillin in a Pervaporation Reactor
In membrane reactors, the interaction of reaction and membrane separation can be exploited to achieve a "process intensification", a key objective of sustainable development. In the present work, the properties that the membrane must have to obtain this result in a pervaporation reactor are analyzed and discussed. Then, the methods to enhance these properties are investigated for the photocatalytic synthesis of vanillin, which represents a case where the recovery from the reactor of vanillin by means of pervaporation while it is produced allows a substantial improvement of the yield, since its further oxidation is thus prevented. To this end, the phenomena that control the permeation of both vanillin and the reactant (ferulic acid) are analyzed, since they ultimately affect the performances of the membrane reactor. The results show that diffusion of the aromatic compounds takes place in the presence of low concentration gradients, so that the process is controlled by other phenomena, in particular by the equilibrium with the vapor at the membrane-permeate interface. On this basis, it is demonstrated that the performances are enhanced by increasing the membrane thickness and/or the temperature, whereas the pH begins to limit the process only at values higher than 6.5. PMID:24957123
Camera-Roda, Giovanni; Cardillo, Antonio; Loddo, Vittorio; Palmisano, Leonardo; Parrino, Francesco
Performance of batch membrane reactor: Glycerol-3-phosphate synthesis coupled with adenosine triphosphate regeneration.
Glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) was synthesized from glycerol using glycerol kinase (GK). This reaction requires adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and was coupled with the ATP regeneration reaction using acetate kinase (AK) in a batch-operated ultrafiltration hollow-fiber reactor. By taking into consideration the dynamic nature of the bioreactor performance under non-steady-state conditions, a model for the performance of a batch membrane reactor for G3P synthesis coupled with ATP regeneration was developed and studied. The simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation studies have provided some insight into the process dynamics of the coupled reactions in the reactor system studied. For the reactor operational model used, in which the enzymes are retained in the shell side and the substrates are also initially placed in the shell side, it was found that the substrate concentration in the lumen side increased to a level higher than that in the shell side, and a backdiffusion occurred from the lumen side to the shell side during reactor operation. The ratio of the reaction rate to diffusion rate goes through a sharp peak during the time that the direction of diffusion is reversed. For another reactor operational model, in which the substrates were initially placed in the lumen side and enzymes were retained in the shell side, it was found that the rate-controlling step between the reaction and diffusion was switched during the reactor operation. Initially, the reaction rate increased while the diffusion rate was high and the substrate concentrations increased in the shell side. The ratio of reaction rate to diffusion rate increased to a maximum and remained at a constant level as the diffusion rate decreased to a low level due to the nonlinear characteristics of mass transfer process. This study provides information that is useful for optimization of batch membrane enzyme reactor operation and for a fed-batch-type process with an intermittent feeding strategy for efficient use of substrates. PMID:11410857
Li, T; Yeh, H; Kim, J H; Ryu, D D
Metal-organic frameworks for upgrading biogas via CO2 adsorption to biogas green energy.
In the midst of the global climate change phenomenon, mainly caused by fossil fuel burning to provide energy for our daily life and discharge of CO2 into the atmosphere, biogas is one of the important renewable energy sources that can be upgraded and applied as a fuel source for energy in daily life. The advantages of the production of hybrid materials, metal-organic framework (MOF) adsorbents, expected for the biogas upgrading, rely on the bulk separation of CO2 under near-ambient conditions. This review highlights the challenges for MOF adsorbents, which have the greatest upgrading abilities for biogas via selective passage of methane. The key factors improving the ideal MOF materials for these high CO2 capture and selectivity uses for biogas upgrading to produce bio-methane and reduce fossil-fuel CO2 emission will be discussed. PMID:24045837
Chaemchuen, Somboon; Kabir, Nawsad Alam; Zhou, Kui; Verpoort, Francis
Treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor packed with pleated poly vinyl chloride rings
In this study, the performance of 5.4L hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactor for treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater under mesophilic conditions (29–35°C), was investigated. After starting-up, the reactor was loaded up to an OLR of 19kgCOD\\/m3d and achieved varied TCOD and SCOD removal efficiencies of 70–86% and 80–92%, respectively. The biogas was varied between 1.1 and 5.2m3\\/m3d with the
R. Rajakumar; T. Meenambal; P. M. Saravanan; P. Ananthanarayanan
Process for electric power production using a biogas
A process is described for the production of electric power with a biogas used as a fuel for an electric power producing combustion turbine which drives a generator. The turbine will accept such a biogas only at a temperature below a predetermined temperature, wherein a biomass is gasified to produce a hot stream of a biogas. The biogas is at temperatures of between about 650/sup 0/-875/sup 0/C and contains vaporized tar components and solid particulate matter. It is characterized in that: the hot stream of biogas, consisting essentially of a biogas, vaporized tars and solid particulate matter, has water injected thereto partially cool the biogas to a temperature below the predetermined temperature by vaporization of the water. However, the biogas is above a temperature at which the vaporized tars in the biogas would condense out of the stream; filtering the partially cooled biogas to remove the particulate matter; and directly charging the partially cooled, filtered biogas containing the vaporized water and vaporized tars to an electric power producing combustion turbine to produce electric power.
Archer, D.H.; Bauer, F.I.; Vidt, E.J.
Fuel density, uranium enrichment, and performance studies for the Advanced Neutron Source reactor
Consistent with the words of the budget request for the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS), DOE commissioned a study of the impact on performance of using medium- or low-enriched uranium (MEU or LEU) in the fuel of the reactor that generates the neutrons. In the course of the study, performance calculations for 19 different combinations of reactor core volume, fuel density and enrichment, power level, and other relevant parameters were carried out. Since then, another 14 cases have been analyzed at Oak Ridge to explore some of the more interesting and important configurations and to gain further insights into the tradeoffs between performance and enrichment. Furthermore, with the aid of the data from these additional cases, we have been able to correlate the most important performance parameters (peak thermal neutron flux in the reflector and core life) with reactor power, fuel density, and fuel enrichment. This enables us to investigate intermediate cases, or alternative cases that might be proposed by people within or outside the project, without the time and expense of doing completely new neutronics calculations for each new example. The main drivers of construction and operating costs are the reactor power level and the number of fuel plates to be fabricated each year; these quantities can be calculated from the correlations. The results show that the baseline two-element core design cannot be adapted to any practical fuel of greatly reduced enrichment without great performance penalties, but that a modification of the design, in which one additional fuel element is incorporated to provide extra volume for lower enrichment fuels, has the capability of using existing, or more advanced, fuel types to lower the uranium enrichment.
Alston, E.E.; Gehin, J.C.; West, C.D.
High-rate hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis for biogas upgrading: the role of anaerobic granules.
Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis has been proved to be a feasible biological method for biogas upgrading. To improve its performance, the feasibility of typical anaerobic granules as the inoculum was investigated in both batch and continuous experiments. The results from batch experiments showed that glucose-acclimated granules seemed to perform better than granules acclimated to acidified products (AP, i.e. acetate, propionate and ethanol) in in situ biogas upgrading systems and a slightly higher H2 consumption rate (1.5?mmol H2?g VSS(-1)?h(-1)) was obtained for glucose-acclimated granules. For AP-acclimated granules, the inhibition on anaerobic digestion and pH increase (up to 9.55±0.16) took place, and the upgrading performance was adversely affected. In contrast, better performance for AP-acclimated granules was observed in ex situ systems, possibly due to their higher hydrogenotrophic methanogenic activities (HMA). Moreover, when gas-liquid mass transfer limitations were alleviated, the upgrading performance was significantly improved (three-fold) for both glucose-acclimated and AP-acclimated granules. The HMA of anaerobic granules could be further enhanced to improve biogas upgrading performance via continuous cultivation with H2/CO2 as the sole substrate. During the three months' cultivation, secondary granulation and microbial population shift were observed, but anaerobic granules still remained intact and their HMA increased from 0.2 to 0.6?g COD?g VSS(-1)?d(-1). It indicated that the formation of hydrogenotrophic methanogenic granules, a new type of anaerobic granules specialized for high-rate hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and biogas upgrading, might be possible. Conclusively, anaerobic granules showed great potential for biogas upgrading. PMID:25347307
Xu, Heng; Gong, Shufen; Sun, Yuanzi; Ma, Hailing; Zheng, Mingyue; Wang, Kaijun
Analysis of bacterial communities and bacterial pathogens in a biogas plant by the combination of ethidium monoazide, PCR and Ion Torrent sequencing.
The present study investigated the changes of bacterial community composition including bacterial pathogens along a biogas plant, i.e. from the influent, to the biogas reactor and to the post-digester. The effects of post-digestion temperature and time on the changes of bacterial community composition and bacterial pathogens were also studied. Microbial analysis was made by Ion Torrent sequencing of the PCR amplicons from ethidium monoazide treated samples, and ethidium monoazide was used to cleave DNA from dead cells and exclude it from PCR amplification. Both similarity and taxonomic analysis showed that the bacterial community composition in the influent was changed after anaerobic digestion. Firmicutes were dominant in all the samples, while Proteobacteria decreased in the biogas reactor compared with the influent. Variations of bacterial community composition in the biogas reactor with time were also observed. This could be attributed to varying composition of the influent. Batch experiments showed that the methane recovery from the digested residues (obtained from biogas reactor) was mainly related with post-digestion temperature. However, post-digestion time rather than temperature had a significant effect on the changes of bacterial community composition. The changes of bacterial community composition were also reflected in the changes of relative abundance of bacterial pathogens. The richness and relative abundance of bacterial pathogens were reduced after anaerobic digestion in the biogas reactor. It was found in batch experiments that bacterial pathogens showed the highest relative abundance and richness after 30 days' post-digestion. Streptococcus bovis was found in all the samples. Our results showed that special attention should be paid to the post-digestion since the increase in relative abundance of bacterial pathogens after post-digestion might reflect regrowth of bacterial pathogens and limit biosolids disposal vectors. PMID:24852413
Luo, Gang; Angelidaki, Irini
Effects of steam pretreatment and co-production with ethanol on the energy efficiency and process economics of combined biogas, heat and electricity production from industrial hemp
Background The study presented here has used the commercial flow sheeting program Aspen Plus™ to evaluate techno-economic aspects of large-scale hemp-based processes for producing transportation fuels. The co-production of biogas, district heat and power from chopped and steam-pretreated hemp, and the co-production of ethanol, biogas, heat and power from steam-pretreated hemp were analysed. The analyses include assessments of heat demand, energy efficiency and process economics in terms of annual cash flows and minimum biogas and ethanol selling prices (MBSP and MESP). Results Producing biogas, heat and power from chopped hemp has the highest overall energy efficiency, 84% of the theoretical maximum (based on lower heating values), providing that the maximum capacity of district heat is delivered. The combined production of ethanol, biogas, heat and power has the highest energy efficiency (49%) if district heat is not produced. Neither the inclusion of steam pretreatment nor co-production with ethanol has a large impact on the MBSP. Ethanol is more expensive to produce than biogas is, but this is compensated for by its higher market price. None of the scenarios examined are economically viable, since the MBSP (EUR 103–128 per MWh) is higher than the market price of biogas (EUR 67 per MWh). The largest contribution to the cost is the cost of feedstock. Decreasing the retention time in the biogas process for low solids streams by partly replacing continuous stirred tank reactors by high-rate bioreactors decreases the MBSP. Also, recycling part of the liquid from the effluent from anaerobic digestion decreases the MBSP. The production and prices of methane and ethanol influence the process economics more than the production and prices of electricity and district heat. Conclusions To reduce the production cost of ethanol and biogas from biomass, the use of feedstocks that are cheaper than hemp, give higher output of ethanol and biogas, or combined production with higher value products are primarily suggested. Further, practical investigations on increased substrate concentration in biogas and ethanol production, recycling of the liquid in anaerobic digestion and separation of low solids flows into solid and a liquid fraction for improved reactor applications deserves further attention. PMID:23607263
Biogas production: current state and perspectives.
Anaerobic digestion of energy crops, residues, and wastes is of increasing interest in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and to facilitate a sustainable development of energy supply. Production of biogas provides a versatile carrier of renewable energy, as methane can be used for replacement of fossil fuels in both heat and power generation and as a vehicle fuel. For biogas production, various process types are applied which can be classified in wet and dry fermentation systems. Most often applied are wet digester systems using vertical stirred tank digester with different stirrer types dependent on the origin of the feedstock. Biogas is mainly utilized in engine-based combined heat and power plants, whereas microgas turbines and fuel cells are expensive alternatives which need further development work for reducing the costs and increasing their reliability. Gas upgrading and utilization as renewable vehicle fuel or injection into the natural gas grid is of increasing interest because the gas can be used in a more efficient way. The digestate from anaerobic fermentation is a valuable fertilizer due to the increased availability of nitrogen and the better short-term fertilization effect. Anaerobic treatment minimizes the survival of pathogens which is important for using the digested residue as fertilizer. This paper reviews the current state and perspectives of biogas production, including the biochemical parameters and feedstocks which influence the efficiency and reliability of the microbial conversion and gas yield. PMID:19777226
Weiland, Peter
Biogas plants in Denmark: successes and setbacks
With 20 centralised plants and over 35 farmscale plants, the digestion of manure and organic waste is a well established technological practice in Denmark. These plants did not emerge without a struggle. Moreover, no new centralised plants have been established since 1998 and the development of farmscale plants has slowed down. This article reviews the experimental introduction of biogas plants
R. P. J. M. Raven; K. H. Gregersen
The optimal size for biogas plants
The costs of biogas and electricity production from maize silage in relation to plant size are investigated in this paper. A survey of manufacturers' engineering data was conducted to derive a reliable relationship between the capacity of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit and its electrical efficiency. Then a model was developed to derive cost curves for the unit
C. Walla; W. Schneeberger
Modeling biogas production at landfill site
Biogas production is characteristic of municipal solid waste landfills. A knowledge of the trend of this production allows an exploitation of this energy source. The here presented model is more accurate than those that already exist as it takes the temperature variation in time and depth and the landfill settlement into account. The obtained model fits experimental data well.
L. Manna; M. C. Zanetti; G. Genon
Bio-gas production from alligator weeds
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of temperature, sample preparation, reducing agents, light intensity and pH of the media, on bio-gas and methane production from the microbial anaerobic decomposition of alligator weeds (Alternanthera philoxeroides. Efforts were also made for the isolation and characterization of the methanogenic bacteria.
Latif, A.
Energy Economics of Farm Biogas in Cold Climates
Anaerobic digestion of farm and dairy waste has been shown to be capital intensive. One way to improve digester economics is to co-digest high-energy substrates together with the dairy manure. Cheese whey for example represents a high-energy substrate that is generated during cheese manufacture. There are currently no quantitative tools available that predict performance of co-digestion farm systems. The goal of this project was to develop a mathematical tool that would (1) predict the impact of co-digestion and (2) determine the best use of the generated biogas for a cheese manufacturing plant. Two models were developed that separately could be used to meet both goals of the project. Given current pricing structures of the most economical use of the generated biogas at the cheese manufacturing plant was as a replacement of fuel oil to generate heat. The developed digester model accurately predicted the performance of 26 farm digesters operating in the North Eastern U.S.
Pillay, Pragasen; Grimberg, Stefan; Powers, Susan E
Performance Analysis of Potassium Heat Pipes Radiator for HP-STMCs Space Reactor Power System
A detailed design and performance results of C-C finned, and armored potassium heat pipes radiator for a 110 kWe Heat Pipes-Segmented Thermoelectric Module Converters (HP-STMCs) Space Reactor Power system (SRPS) are presented. The radiator consists of two sections; each serves an equal number of STMCs and has 162 longitudinal potassium heat pipes with 0.508 mm thick C-C fins. The width
Mohamed S. El-Genk; Jean-Michel Tournier
Performance of small nuclear reactor primary coolant pumps under blowdown conditions. [PWR
Performance results for small, canned rotor nuclear reactor primary coolant pumps under one- and two-phase flow conditions were obtained in the Loss-of-Fluid Test facility at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Calculation of pump behavior during the changing flow conditions (blowdown) along with experimental results are presented for testing where the pumps were allowed to coast down. Additional experiment results for
J. A. Hunter; P. A. Harris
Description and performance characteristics for the neutron Coincidence Collar for the verification of reactor fuel assemblies
An active neutron interrogation method has been developed for the measurement of /sup 235/U content in fresh fuel assemblies. The neutron Coincidence Collar uses neutron interrogation with an AmLi neutron source and coincidence counting the induced fission reaction neutrons from the /sup 235/U. This manual describes the system components, operation, and performance characteristics. Applications of the Coincidence Collar to PWR and BWR types of reactor fuel assemblies are described.
Menlove, H.O.
Anaerobic co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste with FOG waste from a sewage treatment plant: Recovering a wasted methane potential and enhancing the biogas yield
Anaerobic digestion is applied widely to treat the source collected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (SC-OFMSW). Lipid-rich wastes are a valuable substrate for anaerobic digestion due to their high theoretical methane potential. Nevertheless, although fat, oil and grease waste from sewage treatment plants (STP-FOGW) are commonly disposed of in landfill, European legislation is aimed at encouraging more effective forms of treatment. Co-digestion of the above wastes may enhance valorisation of STP-FOGW and lead to a higher biogas yield throughout the anaerobic digestion process. In the present study, STP-FOGW was evaluated as a co-substrate in wet anaerobic digestion of SC-OFMSW under mesophilic conditions (37 {sup o}C). Batch experiments carried out at different co-digestion ratios showed an improvement in methane production related to STP-FOGW addition. A 1:7 (VS/VS) STP-FOGW:SC-OFMSW feed ratio was selected for use in performing further lab-scale studies in a 5 L continuous reactor. Biogas yield increased from 0.38 {+-} 0.02 L g VS{sub feed}{sup -1} to 0.55 {+-} 0.05 L g VS{sub feed}{sup -1} as a result of adding STP-FOGW to reactor feed. Both VS reduction values and biogas methane content were maintained and inhibition produced by long chain fatty acid (LCFA) accumulation was not observed. Recovery of a currently wasted methane potential from STP-FOGW was achieved in a co-digestion process with SC-OFMSW.
Martin-Gonzalez, L., E-mail: email@example.com [Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Colturato, L.F. [Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Font, X.; Vicent, T. [Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambiental (ICTA) Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain)
Comparative performance of fixed-film biological filters: Application of reactor theory
Nitrification is classified as a two-step consecutive reaction where R1 represents the rate of formation of the intermediate product NO2-N and R2 represents the rate of formation of the final product NO3-N. The relative rates of R1 and R2 are influenced by reactor type characterized hydraulically as plug-flow, plug-flow with dispersion and mixed-flow. We develop substrate conversion models for fixed-film biofilters operating in the first-order kinetic regime based on application of chemical reactor theory. Reactor type, inlet conditions and the biofilm kinetic constants Ki (h-1) are used to predict changes in NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N and BOD5. The inhibiting effects of the latter on R1 and R2 were established based on the ?? relation, e.g.:{A formula is presented}where BOD5,max is the concentration that causes nitrification to cease and N is a variable relating Ki to increasing BOD5. Conversion models were incorporated in spreadsheet programs that provided steady-state concentrations of nitrogen and BOD5 at several points in a recirculating aquaculture system operating with input values for fish feed rate, reactor volume, microscreen performance, make-up and recirculating flow rates. When rate constants are standardized, spreadsheet use demonstrates plug-flow reactors provide higher rates of R1 and R2 than mixed-flow reactors thereby reducing volume requirements for target concentrations of NH4-N and NO2-N. The benefit provided by the plug-flow reactor varies with hydraulic residence time t as well as the effective vessel dispersion number, D/??L. Both reactor types are capable of providing net increases in NO2-N during treatment but the rate of decrease in the mixed-flow case falls well behind that predicted for plug-flow operation. We show the potential for a positive net change in NO2-N increases with decreases in the dimensionless ratios K2, (R2 )/K1,( R1 ) and [NO2-N]/[NH4-N] and when the product K1, (R1) t provides low to moderate NH4-N conversions. Maintaining high levels of the latter reduces the effective reactor utilization rate (%) defined here as (RNavg/RNmax)100 where RNavg is the mean reactive nitrogen concentration ([NH4-N] + [NO2-N]) within the reactor, and RNmax represents the feed concentration of the same. Low utilization rates provide a hedge against unexpected increases in substrate loading and reduce water pumping requirements but force use of elevated reactor volumes. Further ?? effects on R1 and R2 can be reduced through use of a tanks-in-series versus a single mixed-flow reactor configuration and by improving the solids removal efficiency of microscreen treatment.
Watten, B.J.; Sibrell, P.L.
Comparative performance of a UASB reactor and an anaerobic packed-bed reactor when treating potato waste leachate
The results presented in this paper are from studies on a laboratory-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and an anaerobic packed-bed (APB) reactor treating potato leachate at increasing organic loading rates from 1.5 to 7.0gCOD\\/1\\/day. The hydraulic retention times ranged from 13.2 to 2.8 days for both reactors during the 100 days of the experiment. The maximum organic loading
W. Parawira; M. Murto; R. Zvauya; B. Mattiasson
Behavioral study on hydrogen fermentation reactor installed with silicone rubber membrane
This investigation examines the effectiveness of a silicone rubber membrane to separate biogas from the liquid medium in the hydrogen fermentation reactor. When the culture liquid circulates through the shell side of the hollow fibers, the biogas diffuses into the lumen of the hollow fibers and is removed by a vacuum pump. When the cross flow velocity along the module
Teh-Ming Liang; Sheng-Shung Cheng; Kung-Long Wu
Integrated application of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for the treatment of wastewaters.
The UASB process among other treatment methods has been recognized as a core method of an advanced technology for environmental protection. This paper highlights the treatment of seven types of wastewaters i.e. palm oil mill effluent (POME), distillery wastewater, slaughterhouse wastewater, piggery wastewater, dairy wastewater, fishery wastewater and municipal wastewater (black and gray) by UASB process. The purpose of this study is to explore the pollution load of these wastewaters and their treatment potential use in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket process. The general characterization of wastewater, treatment in UASB reactor with operational parameters and reactor performance in terms of COD removal and biogas production are thoroughly discussed in the paper. The concrete data illustrates the reactor configuration, thus giving maximum awareness about upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for further research. The future aspects for research needs are also outlined. PMID:21764417
Latif, Muhammad Asif; Ghufran, Rumana; Wahid, Zularisam Abdul; Ahmad, Anwar
The Bosch Process-Performance of a Developmental Reactor and Experimental Evaluation of Alternative Catalysts
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bosch-based reactors have been in development at NASA since the 1960's. Traditional operation involves the reduction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen over a steel wool catalyst to produce water and solid carbon. While the system is capable of completely closing the loop on oxygen and hydrogen for Atmosphere Revitalization, steel wool requires a reaction temperature of 650C or higher for optimum performance. The single pass efficiency of the reaction over steel wool has been shown to be less than 10% resulting in a high recycle stream. Finally, the formation of solid carbon on steel wool ultimately fouls the catalyst necessitating catalyst resupply. These factors result in high mass, volume and power demands for a Bosch system. Interplanetary transportation and surface exploration missions of the moon, Mars, and near-earth objects will require higher levels of loop closure than current technology cannot provide. A Bosch system can provide the level of loop closure necessary for these long-term missions if mass, volume, and power can be kept low. The keys to improving the Bosch system lie in reactor and catalyst development. In 2009, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration refurbished a circa 1980's developmental Bosch reactor and built a sub-scale Bosch Catalyst Test Stand for the purpose of reactor and catalyst development. This paper describes the baseline performance of two commercially available steel wool catalysts as compared to performance reported in the 1960's and 80's. Additionally, the results of sub-scale testing of alternative Bosch catalysts, including nickel- and cobalt-based catalysts, are discussed.
Abney, Morgan B.; Mansell, J. Matthew
Benchmarking of software and methods for use in transient multidimensional fuel performance with spatial reactor kinetics
The key physics involved in accurate prediction of reactor-fuel-element behavior includes neutron transport and thermal hydraulics. The thermal hydraulic feedback mechanism is primarily provided through cross sections to the neutron transport that are temperature and density dependent. Historically, this coupling was primarily seen only in reactor simulators, which are well suited to model the reactor core, giving only a coarse treatment to individual fuel pins as well as simple models for thermal distribution calculations. This poor resolution on the primary coupling mechanisms can lead to conservatisms that should be removed to improve fuel design and performance. This work seeks to address the resolution of space-time-dependent neutron kinetics with thermal feedback within the fuel pin scale in the multi-physics framework. The specific application of this new capability is transient performance analysis of space-time-dependent temperature distribution of fuel elements. The coupling between the neutron transport and the thermal feedback is extremely important in this highly coupled problem, primarily applicable to reactivity-initiated- accidents (RIAs) and loss-of-coolant-accidents (LOCAs). The capability developed will include the coupling of the time-dependent neutron transport with the time-dependent thermal diffusion capability. An improvement in resolution and coupling is proposed by developing neutron transport models that are internally coupled with high fidelity within fuel pin thermal calculations in a multi-physics framework. Good agreement is shown with benchmarks and problems from the literature of RIAs and LOCAs for the tools used. (authors)
Banfield, J. E. [Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2300 (United States); Clarno, K. T.; Hamilton, S. P. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Maldonado, G. I. [Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2300 (United States); Philip, B.; Baird, M. L. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)
Benchmarking of Software and Methods for Use in Transient Multidimensional Fuel Performance with Spatial Reactor Kinetics
The key physics involved in accurate prediction of reactor-fuel-element behavior includes neutron transport and thermal hydraulics. The thermal hydraulic feedback mechanism is primarily provided through cross sections to the neutron transport that are temperature and density dependent. Historically, this coupling was primarily seen only in reactor simulators, which are well suited to model the reactor core, giving only a coarse treatment to individual fuel pins as well as simple models for thermal distribution calculations. This poor resolution on the primary coupling mechanisms can lead to conservatisms that should be removed to improve fuel design and performance. This work seeks to address the resolution of space-time-dependent neutron kinetics with thermal feedback within the fuel pin scale in the multiphysics framework. The specific application of this new capability is transient performance analysis of space-time-dependent temperature distribution of fuel elements. The coupling between the neutron transport and the thermal feedback is extremely important in this highly coupled problem, primarily applicable to reactivity-initiated-accidents (RIAs) and loss-of-coolant-accidents (LOCAs). The capability developed will include the coupling of the time-dependent neutron transport with the time-dependent thermal diffusion capability. An improvement in resolution and coupling is proposed by developing neutron transport models that are internally coupled with high fidelity within fuel pin thermal calculations in a multiphysics framework. Good agreement is shown with benchmarks and problems from the literature of RIAs and LOCAs for the tools used.
Banfield, James E [ORNL] [ORNL; Clarno, Kevin T [ORNL] [ORNL; Hamilton, Steven P [ORNL] [ORNL; Maldonado, G Ivan [ORNL] [ORNL; Philip, Bobby [ORNL] [ORNL; Baird, Mark L [ORNL] [ORNL
Treatment of Slaughter House Wastewater in a Sequencing Batch Reactor: Performance Evaluation and Biodegradation Kinetics
Slaughterhouse wastewater contains diluted blood, protein, fat, and suspended solids, as a result the organic and nutrient concentration in this wastewater is vary high and the residues are partially solubilized, leading to a highly contaminating effect in riverbeds and other water bodies if the same is let off untreated. The performance of a laboratory-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) has been investigated in aerobic-anoxic sequential mode for simultaneous removal of organic carbon and nitrogen from slaughterhouse wastewater. The reactor was operated under three different variations of aerobic-anoxic sequence, namely, (4+4), (5+3), and (3+5) hr. of total react period with two different sets of influent soluble COD (SCOD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) level 1000 ± 50?mg/L, and 90 ± 10?mg/L, 1000 ± 50?mg/L and 180 ± 10?mg/L, respectively. It was observed that from 86 to 95% of SCOD removal is accomplished at the end of 8.0?hr of total react period. In case of (4+4) aerobic-anoxic operating cycle, a reasonable degree of nitrification 90.12 and 74.75% corresponding to initial NH4+-N value of 96.58 and 176.85?mg/L, respectively, were achieved. The biokinetic coefficients (k, Ks, Y, kd) were also determined for performance evaluation of SBR for scaling full-scale reactor in future operation. PMID:24027751
Kundu, Pradyut; Debsarkar, Anupam; Mukherjee, Somnath
Performance and emissions of a catalytic reactor with propane, diesel, and Jet A fuels
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tests were made to determine the performance and emissions of a catalytic reactor operated with propane, No. 2 diesel, and Jet A fuels. A 12-cm diameter and 16-cm long catalytic reactor using a proprietary noble metal catalyst was operated at an inlet temperature of 800 K, a pressure of 300,000 Pa and reference velocities of 10 to 15 m/s. No significant differences between the performance of the three fuels were observed when 98.5 percent purity propane was used. The combustion efficiency for 99.8-percent purity propane tested later was significantly lower, however. The diesel fuel contained 135 ppm of bound nitrogen and consequently produced the highest NOx emissions of the three fuels. As much as 85 percent of the bound nitrogen was converted to NOx. Steady-state emissions goals based on half the most stringent proposed automotive standards were met when the reactor was operated at an adiabatic combustion temperature higher than 1350 K with all fuels except the 99.8-percent purity propane. With that fuel, a minimum temperature of 1480 K was required.
Anderson, D. N.
Commercial-Scale Performance Predictions for High-Temperature Electrolysis Plants Coupled to Three Advanced Reactor Types
This report presents results of system analyses that have been developed to assess the hydrogen production performance of commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) plants driven by three different advanced reactor – power-cycle combinations: a high-temperature helium cooled reactor coupled to a direct Brayton power cycle, a supercritical CO2-cooled reactor coupled to a direct recompression cycle, and a sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled to a Rankine cycle. The system analyses were performed using UniSim software. The work described in this report represents a refinement of previous analyses in that the process flow diagrams include realistic representations of the three advanced reactors directly coupled to the power cycles and integrated with the high-temperature electrolysis process loops. In addition, this report includes parametric studies in which the performance of each HTE concept is determined over a wide range of operating conditions. Results of the study indicate that overall thermal-to- hydrogen production efficiencies (based on the low heating value of the produced hydrogen) in the 45 - 50% range can be achieved at reasonable production rates with the high-temperature helium cooled reactor concept, 42 - 44% with the supercritical CO2-cooled reactor and about 33 - 34% with the sodium-cooled reactor.
M. G. McKellar; J. E. O'Brien; J. S. Herring
Particle bed reactor propulsion vehicle performance and characteristics as an orbital transfer rocket
The particle bed reactor designed for 100 to 300 MW power output using hydrogen as a coolant is capable of specific impulses up to 1000 seconds as a nuclear rocket. A single space shuttle compatible vehicle can perform extensive missions from LEO to 3 times GEO and return with multi-ton payloads. The use of hydrogen to directly cool particulate reactor fuel results in a compact, lightweight rocket vehicle, whose duration of usefulness is dependent only upon hydrogen resupply availability. The LEO to GEO mission had a payload capability of 15.4 metric tons with 3.4 meters of shuttle bay. To increase the volume limitation of the shuttle bay, the use of ammonia in the initial boost phase from LEO is used to give greater payload volume with a small decrease in payload mass, 8.7 meters and 12.7 m-tons. 5 refs., 15 figs.
Horn, F.L.; Powell, J.R.; Lazareth, O.W.
Safety System Design Concept and Performance Evaluation for a Long Operating Cycle Simplified Boiling Water Reactor
The long operating cycle simplified boiling water reactor is a reactor concept that pursues both safety and the economy by employing a natural circulation reactor core without a refueling, a passive decay heat removal, and an integrated building for the reactor and turbine. Throughout the entire spectrum of the design basis accident, the reactor core is kept covered by the
Kenji Arai; Seijiro Suzuki; Mikihide Nakamaru; Hideaki Heki
Analysis of factors affecting the performance of partial nitrification in a sequencing batch reactor.
The objective of this study was to analyze the factors affecting the performance of partial nitrification in a sequencing batch reactor. During a 140-day long-term operation, influent pH value, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen (COD/N) ratio were selected as operating factors to evaluate the maintenance and recovery of nitrite accumulation. Results showed that high DO concentration (2-4 mg/L) could damage nitrite accumulation immediately. However, nitrite accumulation ratio (NAR) could be increased from 1.68 ± 1.51 to 35.46 ± 7.86% when increasing the pH values from 7.5 to 8.3 due to the increased free ammonia concentration. Afterwards, stable partial nitrification and high NAR could be recovered when the reactor operated under low DO concentration (0.5-1.0 mg/L). However, it required a long time to recover the partial nitrification of the reactor when the influent COD/N ratios were altered. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis implied that ammonium oxidizing bacteria were completely recovered to the dominant nitrifying bacteria in the system. Meanwhile, sludge volumetric index of the reactor gradually decreased from 115.6 to 56.6 mL/g, while the mean diameter of sludge improved from 74.57 to 428.8 ?m by using the strategy of reducing settling time. The obtained results could provide useful information between the operational conditions and the performance of partial nitrification when treating nitrogen-rich industrial wastewater. PMID:23942879
Wei, Dong; Du, Bin; Xue, Xiaodong; Dai, Peng; Zhang, Jian
Nuclear Systems Enhanced Performance Program, Maintenance Cycle Extension in Advanced Light Water Reactor Design
A renewed interest in new nuclear power generation in the US has spurred interest in developing advanced reactors with features which will address the public's concerns regarding nuclear generation. However, it is economic performance which will dictate whether any new orders for these plants will materialize. Economic performance is, to a great extent, improved by maximizing the time that the plant is on-line generating electricity relative to the time spent off-line conducting maintenance and refueling. Indeed, the strategy for the advanced light water reactor plant IRIS (International Reactor, Innovative and Secure) is to utilize an eight year operating cycle. This report describes a formalized strategy to address, during the design phase, the maintenance-related barriers to an extended operating cycle. The top-level objective of this investigation was to develop a methodology for injecting component and system maintainability issues into the reactor plant design process to overcome these barriers. A primary goal was to demonstrate the applicability and utility of the methodology in the context of the IRIS design. The first step in meeting the top-level objective was to determine the types of operating cycle length barriers that the IRIS design team is likely to face. Evaluation of previously identified regulatory and investment protection surveillance program barriers preventing a candidate operating PWR from achieving an extended (48 month) cycle was conducted in the context of the IRIS design. From this analysis, 54 known IRIS operating cycle length barriers were identified. The resolution methodology was applied to each of these barriers to generate design solution alternatives for consideration in the IRIS design. The methodology developed has been demonstrated to narrow the design space to feasible design solutions which enable a desired operating cycle length, yet is general enough to have broad applicability. Feedback from the IRIS design team indicates that the proposed solutions to the investigated operating cycle length barriers are both feasible and consistent with sound design practice.
Professor Neill Todreas
Biogas Potential in the United States (Fact Sheet)
Biogas has received increased attention as an alternative energy source in the United States. The factsheet provides information about the biogas (methane) potential from various sources in the country (by county and state) and estimates the power generation and transportation fuels production (renewable natural gas) potential from these biogas sources. It provides valuable information to the industry, academia and policy makers in support of their future decisions.
Not Available
Impact of temperature, microwave radiation and organic loading rate on methanogenic community and biogas production during fermentation of dairy wastewater.
This study analyzed dairy wastewater fermentation in convection- and microwave-heated hybrid reactors at loadings of 1 and 2 kg COD/(m3 d) and temperatures of 35 and 55 °C. The biomass was investigated at a molecular level to determine the links between the operational parameters of anaerobic digestion and methanogenic Archaea structure. The highest production of biogas with methane content of ca. 67% was noted in the mesophilic microwave-heated reactors. The production of methane-rich biogas and the overall diversity of Archaea was determined by Methanosarcinaceae presence. The temperature and the application of microwaves were the main factors explaining the variations in the methanogen community. At 35 °C, the microwave heating stimulated the growth of highly diverse methanogen assemblages, promoting Methanosarcina barkeri presence and excluding Methanosarcina harudinacea from the biomass. A temperature increase to 55 °C lowered Methanosarcinaceae abundance and induced a replacement of Methanoculleus palmolei by Methanosarcina thermophila. PMID:23262005
Zieli?ska, Magdalena; Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, Agnieszka; Zieli?ski, Marcin; D?bowski, Marcin
Analytical methodology for sampling and analysing eight siloxanes and trimethylsilanol in biogas from different wastewater treatment plants in Europe.
Siloxanes and trimethylsilanol belong to a family of organic silicone compounds that are currently used extensively in industry. Those that are prone to volatilisation become minor compounds in biogas adversely affecting energetic applications. However, non-standard analytical methodologies are available to analyse biogas-based gaseous matrixes. To this end, different sampling techniques (adsorbent tubes, impingers and tedlar bags) were compared using two different configurations: sampling directly from the biogas source or from a 200 L tedlar bag filled with biogas and homogenised. No significant differences were apparent between the two sampling configurations. The adsorbent tubes performed better than the tedlar bags and impingers, particularly for quantifying low concentrations. A method for the speciation of silicon compounds in biogas was developed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry working in dual scan/single ion monitoring mode. The optimised conditions could separate and quantify eight siloxane compounds (L2, L3, L4, L5, D3, D4, D5 and D6) and trimethylsilanol within fourteen minutes. Biogas from five waste water treatment plants located in Spain, France and England was sampled and analysed using the developed methodology. The siloxane concentrations in the biogas samples were influenced by the anaerobic digestion temperature, as well as the nature and composition of the sewage inlet. Siloxanes D4 and D5 were the most abundant, ranging in concentration from 1.5 to 10.1 and 10.8 to 124.0 mg Nm(-3), respectively, and exceeding the tolerance limit of most energy conversion systems. PMID:24491768
Raich-Montiu, J; Ribas-Font, C; de Arespacochaga, N; Roig-Torres, E; Broto-Puig, F; Crest, M; Bouchy, L; Cortina, J L
Performance evaluation of anaerobic hybrid reactors with different packing media for treating wastewater of mild alkali treated rice straw in ethanol fermentation process.
Four anaerobic hybrid reactors with different packing media viz. gravel (R1), pumice stone (R2), polypropylene saddles (R3) and ceramic saddles (R4) were operated in semi-continuous mode. Biomethanation potential of the wastewater generated during alkali-treatment of rice straw in ethanol production process was investigated at ambient conditions. The reactors were operated with varying organic loading rates (0.861-4.313 g COD l(-1) d(-1)) and hydraulic retention time (3-15 days). Higher COD removal efficiency (69.2%) and methane yield (0.153 l CH4 g(-1) CODadded) were achieved in reactor R2 at 15 days HRT. Modified Stover-Kincannon model was applied to estimate the bio-kinetic coefficients and fitness of the model was checked by the regression coefficient for all the reactors. The model showed an excellent correlation between the experimental and predicted values. The present study demonstrated the treatment of wastewater from alkali treated rice straw for production of biogas. PMID:24291309
Narra, Madhuri; Balasubramanian, Velmurugan; Mehta, Himali; Dixit, Garima; Madamwar, Datta; Shah, Amita R
Performance Assessment of a Fusion Hybrid Reactor Based on the Gasdynamic Mirror
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
A preliminary evaluation of the performance of a fusion hybrid reactor whose fusion component is the gasdynamic mirror (GDM) is presented. Since the primary role of the fusion component is to supply high energy neutrons that will induce fission reactions in a blanket surrounding the plasma, it can operate at or below ``break even'' condition. Unlike other fusion devices proposed for this component, the GDM is a linear, cylindrically symmetric device that can operate in steady state making it uniquely suited for this application. We investigate the power producing capability of such a hybrid reactor using the thorium fuel cycle whereby neutrons generated by DT reactions in the GDM impinge on a thorium-232 blanket. These 14.1 MeV neutrons will breed uranium-233 in the blanket and simultaneously burn it to generate power. We treat both the fusion component and the blanket as semi-infinite cylinders so that one-dimensional analysis can be applied. The two relevant equations in this regard are the time evolution of the U-233 density in the blanket, and the neutron one dimensional diffusion equation. We address the steady state operation of this reactor and find that it can produce gigawatts of power per cm, safely since it is ``subcritical,'' and securely since the fuel cycle is proliferation resistant. The approach to steady state will also be presented and analyzed.
Kammash, Terry
Performance of nonconcentrating solar photocatalytic oxidation reactors; Part 2: Shallow pond configuration
A solar photocatalytic oxidation facility has been fabricated in which the destruction of 4-chlorophenol (4CP) is tested in three adjacent shallow pond reactors. Each of the reactors has depths of 5.1, 10.2, and 15.3 cm (2, 4, and 6 in.), respectively. It is found that 4CP is successfully oxidized with the photocatalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO[sub 2]), suspended in a slurry or adhered to a fiberglass mesh. The pond reactors, however, perform better with the slurry. It has also been found that the first-order rate constant for oxidation of 4CP increases with decreasing initial concentration. For the same incident ultraviolet (UV) intensity, catalyst loading, and initial solute concentration, the oxidation rate of 4CP is invariant provided the aperture to volume ratio is fixed. It has been determined that the 4CP solution contains sufficient dissolved oxygen to support the photocatalytic oxidation process. Direct evidence is provided to demonstrate that the utilization of photons in the photocatalytic process becomes less efficient as the number of incident photons on the catalyst increases.
Wyness, P.; Klausner, J.F.; Goswami, D.Y.; Schanze, K.S. (Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States))
Biogas production: current state and perspectives
Anaerobic digestion of energy crops, residues, and wastes is of increasing interest in order to reduce the greenhouse gas\\u000a emissions and to facilitate a sustainable development of energy supply. Production of biogas provides a versatile carrier\\u000a of renewable energy, as methane can be used for replacement of fossil fuels in both heat and power generation and as a vehicle\\u000a fuel.
Peter Weiland
Biogas as a source of rural energy
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, with nearly 2.15 million cattle and 0.7 million buffalo, has the potential to install 0.64 million biogas plants of 1 m{sup 3} size. These plants could generate nearly 4.90 x 105 m{sup 3} of biogas, equivalent to 3.07 x 10{sup 5} L kerosene per day to meet domestic energy needs of nearly one-fourth of its rural population. During 1982--1998, only 12.8% of this potential was achieved. The percent of possible potential achieved in plant installations in 12 districts of this state, namely, Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Solan, and Una, are 35.35, 1.70, 20.96, 8.67, 1.54, 6.96, 0.00, 18.49, 3.84, 8.521, 18.29, and 13.23%, respectively. There is a need to strengthen biogas promotion, particularly in the districts of Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Una, which range from mid-hill to low-hill terrain and which have large potential due to high concentration of bovine population. Increased costs and comparatively low rate of subsidies has resulted in a decreasing rate of plant installation annually, from 3,500 during 1987--1992 to fewer than 1,200 during 1995--1998. The percentage of functioning plants was 82% in 1987--1988 but has decreased to 63%. To ensure proper installation and functionality of plants, the authors discuss the needed improvements in the biogas promotion program.
Kalia, A.K.
Techno-socio-economic study of bio-gas plants
This study covers technological, social and economic aspects of the biogas program in Chitawan, Nepal. Many interesting facts are revealed which may be useful for future planning of Nepalese biogas programs. Concerning the social aspects, only big farmers (having more than 4 bighas of land and more than 10 domestic animals) were found to have biogas plants. No farmer who had a biogas plant was illiterate. As for the technical aspects of the total gas ovens used in the area, 66% were of BTI design. Most of the ovens were of 0.45-m/sup 3/ capacity. The life of BTI ovens was found to be shorter than the life of ovens of other companies. BTI ovens are not useful when farmers have to use a big pot for cooking. All farmers of the area were found to be convinced of the utility of the biogas plant. With regard to the economic aspects of using biogas plants, farmers were able to save 53% of the total expenditure which they had been spending for fuel. Wood consumption was reduced to 50% by using biogas. The internal rate of return of a 2.8-m/sup 3/ biogas plant was found to be 14% assuming that the plant would last for 20 years. Most of the farmers in the area did not have biogas plants. The main reason given was that there were not enough capital and cattle to begin such an operation.
Not Available
A technoeconomic assessment of solar-assisted biogas systems
Biogas has been recognized as one of the best available renewable and decentralized sources of energy and organic fertilizer for a country like India. There is enough evidence to prove that temperature has a profound influence on the rate of biogas production. In temperate climates, where the winters are mild, solar energy systems can be effectively used to increase the temperature of the biogas digester to the desired level. This paper examines various techniques, such as a solar greenhouse on the biogas digester, a shallow solar pond water heater, insulation, and a heat exchanger, and their technoeconomic viability.
Bansal, N.K. (Centre of Energy Studies Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016 (IN))
A Performance-Based Training Qualification Guide/Checklist Developed for Reactor Operators at the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
A Performance-Based Training (PBT) Qualification Guide/Checklist was developed that would enable a trainee to attain the skills, knowledge, and attitude required to operate the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Design of this guide/checklist was based on the Instructional System Design Model. The needs analysis identified…
McNair, Robert C.
Biogas and energy production from cattle waste
Biomass is one of the longest used energy sources employed in human activity. The bioconversion of organic matter to biogas is a complex anaerobic fermentation process involving the action of microorganisms such as methane producing bacteria. In this paper, biogas and energy production from cattle waste is investigated. There are two significant reasons that motivate this study. First, treating animal waste with the technology of anaerobic digestion can reduce environmental pollution and generate a relatively cheap and easily available source of energy in dairy farms. The gas produced can be used for space and water heating of farm houses, cooking, lighting, grain drying and as a fuel for heating greenhouses during cold weather. It also has the potential to run other small industries. Second, it is an effective way of managing cattle waste as well as producing a quick acting, non-toxic fertilizer for agricultural use. A working model of biogas plant is studied in this paper and its economic value as an alternative energy source is examined. An alternative to direct generation of electricity, is to convert the methane from the biomass to methanol. Methanol is an excellent fuel for internal combustion engines and can easily compete with gasoline in many nations where gasoline costs over $4 per US gallon.
Chakravarthi, J. [Hood Coll., Frederick, MD (United States). Dept. of Environmental Biology
Climate balance of biogas upgrading systems
One of the numerous applications of renewable energy is represented by the use of upgraded biogas where needed by feeding into the gas grid. The aim of the present study was to identify an upgrading scenario featuring minimum overall GHG emissions. The study was based on a life-cycle approach taking into account also GHG emissions resulting from plant cultivation to the process of energy conversion. For anaerobic digestion two substrates have been taken into account: (1) agricultural resources and (2) municipal organic waste. The study provides results for four different upgrading technologies including the BABIU (Bottom Ash for Biogas Upgrading) method. As the transport of bottom ash is a critical factor implicated in the BABIU-method, different transport distances and means of conveyance (lorry, train) have been considered. Furthermore, aspects including biogas compression and energy conversion in a combined heat and power plant were assessed. GHG emissions from a conventional energy supply system (natural gas) have been estimated as reference scenario. The main findings obtained underlined how the overall reduction of GHG emissions may be rather limited, for example for an agricultural context in which PSA-scenarios emit only 10% less greenhouse gases than the reference scenario. The BABIU-method constitutes an efficient upgrading method capable of attaining a high reduction of GHG emission by sequestration of CO{sub 2}.
Pertl, A., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Institute of Waste Management, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 107, A-1190 Wien (Austria); Mostbauer, P.; Obersteiner, G. [Institute of Waste Management, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 107, A-1190 Wien (Austria)
Is sonication effective to improve biogas production and solids reduction in excess sludge digestion?
Results of three semi-continuous anaerobic tests were reported and discussed. Each test was carried out by two parallel anaerobic reactors fed with waste activated sludge, either as it was sampled from the sewage treatment plant of Rome North or previously disintegrated by ultra-sound treatment. Activated sludge was sonicated at the energy input of 5,000 or 2,500 kJ kg(-1) dry solids corresponding to a disintegration degree of approximately 8 or 4%, respectively. Sonication proved to be effective both in increasing VS destruction and cumulative biogas production. The best increase of VS destruction (from 30 to 35%) was achieved in test #3 carried out at high organic load (10 d residence time) and low energy input (2,500 kJ kg(-1) dry solids). The best increase in cumulative biogas production (from 472 to 640 NL after 67 d of tests i.e.) was obtained in test #1 at low organic load (20 d residence time) and high energy input (5,000 kJ kg(-1) dry solids). Specific biogas production varied in the tests carried out with untreated sludge (0.55 - 0.67 Nm3 kg(-1) VS destroyed) but was practically unchanged for all the tests with sonicated sludge (0.7 Nm3 kg(-1) VS destroyed). PMID:18359984
Braguglia, C M; Mininni, G; Gianico, A
Aqueous processing of U-10Mo scrap for high performance research reactor fuel
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Conversion program, which is part of the US government's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), supports the conversion of civilian use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) for reactor fuel and targets. The reason for conversion is to eliminate the use of any material that may pose a threat to the United States or other foreign countries. High performance research reactors (HPRRs) cannot make the conversion to a standard LEU fuel because they require a more dense fuel to meet their performance requirements. As a result, a more dense fuel consisting of a monolithic uranium-molybdenum alloy containing 10% (w/w) Mo with Al cladding and a Zr bonding-layer is being considered. Significant losses are expected in the fabrication of this fuel, so a means to recycle the scrap pieces is needed. Argonne National Laboratory has developed an aqueous-processing flowsheet for scrap recovery in the fuel fabrication process for high-density LEU-monolithic fuel based on data found in the literature. Experiments have been performed to investigate dissolution conditions for solutions containing approximately 20 g-U/L and 50 g-U/L with and without Fe(NO3)3. HNO3 and HF concentrations have been optimized for timely dissolution of the fuel scrap and prevention of the formation of the U-Zr2 intermetallic, explosive complex, while meeting the requirements needed for further processing.
Youker, Amanda J.; Stepinski, Dominique C.; Maggos, Laura E.; Bakel, Allen J.; Vandegrift, George F.
Effect of auxotrophies on yeast performance in aerated fed-batch reactor
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The paper contributes to fill the gap existing between the basic and applied research. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mathematical model sheds light on the physiology of auxotrophic yeast strains. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Yeast behavior in fed-batch is influenced by biological and environmental determinants. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Process optimization would make possible the production of heterologous proteins which are not yet on the market. -- Abstract: A systematic investigation on the effects of auxotrophies on the performance of yeast in aerated fed-batch reactor was carried out. Six isogenic strains from the CEN.PK family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one prototroph and five auxotrophs, were grown in aerated fed-batch reactor using the same operative conditions and a proper nutritional supplementation. The performance of the strains, in terms of final biomass decreased with increasing the number of auxotrophies. Auxotrophy for leucine exerted a profound negative effect on the performance of the strains. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells of the strain carrying four auxotrophies and its significant viability loss, were indicative of an oxidative stress response induced by exposure of cells to the environmental conditions. The mathematical model was fundamental to highlight how the carbon flux, depending on the number and type of auxotrophies, was diverted towards the production of increasingly large quantities of energy for maintenance.
Landi, Carmine; Paciello, Lucia [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy)] [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy); Alteriis, Elisabetta de [Dept. Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Universita degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', Via Cinthia, 80100 Napoli (Italy)] [Dept. Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Universita degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II', Via Cinthia, 80100 Napoli (Italy); Brambilla, Luca [Dept. Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Universita Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 20126 Milano (Italy)] [Dept. Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Universita Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 20126 Milano (Italy); Parascandola, Palma, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy)] [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy)
Biogas plasticization coupled anaerobic digestion: continuous flow anaerobic pump test results.
In this investigation, the Anaerobic Pump (TAP) and a conventional continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR) were tested side by side to compare performance. TAP integrates anaerobic digestion (AD) with biogas plasticization-disruption cycle to improve mass conversion to methane. Both prototypes were fed a "real world" 50:50 mixture of waste-activated sludge (WAS) and primary sludge and operated at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius). The quantitative results from three steady states show TAP peaked at 97% conversion of the particulate COD in a system hydraulic residence time (HRT) of only 6 days. It achieved a methane production of 0.32 STP cubic meter CH(4) per kilogram COD fed and specific methane yield of 0.78 m(3) CH(4) per cubic meter per day. This was more than three times the CFSTR specific methane yield (0.22 m(3) CH(4) per cubic meter per day) and more than double the CFSTR methane production (0.15 m(3) CH(4) per kilogram COD fed). A comparative kinetics analysis showed the TAP peak substrate COD removal rate (R (o)) was 2.24 kg COD per cubic meter per day, more than three times the CFSTR substrate removal rate of 0.67 kg COD per cubic meter per day. The three important factors contributing to the superior TAP performance were (1) effective solids capture (96%) with (2) mass recycle and (3) stage II plasticization-disruption during active AD. The Anaerobic Pump (TAP) is a high rate, high efficiency-low temperature microbial energy engine that could be used to improve renewable energy yields from classic AD waste substrates like refuse-derived fuels, treatment plant sludges, food wastes, livestock residues, green wastes and crop residuals. PMID:19455433
Schimel, Keith A; Boone, David R
Advanced Fuels Campaign Light Water Reactor Accident Tolerant Fuel Performance Metrics
The safe, reliable and economic operation of the nation's nuclear power reactor fleet has always been a top priority for the United States' nuclear industry. As a result, continual improvement of technology, including advanced materials and nuclear fuels, remains central to industry's success. Decades of research combined with continual operation have produced steady advancements in technology and yielded an extensive base of data, experience, and knowledge on light water reactor (LWR) fuel performance under both normal and accident conditions. In 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, resulting tsunami, and subsequent damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant complex, enhancing the accident tolerance of LWRs became a topic of serious discussion. As a result of direction from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) initiated an Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Development program. The complex multiphysics behavior of LWR nuclear fuel makes defining specific material or design improvements difficult; as such, establishing qualitative attributes is critical to guide the design and development of fuels and cladding with enhanced accident tolerance. This report summarizes a common set of technical evaluation metrics to aid in the optimization and down selection of candidate designs. As used herein, "metrics" describe a set of technical bases by which multiple concepts can be fairly evaluated against a common baseline and against one another. Furthermore, this report describes a proposed technical evaluation methodology that can be applied to assess the ability of each concept to meet performance and safety goals relative to the current UO2 – zirconium alloy system and relative to one another. The resultant ranked evaluation can then inform concept down-selection, such that the most promising accident tolerant fuel design option(s) can continue to be developed for lead test rod or lead test assembly insertion into a commercial reactor within the desired timeframe (by 2022).
Brad Merrill; Melissa Teague; Robert Youngblood; Larry Ott; Kevin Robb; Michael Todosow; Chris Stanek; Mitchell Farmer; Michael Billone; Robert Montgomery; Nicholas Brown; Shannon Bragg-Sitton
Pilot project of biogas production from pig manure and urine mixture at ambient temperature in Ventanilla (Lima, Peru)
Parque Porcino de Ventanilla has an extension of 840 ha with 2200 farmers dedicated to pig production. There is a lack of services in the area (i.e., water supply, electricity, or waste collection). Anaerobic treatment of pig manure would replace current dumping and incineration, reducing environmental pollution and hazards to public health, as well as providing an organic fertilizer and biogas. The objective of the present work was to study the viability of ambient temperature anaerobic digestion of pig manure diluted in urine, by means of on-site pilot scale reactors. The final goal was to establish design parameters for anaerobic digesters to be implemented; since it was part of a project to improve life conditions for the farmers through the incorporation of better management techniques. Experiments were carried out in a low-cost pilot plant, which consists of three anaerobic digesters (225 L total volume), without heating or agitation, placed in a greenhouse. The start-up of the digestion process was performed with a mixture of temperature adapted pig manure-sludge and fresh rumen, and showed a good performance regardless of the dilution of pig manure with water or urine, which is a key parameter due to the scarcity of water in the area under study.
Ferrer, I. [Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Hydraulic Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), C/Jordi Girona 1-3, Modul D1, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); GIRO Technological Center, Rambla Pompeu Fabra 1, 08100 Mollet del Valles, Barcelona (Spain)], E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Gamiz, M. [Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Hydraulic Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), C/Jordi Girona 1-3, Modul D1, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Almeida, M.; Ruiz, A. [Ciudad Saludable NLO, Av. Jorge Basadre 255, Of. 401, Lima 27 (Peru)
Retrofitting hetrotrophically cultivated algae biomass as pyrolytic feedstock for biogas, bio-char and bio-oil production encompassing biorefinery.
Algal biomass grown hetrotrophically in domestic wastewater was evaluated as pyrolytic feedstock for harnessing biogas, bio-oil and bio-char. Freshly harvested microalgae (MA) and lipid extracted microalgae (LEMA) were pyrolysed in packed bed reactor in the presence and absence of sand as additive. MA (without sand additive) depicted higher biogas (420 ml/g; 800 °C; 3 h) and bio-oil (0.70 ml/g; 500 °C; 3 h). Sand addition enhanced biogas production (210 ml/g; 600 °C; 2 h) in LEMA operation. The composition of bio-gas and bio-oil was found to depend on the nature of feedstock as well as the process conditions viz., pyrolytic-temperature, retention time and presence of additive. Sand additive improved the H2 composition while pyrolytic temperature increment caused a decline in CO2 fraction. Bio-char productivity increased with increasing temperature specifically with LEMA. Integration of thermo-chemical process with microalgae cultivation showed to yield multiple resources and accounts for environmental sustainability in the bio-refinery framework. PMID:25446787
Sarkar, Omprakash; Agarwal, Manu; Naresh Kumar, A; Venkata Mohan, S
Computational Neutronics Methods and Transmutation Performance Analyses for Light Water Reactors
The urgency for addressing repository impacts has grown in the past few years as a result of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) accumulation from commercial nuclear power plants. One obvious path that has been explored by many is to eliminate the transuranic (TRU) inventory from the SNF thus reducing the need for additional long term repository storage sites. One strategy for achieving this is to burn the separated TRU elements in the currently operating U.S. Light Water Reactor (LWR) fleet. Many studies have explored the viability of this strategy by loading a percentage of LWR cores with TRU in the form of either Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuels or Inert Matrix Fuels (IMF). A task was undertaken at INL to establish specific technical capabilities to perform neutronics analyses in order to further assess several key issues related to the viability of thermal recycling. The initial computational study reported here is focused on direct thermal recycling of IMF fuels in a heterogeneous Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) bundle design containing Plutonium, Neptunium, Americium, and Curium (IMF-PuNpAmCm) in a multi-pass strategy using legacy 5 year cooled LWR SNF. In addition to this initial high-priority analysis, three other alternate analyses with different TRU vectors in IMF pins were performed. These analyses provide comparison of direct thermal recycling of PuNpAmCm, PuNpAm, PuNp, and Pu.
M. Asgari; B. Forget; S. Piet; R. Ferrer; S. Bays
Microbial community composition and reactor performance during hydrogen production in a UASB reactor fed with raw cheese whey inoculated with compost.
This study investigated the microbial community developed in a UASB reactor for hydrogen production and correlated it to reactor performance. The reactor was inoculated with kitchen waste compost and fed with raw cheese whey at two organic loading rates, 20 gCOD/Ld and 30 gCOD/Ld. Hydrogen production was very variable, using an OLR of 30 gCOD/Ld averaged 1.0 LH(2)/Ld with no methane produced under these conditions. The hydrogen yield was also very variable and far from the theoretical. This low yield could be explained by selection of a mixed fermentative population with presence of hydrogen producing organisms (Clostridium, Ruminococcus and Enterobacter) and other non-hydrogen producing fermenters (Lactobacillus, Dialister and Prevotella). The molecular analysis of the raw cheese whey used for feeding revealed the presence of three predominant organisms that are affiliated with the genera Buttiauxella (a low-yield hydrogen producer) and Streptococcus (a lactic acid-producing fermenter). Although these organisms did not persist in the reactor, the continuous addition of these fermenters could decrease the reactor's hydrogen yield. PMID:22156132
Castelló, E; Perna, V; Wenzel, J; Borzacconi, L; Etchebehere, C
The effect of shock loading on the performance of a thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor at constant organic loading rate
The influences of organic loading disturbances on the process performance of a thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor treating potato-processing wastewater were investigated. For this purpose, while the reactor was operated at steady state conditions with organic loading rate of 5.5 kg COD/m3?·?day, an instant acetate concentration increase (1 g/L) was introduced to the reactor. During the shock loading test of acetate, it was observed that the overall process performance was adversely affected by all the shock loading, however, the system reached steady state conditions less than 24 hours of operation indicating that thermophilic anaerobic contact reactor is resistant to shock loading and be capable of returning its normal conditions within a short time period. PMID:24872886
Performance of an Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) in treatment of cassava wastewater.
The performance of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) was evaluated in the treatment of cassava wastewater, a pollutant residue. An ABR divided in four equal volume compartments (total volume 4L) and operated at 35ºC was used in cassava wastewater treatment. Feed tank chemical oxygen demand (COD) was varied from 2000 to 7000 mg L(-1) and it was evaluated the most appropriated hydraulic retention time (HRT) for the best performance on COD removal. The ABR was evaluated by analysis of COD (colorimetric method), pH, turbidity, total and volatile solids, alkalinity and acidity. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried to better understand data obtained. The system showed buffering ability as acidity decreased along compartments while alkalinity and pH values were increased. There was particulate material retention and COD removal varied from 83 to 92% for HRT of 3.5 days. PMID:24031316
Ferraz, Fernanda M; Bruni, Aline T; Del Bianchi, Vanildo L
Greek research reactor performance characteristics after addition of beryllium reflector and LEU fuel
The GRR-1 is a 5-MW pool-type, light-water-moderated and-cooled reactor fueled with MTR-type fuel elements. Recently received Be reflector blocks will soon be added to the core to add additional reactivity until fresh LEU fuel arrives. REBUS-3 xy fuel cycle analyses, using burnup dependent cross sections, were performed to assist in fuel management decisions for the water- and Be-reflected HEU nonequilibrium cores. Cross sections generated by EPRI-CELL have been benchmarked to identical VIM Monte Carlo models. The size of the Be-reflected LEU core has been reduced to 30 elements compared to 35 for the HEU water-reflected core, and an equilibrium cycle calculation has been performed.
Deen, J.R.; Snelgrove, J.L. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Papastergiou, C. [National Center for Scientific Research, Athens (Greece)
Greek research reactor performance characteristics after addition of beryllium reflector and LEU fuel
The GRR-1 is a 5-MW pool-type, light-water-moderated and-cooled reactor fueled with MTR-type fuel elements. Recently received Be reflector blocks will soon be added to the core to add additional reactivity until fresh LEU fuel arrives. REBUS-3 xy fuel cycle analyses, using burnup dependent cross sections, were performed to assist in fuel management decisions for the water- and Be-reflected HEU nonequilibrium cores. Cross sections generated by EPRI-CELL have been benchmarked to identical VIM Monte Carlo models. The size of the Be-reflected LEU core has been reduced to 30 elements compared to 35 for the HEU water-reflected core, and an equilibrium cycle calculation has been performed.
Deen, J.R.; Snelgrove, J.L. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)); Papastergiou, C. (National Center for Scientific Research, Athens (Greece))
Fusion performance analysis of plasmas with reversed magnetic shear in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor
A case for substantial loss of fast ions degrading the performance of tokamak fusion test reactor plasmas [Phys. Plasmas {bold 2}, 2176 (1995)] with reversed magnetic shear (RS) is presented. The principal evidence is obtained from an experiment with short (40{endash}70 ms) tritium beam pulses injected into deuterium beam heated RS plasmas [Phys. Rev. Lett. {bold 82}, 924 (1999)]. Modeling of this experiment indicates that up to 40{percent} beam power is lost on a time scale much shorter than the beam{endash}ion slowing down time. Critical parameters which connect modeling and experiment are: The total 14 MeV neutron emission, its radial profile, and the transverse stored energy. The fusion performance of some plasmas with internal transport barriers is further deteriorated by impurity accumulation in the plasma core. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.} thinsp
Ruskov, E.; Bell, M.; Budny, R.V.; McCune, D.C.; Medley, S.S.; Nazikian, R.; Synakowski, E.J.; von Goeler, S.; White, R.B.; Zweben, S.J. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)] [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
Performance of the solid deuterium ultra-cold neutron source at the pulsed reactor TRIGA Mainz
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The performance of the solid deuterium ultra-cold neutron (UCN) source at the pulsed reactor TRIGA Mainz with a maximum peak energy of 10MJ is described. The solid deuterium converter with a volume of cm3 (8mol), which is exposed to a thermal neutron fluence of n/cm2, delivers up to 240000 UCN ( m/s) per pulse outside the biological shield at the experimental area. UCN densities of 10 cm3 are obtained in stainless-steel bottles of 10 L. The measured UCN yields compare well with the predictions from a Monte Carlo simulation developed to model the source and to optimize its performance for the upcoming upgrade of the TRIGA Mainz into a user facility for UCN physics.
Karch, J.; Sobolev, Yu.; Beck, M.; Eberhardt, K.; Hampel, G.; Heil, W.; Kieser, R.; Reich, T.; Trautmann, N.; Ziegner, M.
Performance of an up-flow anaerobic stage reactor (UASR) in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater containing macrolide antibiotics
The performance of an up-flow anaerobic stage reactor (UASR) treating pharmaceutical wastewater containing macrolide antibiotics was investigated. Specifically, it was determined whether a UASR could be used as pre-treatment system at an existing pharmaceutical production plant to reduce the antibiotics in the trade effluent. Accordingly, a UASR was developed with an active reactor volume of 11L being divided into four
Shreeshivadasan Chelliapan; Thomas Wilby; Paul J. Sallis
Concentrated biogas slurry enhanced soil fertility and tomato quality
Biogas slurry is a cheap source of plant nutrients and can offer extra benefits to soil fertility and fruit quality. However, its current utilization mode and low content of active ingredients limit its further development. In this paper, a one-growing-season field study was conducted to assess the effects of concentrated biogas slurry on soil property, tomato fruit quality, and composition
Fang-Bo Yu; Xi-Ping Luo; Cheng-Fang Song; Miao-Xian Zhang; Sheng-Dao Shan
From laboratory experiments we calculated that our system would have to deliver 262 liters/hr of biogas to cook a meal. Biogas produced by slurries of various wastes was measured with a two liter bench-top digester system designed by the team. Gas volume was measured by displa...
Energy Efficiency of Biogas Produced from Different Biomass Sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Malaysia has different sources of biomass like palm oil waste, agricultural waste, cow dung, sewage waste and landfill sites, which can be used to produce biogas and as a source of energy. Depending on the type of biomass, the biogas produced can have different calorific value. At the same time the energy, being used to produce biogas is dependent on transportation distance, means of transportation, conversion techniques and for handling of raw materials and digested residues. An energy systems analysis approach based on literature is applied to calculate the energy efficiency of biogas produced from biomass. Basically, the methodology is comprised of collecting data, proposing locations and estimating the energy input needed to produce biogas and output obtained from the generated biogas. The study showed that palm oil and municipal solid waste is two potential sources of biomass. The energy efficiency of biogas produced from palm oil residues and municipal solid wastes is 1.70 and 3.33 respectively. Municipal solid wastes have the higher energy efficiency due to less transportation distance and electricity consumption. Despite the inherent uncertainties in the calculations, it can be concluded that the energy potential to use biomass for biogas production is a promising alternative.
Begum, Shahida; Nazri, A. H.
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Biogas production at beef cattle feedlots is hard to justify because of the large amounts of dilution water required and the high cost to design and operate conventional water-based digestion systems. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of producing biogas us...
Plug flow digestors for biogas generation from leaf biomass
The low, family level availability of animal dung in rural Indian families restricts the spread of biogas technology. This has warranted the design and development of novel biogas plants for other biomass feedstocks. The plug-flow digestors discussed in this paper circumvent the problems associated with floating of biomass feedstocks and enable a semi-continuous operation. The long term operation of such
K. S Jagadish; H. N Chanakya; P Rajabapaiah; V Anand
Biogas Potential on Long Island, New York: A Quantification Study
Biogas is the product of anaerobic digestion of waste, whether occurring spontaneously in landfills or under controlled conditions in digesters. Biogas is viewed as an important energy source in current efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and dependency on imported resources. Several studies on the assessment of biogas potential have been made at regional, national, and global scales. However, because it is not economically feasible to transport biogas feedstock over long distances, it is more appropriate to consider local waste sources for their potential to produce biogas. An assessment of the biogas potential on Long Island, based on the review of local landfills, wastewater treatment plants, solid waste generation and management, and agricultural waste, found that 234 x 10{sup 6} m{sup 3} of methane (CH{sub 4}) from biogas might be harvestable, although substantial barriers for complete exploitation exist. This number is equivalent to 2.52 TW-h of electricity, approximately 12% of fossil fuel power generation on Long Island. This work can serve as a template for other areas to rapidly create or approximate biogas potentials, especially for suburban U.S. locations that are not usually thought of as sources of renewable energy.
Mahajan, D.; Patel, S.; Tonjes, D.
Technical–economical analysis of the Saveh biogas power plant
The resource limitation of fossil fuels and the problems arising from their combustion has led to widespread research on the accessibility of new and renewable energy resources. Solar, wind, thermal and hydro sources, and finally biogas are among these renewable energy resources. But what makes biogas distinct from other renewable energies is its importance in controlling and collecting organic waste
Giti Taleghani; Akbar Shabani Kia
Energy balance model of a SOFC cogenerator operated with biogas
A small cogeneration system based on a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) fed on the renewable energy source biogas is presented. An existing farm biogas production site (35m3 per day), currently equipped with a SOFC demonstration stack, is taken for reference. A process flow diagram was defined in a software package allowing to vary system operating parameters like the fuel
Jan Van herle; F. Maréchal; S. Leuenberger; D. Favrat
An Introduction to Biogas Production on the Farm.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
This three-section report provides introductory information about biogas production and its application to farm environments. The first section discusses the various components of a biogas production system (a system that converts organic wastes into a usable form of energy), explains the system's benefits and liabilities, and provides a brief…
National Center for Appropriate Technology, Butte, MT.
Preliminary experimental results of Sewage Sludge (SS) Co-digestion with Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) for Enhanced Biogas Production in Laboratory Scale Anaerobic Digester
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
An investigation on the feasibility of co-digesting Sewage Sludge with Palm Oil Mill Effluent for enhancing the biogas production and the corresponding effect of the co-digestion substrate ratio on the biogas production has been evaluated. Anaerobic co-digestion of POME with SS was performed at ratios of 100:0, 70:30, 60:40 and 0:100 to find the optimum blend required for enhanced waste digestion and biogas production. Single stage batch digestion was carried out for 12 days in a laboratory scale anaerobic digester. Co-digestion of sludge's at the 70:30 proportion resulted in optimal COD and C: N ratio which subsequently recorded the highest performance with regards to biogas production at 28.1 L's compared to the 1.98 L's of biogas produced from digestion of SS alone. From the results obtained, it is evident that co-digestion of POME and SS is an attractive option to be explored for enhancement of biogas production in anaerobic digesters.
Sivasankari, R.; Kumaran, P.; Normanbhay, Saifuddin; Halim Shamsuddin, Abd
Influence of biogas flow rate on biomass composition during the optimization of biogas upgrading in microalgal-bacterial processes.
The influence of biogas flow rate (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 m(3) m(-2) h(-1)) on the elemental and macromolecular composition of the algal-bacterial biomass produced from biogas upgrading in a 180 L photobioreactor interconnected to a 2.5 L external bubbled absorption column was investigated using diluted anaerobically digested vinasse as cultivation medium. The influence of the external liquid recirculation/biogas ratio (0.5 < L/G < 67) on the removal of CO2 and H2S, and on the concentrations of O2 and N2 in the upgraded biogas, was also evaluated. A L/G ratio of 10 was considered optimum to support CO2 and H2S removals of 80% and 100%, respectively, at all biogas flow rates tested. Biomass productivity increased at increasing biogas flow rate, with a maximum of 12 ± 1 g m(-2) d(-1) at 1.2 m(3) m(-2) h(-1), while the C, N, and P biomass content remained constant at 49 ± 2%, 9 ± 0%, and 1 ± 0%, respectively, over the 175 days of experimentation. The high carbohydrate contents (60-76%), inversely correlated to biogas flow rates, would allow the production of ?100 L of ethanol per 1000 m(3) of biogas upgraded under a biorefinery process approach. PMID:25675110
Serejo, Mayara L; Posadas, Esther; Boncz, Marc A; Blanco, Saúl; García-Encina, Pedro; Muñoz, Raúl
Improvement of a grass-clover silage-fed biogas process by the addition of cobalt
Batch assays were performed with samples from a silage-fed mesophilic biogas process accumulating acetate to examine if the addition of single trace elements (iron, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum) or a mixture of trace elements could improve the process. The results from the batch assays led to the addition of cobalt to reach a concentration of 0.2 mg L?1. This made
Å. Jarvis; Å. Nordberg; T. Jarlsvik; B. Mathisen; B. H. Svensson
Process flow model of solid oxide fuel cell system supplied with sewage biogas
A model for a 100kW class solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system running on biogas from a sewage sludge digestion plant was implemented in a process flow scheme using external steam reforming. The model stack consisted of planar anode supported cells operated at 800°C displaying state-of-the-art electrochemical performance (0.15W\\/cm2 at 80% fuel utilisation). Real annual data from an existing sewage
J Van herle; F Maréchal; S Leuenberger; Y Membrez; O Bucheli; D Favrat
Environmental assessment of biogas co- or tri-generation units by life cycle analysis methodology
A life cycle analysis performed on biogas co- or tri-generation units shows that the environmental impact depends on the fraction of heat (or cold) used, the distance for crops collection, the efficiencies of the unit and on the NOx emissions. A high efficiency unit (?el=0.4 and ?g=0.8) and low NOx content (80mg\\/Nm3) based on 20km crops collection will save CO2
C. Chevalier; F. Meunier
Advanced Concepts for Pressure-Channel Reactors: Modularity, Performance and Safety
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Based on an analysis of the development of advanced concepts for pressure-tube reactor technology, we adapt and adopt the pressure-tube reactor advantage of modularity, so that the subdivided core has the potential for optimization of the core, safety, fuel cycle and thermal performance independently, while retaining passive safety features. In addition, by adopting supercritical water-cooling, the logical developments from existing supercritical turbine technology and "steam" systems can be utilized. Supercritical and ultra-supercritical boilers and turbines have been operating for some time in coal-fired power plants. Using coolant outlet temperatures of about 625°C achieves operating plant thermal efficiencies in the order of 45-48%, using a direct turbine cycle. In addition, by using reheat channels, the plant has the potential to produce low-cost process heat, in amounts that are customer and market dependent. The use of reheat systems further increases the overall thermal efficiency to 55% and beyond. With the flexibility of a range of plant sizes suitable for both small (400 MWe) and large (1400 MWe) electric grids, and the ability for co-generation of electric power, process heat, and hydrogen, the concept is competitive. The choice of core power, reheat channel number and exit temperature are all set by customer and materials requirements. The pressure channel is a key technology that is needed to make use of supercritical water (SCW) in CANDU®1 reactors feasible. By optimizing the fuel bundle and fuel channel, convection and conduction assure heat removal using passive-moderator cooling. Potential for severe core damage can be almost eliminated, even without the necessity of activating the emergency-cooling systems. The small size of containment structure lends itself to a small footprint, impacts economics and building techniques. Design features related to Canadian concepts are discussed in this paper. The main conclusion is that development of SCW pressure-channel nuclear reactors is feasible and significant benefits can be expected over other thermal-energy systems.
Duffey, Romney B.; Pioro, Igor L.; Kuran, Sermet
The process of comprehensive study about the small nuclear reactors on developing analysis metrics and its method of evaluation was conducted. General methods of analysis of nuclear reactors and techniques and tools required were discussed...
Kafle, Nischal
Management of various organic fractions of municipal solid waste via recourse to VFA and biogas generation.
A hybrid anaerobic solid-liquid system was used for anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) consisting of mixed food + fruit waste and vegetable waste. Hydrolysis and acidogenesis potential of the above wastes were evaluated with the aim of producing value-added products in the form of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and biogas recovery. Efficient hydrolysis and acidogenesis of mixed food + fruit waste was observed at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1-3 d with a five-fold increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) followed by VFA production consisting of 50-75% acetic acid. Longer time was required for hydrolysis of vegetable waste with optimum hydrolysis and SCOD generation at 9 d HRT followed by VFA synthesis consisting of 45% acetic acid. Higher inoculum:substrate ratios resulted in improved hydrolysis and acidogenesis rates for vegetable waste in shorter time of 6 d with higher VFA production and increase in acetic acid content to 70%. When acidogenic leachate was fed into methanogenic reactors, detectable biogas production was observed after 25 d with 37-53% SCOD removal from leachate from mixed food + fruit waste and methane production of 0.066-0.1 L g(-1) SCOD removed and methane content of 38%. Though biogas yield from acidogenic leachate from vegetable waste was lower, nearly 94% volatile solids (VS) removal was observed in the reactors thereby providing methane yield of 0.13-0.21 L g(-1) VS consumed. Thus, the study provided a method for generation of value-added products from an otherwise misplaced resource in the form of OFMSW. PMID:24350462
Khardenavis, Anshuman Arun; Wang, Jing Yuan; Ng, Wun Jern; Purohit, Hemant J
Performance of co-immobilized yeast and glucoamylase in a fluidized bed reactor for fuel ethanol production
The performance of co-immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae and glucoamylase was evaluated in a fluidized bed reactor. Soluble starch and yeast extract were used as feed stocks. The biocatalyst performed well and demonstrated no significant loss of activity or physical integrity during 10 weeks of continuous operation. The reactor was easily operated and required no pH control. No operational problems were encountered from bacterial contaminants even though the reactor was operated under non-sterile conditions over the entire course of experiments. Productivities ranged between 25 to 44 g ethanol L{sup -1} h{sup -1}. The experiments demonstrated that ethanol inhibition and bed loading had significant effects on bed performance.
Sun, M.Y.; Bienkowski, P.R.; Davison, B.H. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]|[Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Spurrier, M.A.; Webb, O.F. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Enhancement of biogas production by co-digestion of potato pulp with cow manure in a CSTR system.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) process is a well-established method to generate energy from the organic wastes both from the environmental and economical perspectives. The purpose of present study is to evaluate energy production from potato wastes by incorporating cow manure into the process. Firstly, a laboratory pilot of one-stage biogas production was designed and built according to continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system. The setup was able to automatically control the environmental conditions of the process including temperature, duration, and rate of stirring. AD experiment was exclusively performed on co-digestion of potato peel (PP) and cow manure (CM) in three levels of mixing ratio including 20:80, 50:50, 80:20 (PP:CM), and 0:100 as control treatment based on the volatile solid (VS) weight without adding initial inoculums. After hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 50 days on average 193, 256, 348, and 149 norm liter (LN) (kg VS)(-1), methane was produced for different mixing ratios, respectively. Statistical analysis shows that these gas productions are significantly different. The average energy was determined based on the produced methane which was about 2.8 kWh (kg VS)(-1), implying a significant energy production potential. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of treatments was about 61%, showing that it can be leached significantly with high organic matter by the employed pilot. The energy efficiency of 92% of the process also showed the optimum control of the process by the pilot. PMID:24894660
Sanaei-Moghadam, Akbar; Abbaspour-Fard, Mohammad Hossein; Aghel, Hasan; Aghkhani, Mohammad Hossein; Abedini-Torghabeh, Javad
Anaerobic digestion performance of vinegar residue in continuously stirred tank reactor.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) of vinegar residue was investigated in continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The influence of organic loading rate (OLR) and effluent recirculation on AD performance of vinegar residue was tested. Five OLRs, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0gvsL(-1)d(-1), were used. The highest volumetric methane productivity of 581.88mLL(-1) was achieved at OLR of 2.5gvsL(-1)d(-1). Effluent reflux ratio was set as 50%, the results showed that effluent recirculation could effectively neutralize the acidity of vinegar residue, raise the pH of the feedstock, and enhance the buffering capacity of the AD system. Anaerobic digestion of vinegar residue could be a promising way not only for converting this waste into gas energy but also alleviating environmental pollution which might be useful for future industrial application. PMID:25838040
Li, Lin; Feng, Lu; Zhang, Ruihong; He, Yanfeng; Wang, Wen; Chen, Chang; Liu, Guangqing
A comparison of the performance of compact neutrino detector designs for nuclear reactor safeguards and monitoring.
There has been an increasing interest in the monitoring of nuclear fuel for power reactors by detecting the anti-neutrinos produced during operation. Small liquid scintillator detectors have already demonstrated sensitivity to operational power levels, but more sensitive monitoring requires improvements in the efficiency and uniformity of these detectors. In this work, we use a montecarlo simulation to investigate the detector performance of four different detector configurations. Based on the analysis of neutron detection efficiency and positron energy response, we find that the optimal detector design will depend on the goals and restrictions of the specific installation or application. We have attempted to present the relevant information so that future detector development can proceed in a profitable direction.
Reyna, D. E.; McKeown, R. W.; High Energy Physics; Drexel Univ.
Cost analysis of concepts for a demand oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation.
With the share of intermittent renewable energies within the electricity system rising, balancing services from dispatchable power plants are of increasing importance. Highlighting the importance of the need to keeping fuel costs for flexible power generation to a minimum, the study aims to identify favourable biogas plant configurations, supplying biogas on demand. A cost analysis of five configurations based on biogas storing and flexible biogas production concepts has been carried out. Results show that additional flexibility costs for a biogas supply of 8h per day range between 2€ and 11€MWh(-1) and for a 72h period without biogas demand from 9€ to 19€MWh(-1). While biogas storage concepts were identified as favourable short term supply configurations, flexible biogas production concepts profit from reduced storage requirements at plants with large biogas production capacities or for periods of several hours without biogas demand. PMID:25146313
Hahn, Henning; Ganagin, Waldemar; Hartmann, Kilian; Wachendorf, Michael
[Influencing factors for operational performance of a biofilm reactor with microbubble aeration using SPG membrane].
The microbubble-aerated biofilm reactor provides a feasibility to apply microbubble aeration in aerobic wastewater treatment processes. In this study, Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membranes were used for microbubble aeration in a fixed bed biofilm reactor treating synthetic municipal wastewater. The influencing factors for operational performance of the bioreactor were investigated, including operating parameters, SPG membrane fouling and its structural changes. The results indicated that there was no significant influences of air flux, organic loading rate and packed bed on COD removal and an average COD removal efficiency of 80% -90% could be achieved under different operating conditions. On the other hand, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations decreased significantly along with reducing air flux or increasing organic loading rate. As a result, the ammonia removal deteriorated gradually and the average ammonia removal efficiency decreased from 80% -90% to 20% -30% At the same time, the total nitrogen (TN) removal achieved in the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process was also reduced from 30% -40% to about 20% , due to nitrification inhibition. Higher available porosity could be obtained when ring packing was used in the fixed bed, resulting in improvement of contaminant removal performance. An oxygen utilization efficiency of close to 100% could be achieved at low air fluxes or high organic loading rates during microbubble aeration. Both biofilm growth and organic foulant accumulation on SPC, membrane surface contributed to membrane fouling after long-term operation. The average pore size and porosity of SPG membrane increased significantly due to the chemical corrosion caused by alkali NaClO solution used for online cleaning. Then the air permeation of SPG membrane was affected by membrane fouling and destroyed pore structure. PMID:25338375
Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Chun; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Jun-Liang
Benefits of supplementing an industrial waste anaerobic digester with energy crops for increased biogas production
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study demonstrates the feasibility of co-digestion food industrial waste with energy crops. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Laboratory batch co-digestion led to improved methane yield and carbon to nitrogen ratio as compared to mono-digestion of industrial waste. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-digestion was also seen as a means of degrading energy crops with nutrients addition as crops are poor in nutrients. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Batch co-digestion methane yields were used to predict co-digestion methane yield in full scale operation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It was concluded that co-digestion led an over all economically viable process and ensured a constant supply of feedstock. - Abstract: Currently, there is increasing competition for waste as feedstock for the growing number of biogas plants. This has led to fluctuation in feedstock supply and biogas plants being operated below maximum capacity. The feasibility of supplementing a protein/lipid-rich industrial waste (pig manure, slaughterhouse waste, food processing and poultry waste) mesophilic anaerobic digester with carbohydrate-rich energy crops (hemp, maize and triticale) was therefore studied in laboratory scale batch and continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) with a view to scale-up to a commercial biogas process. Co-digesting industrial waste and crops led to significant improvement in methane yield per ton of feedstock and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio as compared to digestion of the industrial waste alone. Biogas production from crops in combination with industrial waste also avoids the need for micronutrients normally required in crop digestion. The batch co-digestion methane yields were used to predict co-digestion methane yield in full scale operation. This was done based on the ratio of methane yields observed for laboratory batch and CSTR experiments compared to full scale CSTR digestion of industrial waste. The economy of crop-based biogas production is limited under Swedish conditions; therefore, adding crops to existing industrial waste digestion could be a viable alternative to ensure a constant/reliable supply of feedstock to the anaerobic digester.
Nges, Ivo Achu, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE 221 00 Lund (Sweden); Escobar, Federico; Fu Xinmei; Bjoernsson, Lovisa [Department of Biotechnology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE 221 00 Lund (Sweden)
Treatment of wastewater from coffee bean processing in anaerobic fixed bed reactors with different support materials: performance and kinetic modeling.
An evaluation was performed of three upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactors for the treatment of wastewater from coffee bean processing (WCP). The supports used were: blast furnace cinders, polyurethane foam and crushed stone with porosities of 53, 95 and 48%, respectively. The testing of these 139.5 L reactors consisted of increasing the COD of the influent (978; 2401 and 4545 mg L(-1)), while maintaining the retention time of 1.3 days. For the maximum COD applied, the reactor filled with foam presented removals of 80% (non-filtered samples) and 83% (filtered samples). The greater performance of the reactor filled with foam is attributed to its porosity, which promoted greater collection of biomass. From the results, it could be concluded that the reactors presented satisfactory performance, especially when using the foam as a support. Furthermore, the modified Stover-Kincannon and second order for multicomponent substrate degradation models were successfully used to develop a model of the experimental data. PMID:22609965
Fia, Fátima R L; Matos, Antonio T; Borges, Alisson C; Fia, Ronaldo; Cecon, Paulo R
Sludge storage lagoon biogas recovery and use. Volume 2
The City of Memphis has two wastewater treatment plants. The SWTP employs two large anaerobic digestion sludge lagoons as part of the overall sludge treatment system. Although these lagoons are effective in concentrating and digesting sludge, they can generate offensive odors. The SWTP uses aerobic digesters to partially stabilize the sludge and help reduce objectionable odors before it enters the lagoons. The anaerobic digestion of sludge in the lagoons results in the dispersion of a large quantity of biogas into the atmosphere. The City realized that if the lagoons could be covered, the odor problem could be resolved, and at the same, time, biogas could be recovered and utilized as a source of energy. In 1987, the City commissioned ADI International to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate alternative methods of covering the lagoons and recovering and utilizing the biogas. The study recommended that the project be developed in two phases: (1) recovery of the biogas and (2) utilization of the biogas. Phase 1 consists of covering the two lagoons with an insulated membrane to control odor and temperature and collect the biogas. Phase 1 was found to be economically feasible and offered a unique opportunity for the City to save substantial operating costs at the treatment facility. The Memphis biogas recovery project is the only application in the world where a membrane cover has been used on a municipal wastewater sludge lagoon. It is also the largest lagoon cover system in the world.
Muller, D.; Norville, C. [Memphis and Shelby County Div. of Planning and Development, TN (United States)
Optimisation of biogas production from anaerobic digestion of agro-industrial waste streams in Brazil.
The important Brazilian agro-industry produces significant amounts of wastewater with high concentrations of biodegradable compounds. A lot can be gained if wastewater treatment would take place using anaerobic reactors instead of the anaerobic lagoons generally used now. Apart from preventing methane emissions to the atmosphere this would permit the use of the biogas as a source of energy. To facilitate implementation of this technology also in small and intermediate sized companies a system requiring only minimal maintenance is needed. The need for maintenance by skilled labour can be reduced using an automated process control system, which is being developed. Cassava (manioc, tapioca) processing wastewater has been treated in a lab scale UASB reactor equipped with an on-line monitoring system, to test a control strategy based mainly on pH control. Good results have been obtained treating not only pre-acidified but also treating raw (diluted) cassava processing wastewater. PMID:19001722
Boncz, M A; Bezerra, L Pinheiro; Ide, C Nobuyoshi; Paulo, P Loureiro
Comparison of different procedures to stabilize biogas formation after process failure in a thermophilic waste digestion system: Influence of aggregate formation on process stability
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mechanism of process recovery with calcium oxide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Formation of insoluble calcium salts with long chain fatty acids and phosphate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adsorption of VFAs by the precipitates resulting in the formation of aggregates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Acid uptake and phosphate release by the phosphate-accumulating organisms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microbial degradation of volatile fatty acids in the aggregates. - Abstract: Following a process failure in a full-scale biogas reactor, different counter measures were undertaken to stabilize the process of biogas formation, including the reduction of the organic loading rate, the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the introduction of calcium oxide (CaO). Corresponding to the results of the process recovery in the full-scale digester, laboratory experiments showed that CaO was more capable of stabilizing the process than NaOH. While both additives were able to raise the pH to a neutral milieu (pH > 7.0), the formation of aggregates was observed particularly when CaO was used as the additive. Scanning electron microscopy investigations revealed calcium phosphate compounds in the core of the aggregates. Phosphate seemed to be released by phosphorus-accumulating organisms, when volatile fatty acids accumulated. The calcium, which was charged by the CaO addition, formed insoluble salts with long chain fatty acids, and caused the precipitation of calcium phosphate compounds. These aggregates were surrounded by a white layer of carbon rich organic matter, probably consisting of volatile fatty acids. Thus, during the process recovery with CaO, the decrease in the amount of accumulated acids in the liquid phase was likely enabled by (1) the formation of insoluble calcium salts with long chain fatty acids, (2) the adsorption of volatile fatty acids by the precipitates, (3) the acid uptake by phosphorus-accumulating organisms and (4) the degradation of volatile fatty acids in the aggregates. Furthermore, this mechanism enabled a stable process performance after re-activation of biogas production. In contrast, during the counter measure with NaOH aggregate formation was only minor resulting in a rapid process failure subsequent the increase of the organic loading rate.
Kleyboecker, A.; Liebrich, M.; Kasina, M. [Microbial GeoEngineering, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam (Germany); Kraume, M. [Chemical and Process Engineering, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Wittmaier, M. [Institute for Recycling and Environmental Protection, Bremen University of Applied Sciences, 28199 Bremen (Germany); Wuerdemann, H., E-mail: email@example.com [Microbial GeoEngineering, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam (Germany)
Impact of coexistence of flocs and biofilm on performance of combined nitritation-anammox granular sludge reactors.
Nitrogen (N) removal from high-strength wastewater can be accomplished in single-stage combined nitritation-anammox reactors with suspended growth biomass composed of floccular sludge, granular sludge, or of any mix of these 2 different sludge fractions. To date, the influence of floccular biomass on granular sludge reactor performance and stability has not been investigated experimentally or numerically. To address this knowledge gap, two 1D multi-species models were developed in Aquasim to assess the importance of small levels of flocs in putatively granular sludge combined nitritation-anammox reactors for different bulk oxygen concentrations and organics loads. The models included the growth and decay of aerobic ammonium-oxidizing organism (AOO), nitrite-oxidizing organisms (NOO), heterotrophic organisms (OHO), and anammox organisms (AMO) in exclusively granular sludge reactors, and in granular sludge reactors with small levels (?5% of total biomass) of flocs. While maximum N removal efficiencies were similar for both model structures, floc addition led to a lower optimal dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) as well as a narrower maximum N removal peak, suggesting that small levels of floccular material may decrease process robustness to bulk oxygen changes. For some DO levels, this led to drastic efficiency drops. Furthermore, floc addition also led to substantial segregation in activity and microbial population distribution, with AOO, NOO and OHO concentrated in flocs and AMO concentrated in granules. Increased organic loading (COD:N = 4:3) improved maximum N removal efficiency in both model structures, but yielded substantially different predictions for optimal DO setpoint and process robustness to variations in DO. Taken together, our results indicate that even small levels of floccular biomass in biofilm reactors can have profound implications for reactor performance and optimization and for segregation of linked microbial processes, and suggest that the common practice of neglecting small levels of floccular material in biofilm models and in practice may lead to erroneous predictions. PMID:25462723
Hubaux, N; Wells, G; Morgenroth, E
High performance inboard shield design for the compact TIBER-II test reactor: Appendix A-2
The compactness of the TIBER-II reactor has placed a premium on the design of a high performance inboard shield to protect the inner legs of the toroidal field (TF) coils. The available space for shield is constrained to 48 cm and the use of tungsten is mandatory to protect the magnet against the 1.53 MW/m/sup 2/ neutron wall loading. The primary requirement for the shield is to limit the fast neutron fluence to 10/sup 19/ n/cm/sup 2/. In an optimization study, the performance of various candidate materials for protecting the magnet was examined. The optimum shield consists of a 40 cm thick W layer, followed by an 8 cm thick H/sub 2/O/LiNO/sub 3/ layer. The mechanical design of the shield calls for tungsten blocks within SS stiffened panels. All the coolant channels are vertical with more of them in the front where there is a high heat load. The coolant pressure is 0.2 MPa and the maximum structural surface temperature is <95/sup 0/C. The effects of the detailed mechanical design of the shield and the assembly gaps between the shield sectors on the damage in the magnet were analyzed and peaking factors of approx.2 were found at the hot spots. 2 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.
El-Guebaly, L.A.; Sviatoslavsky, I.N.
Performance of a cutinase membrane reactor for the production of biodiesel in organic media.
The enzymatic transesterification of oils with an alcohol, using recombinant cutinase of Fusarium solani pisi microencapsulated in sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reversed micelles, was performed in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). A tubular ceramic membrane with a nominal molecular weight cut off of 15,000 Da was used to retain the enzyme, and characterized in terms of rejection coefficients of the reaction components by transmission experiments. The performance of the MBR in a total recirculation-batch mode was compared with results obtained in a stirred batch tank reactor. The continuous operation of the MBR was also evaluated and the influence of the alcohol type and permeate flow rate on conversion degree and productivity (up to 500 g(product) /day/g(enzyme) was attained) were analyzed. Cutinase wild type and mutant T179C were tested for this process and the high long-term operational stability of the cutinase mutant demonstrated its potential as biocatalyst for the enzymatic continuous production of biodiesel. PMID:21290382
Badenes, Sara M; Lemos, Francisco; Cabral, Joaquim M S
Experimental Evaluation of the Thermal Performance of a Water Shield for a Surface Power Reactor
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
A water based shielding system is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. The use of water may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. Natural convection in a representative lunar surface reactor shield design is evaluated at various power levels in the Water Shield Testbed (WST) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The experimental data from the WST is used to anchor a CFD model. Performance of a water shield on the lunar surface is then predicted by CFD models anchored to test data. The accompanying viewgraph presentation includes the following topics: 1) Testbed Configuration; 2) Core Heater Placement and Instrumentation; 3) Thermocouple Placement; 4) Core Thermocouple Placement; 5) Outer Tank Thermocouple Placement; 6) Integrated Testbed; 7) Methodology; 8) Experimental Results: Core Temperatures; 9) Experimental Results; Outer Tank Temperatures; 10) CFD Modeling; 11) CFD Model: Anchored to Experimental Results (1-g); 12) CFD MOdel: Prediction for 1/6-g; and 13) CFD Model: Comparison of 1-g to 1/6-g.
Pearson, J. Boise; Stewart, Eric T.; Reid, Robert S.
The effect of polymer addition on granulation in an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR). Part I: process performance
The stability and performance of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) treating an ice-cream wastewater at several organic loading rates have been investigated. Specifically, it was determined whether an ABR would promote phase separation and if a polymer additive was capable of enhancing granule formation in an ABR. In order to achieve these goals, two ABRs, having identical dimensions and configurations,
S Uyanik; P. J Sallis; G. K Anderson
Mass transfer and shear in an airlift bioreactor: Using a mathematical model to improve reactor design and performance
Several studies have shown a strong relationship between morphology and agitation (Cui et al., 1997; Berzins et al., 2001). The shear stress distribution and mass transfer are the important parameters which can improve the performance of bioreactor. In this work, a mathematical model using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques is used to study the gas–liquid dispersion in an airlift reactor.
R. Bannari; A. Bannari; B. Selma; P. Proulx
Advanced Real-Time Feedback Control in JT-60U High Performance Discharges for Application to Fusion Reactor Plasmas
The significance of real-time feedback control is emphasized in this paper as an indispensable method to improve and sustain the improved plasma characteristics in JT-60U high fusion performance discharges as well as to operate the fusion reactor under the optimal divertor conditions with respect to the heat load and exhaust pumping. In accordance, substantial improvement in the equivalent fusion amplification
T. Fukuda; T. Oikawa; S. Takeji; A. Isayama; Y. Kawano; Y. Neyatani; A. Nagashima; T. Nishitani; S. Konoshima; H. Tamai; T. Fujita; Y. Sakamoto; Y. Kamada; S. Ide; Y. Koide; H. Takenaga; K. Kurihara; S. Sakata; T. Ozeki; Y. Kawamata; Y. M. Miura
Neutronic performance of HYLIFE-II fusion reactor using various thorium molten salts
HYLIFE-II is one of the major inertial fusion energy reactor design concepts in which a thick molten salt layer (Flibe=Li2BeF4) is injected between the reaction chamber walls and the explosions. Molten salt coolant eliminates the frequent replacement of solid first wall structure during reactors lifetime by decreasing intense neutron flux. This study presents the neutronic analysis of HYLIFE-II fusion reactor
Mustafa Übeyli
Production of Biogas from Wastewaters of Food Processing Industries
An Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Process used in converting biodegradable, soluble, organic pollutants in industrial wastewaters to a directly-burnable biogas composed mainly of methane has been developed, tested, and commercially applied...
Sax, R. I.; Holtz, M.; Pette, K. C.
Biogas systems in India: is the technology appropriate
In 1973 the Indian government launched a project to install 50,000 biogas plants in villages by 1978. About 36,000 plants were in operation by 1977. Biogas technology was seen as providing a valuable source of energy and fertilizer, helping to conserve forests and preventing soil erosion, improving India's balance of payments and improving rural sanitation and public health. As it turned out, the rigidly stratified socioeconomic structure of Indian villages prevented the lower classes from benefiting from the new technology and had the unforeseen effect of ultimately widening the gap between rich and poor. This article looks at how this happened, examines the socioeconomic impact of biogas and discusses the technical improvements needed to make existing biogas plants into a truly appropriate technology in the context of Indian village life. (Refs. 35).
Tucker, J.B.
Global warming mitigation potential of biogas plants in India.
Biogas technology, besides supplying energy and manure, provides an excellent opportunity for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and reducing global warming through substituting firewood for cooking, kerosene for lighting and cooking and chemical fertilizers. A study was undertaken to calculate (1) global warming mitigation potential (GMP) and thereby earning carbon credit of a family size biogas plant in India, (2) GMP of the existing and target biogas plants in the country and (3) atmospheric pollution reduction by a family size biogas plant. The GMP of a family size biogas plant was 9.7 t CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and with the current price of US $10 t( - 1) CO(2) equiv., carbon credit of US $97 year( - 1) could be earned from such reduction in greenhouse gas emission under the clean development mechanism (CDM). A family size biogas plant substitutes 316 L of kerosene, 5,535 kg firewood and 4,400 kg cattle dung cake as fuels which will reduce emissions of NOx, SO(2), CO and volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere by 16.4, 11.3, 987.0 and 69.7 kg year( - 1), respectively. Presently 3.83 million biogas plants are operating in the country, which can mitigate global warming by 37 Mt CO(2) equiv. year( - 1). Government of India has a target of installing 12.34 million biogas plants by 2010. This target has a GMP of 120 Mt CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and US $1,197 million as carbon credit under the CDM. However, if all the collectible cattle dung (225 Mt) produced in the country is used, 51.2 million family size biogas plants can be supported which will have a GMP of 496 Mt of CO(2) equiv. year( - 1) and can earn US $4,968 million as carbon credit. The reduction in global warming should encourage policy makers to promote biogas technology to combat climate change and integration of carbon revenues will help the farmers to develop biogas as a profitable activity. PMID:18843544
Pathak, H; Jain, N; Bhatia, A; Mohanty, S; Gupta, Navindu
Evaluating livestock manures for biogas production: a GIS based method
The Animals (data)Base for Energy Potential Estimation (ABEPE), presented in this paper, is a GIS based biomass resource assessment application using a relational database management system to estimate biogas production from livestock manures. Energy and biogas potential of livestock residues of all major groups of stock-raising animals (cattle, pigs, sheep\\/goats, poultry, etc.) were evaluated. The calculations were based on geographical
F. A. Batzias; D. K. Sidiras; E. K. Spyrou
The SBWR (simplified boiling water reactor) thermal-hydraulic performance analysis and testing
Utility interest has recently increased in potential future nuclear units that combine the characteristics of smaller size, greater simplicity, and more passive safety features. In response to such interest, General Electric (GE) began development in 1982 of a 600-MW(electric) reactor with simplified power generation and safety systems. This paper provides an overview of the simplified boiling water reactor (SBWR) design,
A. S. Rao; C. D. Sawyer; R. L. Huang; F. M. Paradiso; L. C. Hsu
Three pass core design proposal for a high performance light water reactor
The paper describes a novel core concept for a nuclear reactor cooled with supercritical water, in which the coolant is heated up from 280°C at the reactor inlet to 500°C at the outlet in four steps: a first heat-up step is provided by heat transfer from fuel assemblies to the moderator water in gaps and moderator boxes, a second step
T. Schulenberg; J. Starflinger; J. Heinecke
Co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sludge to increase biogas production
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Small increase in methane production was observed applying sonication pretreatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Biogas productions between 720 and 1100 mL/Lreactor day were achieved. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Volatile solids removal efficiencies ranged between 53% and 60%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lower methane yields were obtained when operating under thermophilic conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optimum OLR in lab-scale CSTR was 1.2-1.3 g VS/L day (HRT: 20 days). - Abstract: Anaerobic co-digestion strategies are needed to enhance biogas production, especially when treating certain residues such as cattle/pig manure. This paper presents a study of co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sewage sludge. With the aim of maximising biogas yields, a series of experiments were carried out under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions using continuously stirred-tank reactors, operating at different hydraulic residence times. Pretreatment with ultrasound was also applied to compare the results with those obtained with non-pretreated waste. Specific methane production decreases when increasing the OLR and decreasing HRT. The maximum value obtained was 603 LCH{sub 4}/kg VS{sub feed} for the co-digestion of a mixture of 70% manure, 20% food waste and 10% sewage sludge (total solid concentration around 4%) at 36 Degree-Sign C, for an OLR of 1.2 g VS/L day. Increasing the OLR to 1.5 g VS/L day led to a decrease of around 20-28% in SMP. Lower methane yields were obtained when operating at 55 Degree-Sign C. The increase in methane production when applying ultrasound to the feed mixtures does not compensate for the energy spent in this pretreatment.
Maranon, E., E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University Institute of Technology of Asturias, Campus of Gijon, University of Oviedo, 33203 Gijon (Spain); Castrillon, L.; Quiroga, G.; Fernandez-Nava, Y. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University Institute of Technology of Asturias, Campus of Gijon, University of Oviedo, 33203 Gijon (Spain); Gomez, L.; Garcia, M.M. [Zero Emissions Technology, 41018 Seville (Spain)
Emergy Analysis of Biogas Systems Based on Different Raw Materials
Environmental pollution and energy crisis restrict the development of China, and the utilization of renewable technology is an effective strategy to alleviate the damage. Biogas engineering has rapidly developed attributes to solve environmental problems and create a renewable energy product biogas. In this paper, two different biogas plants' materials were analyzed by emergy method. One of them is a biogas project whose degraded material is feces (BPF system), and the other is the one whose degraded material is corn straw (BPC system). As a result, the ecological-economic values of BPF and BPC are $28,300/yr and $8,100/yr, respectively. Considering currency, environment, and human inputs, both of the biogas projects have the ability of disposing waste and potential for development. The proportion of biogas output is much more than fertilizer output; so, fertilizer utilization should be emphasized in the future. In comparison, BPF is better than BPC in the aspects of ecological-economic benefits, environmental benefits, and sustainability. The reason is the difficulty of corn straw seasonal collection and degradation. Thus it is proposed that BPC should be combined with the other raw materials. PMID:23476134
Wang, Yang; Lin, Cong; Li, Jing; Duan, Na; Li, Xue; Fu, Yanyan
Emergy analysis of biogas systems based on different raw materials.
Environmental pollution and energy crisis restrict the development of China, and the utilization of renewable technology is an effective strategy to alleviate the damage. Biogas engineering has rapidly developed attributes to solve environmental problems and create a renewable energy product biogas. In this paper, two different biogas plants' materials were analyzed by emergy method. One of them is a biogas project whose degraded material is feces (BPF system), and the other is the one whose degraded material is corn straw (BPC system). As a result, the ecological-economic values of BPF and BPC are $28,300/yr and $8,100/yr, respectively. Considering currency, environment, and human inputs, both of the biogas projects have the ability of disposing waste and potential for development. The proportion of biogas output is much more than fertilizer output; so, fertilizer utilization should be emphasized in the future. In comparison, BPF is better than BPC in the aspects of ecological-economic benefits, environmental benefits, and sustainability. The reason is the difficulty of corn straw seasonal collection and degradation. Thus it is proposed that BPC should be combined with the other raw materials. PMID:23476134
Wang, Yang; Lin, Cong; Li, Jing; Duan, Na; Li, Xue; Fu, Yanyan
Electron versus proton accelerator driven sub-critical system performance using TRIGA reactors at power
This paper provides a comparison of the performance of an electron accelerator-driven experiment, under discussion within the Reactor Accelerator Coupling Experiments (RACE) Project, being conducted within the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), and of the proton-driven experiment TRADE (TRIGA Accelerator Driven Experiment) originally planned at ENEA-Casaccia in Italy. Both experiments foresee the coupling to sub-critical TRIGA core configurations, and are aimed to investigate the relevant kinetic and dynamic accelerator-driven systems (ADS) core behavior characteristics in the presence of thermal reactivity feedback effects. TRADE was based on the coupling of an upgraded proton cyclotron, producing neutrons via spallation reactions on a tantalum (Ta) target, with the core driven at a maximum power around 200 kW. RACE is based on the coupling of an Electron Linac accelerator, producing neutrons via photoneutron reactions on a tungsten-copper (W-Cu) or uranium (U) target, with the core driven at a maximum power around 50 kW. The paper is focused on analysis of expected dynamic power response of the RACE core following reactivity and/or source transients. TRADE and RACE target-core power coupling coefficients are compared and discussed. (authors)
Carta, M.; Burgio, N.; D'Angelo, A.; Santagata, A. [ENEA, C.R. Casaccia, via Anguillarese, 301, 00060, S. Maria di Galeria, Rome (Italy); Petrovich, C. [ENEA, C.R.E. Clementel, via M. M. Sole, 4, 40129, Bologna (Italy); Schikorr, M. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe FZK, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Beller, D. [Univ. of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4027 (United States); Felice, L. S. [CEA, CEN Cadarache, 13108 St-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Imel, G. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Ave, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Salvatores, M. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe FZK, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); CEA, CEN Cadarache, 13108 St-Paul-lez-Durance (France)
Performance and microbial community in hybrid Anaerobic Baffled Reactor-constructed wetland for nitrobenzene wastewater.
A process combining an Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) and a constructed wetland was employed to treat nitrobenzene wastewater. The overall performance was examined throughout long-term operation with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h at 30±1 °C. The effluent nitrobenzene concentration of the ABR and constructed wetland was less than 4.81 and 1.94 mg/L, respectively, with an initial nitrobenzene concentration of 80 mg/L at the steady-state periods. The corresponding removal efficiencies were 97.02% and 73.93%, respectively. Moreover, 97.29% of aniline produced in the ABR could be removed in the subsequent wetland. The number of sequenced clones from each library was sufficient to cover archaea and eubacteria diversity at the species level and to obtain a representation of the total microbial diversity in the ABR. The predominant microbial populations in the ABR were identified as Pseudomonas putida, Methanosaeta concilii and Methanothrix soehngenii. PMID:22705515
Lin, Yingzi; Yin, Jun; Wang, Jianhui; Tian, Wende
Performance of methanogenic reactors in temperature phased two-stage anaerobic digestion of swine wastewater.
The present study investigated the shifts in the chemical profiles of a two-phase anaerobic digestion system in methanogenic and acidogenic reactors for the treatment of swine wastewater. Acidogenic and methanogenic digesters were used with overall HRTs ranging from 27 to 6 d. In the optimized thermophilic/acidogenic phase throughout the entire experimental period, VS was reduced by 13.8% (1.6%); however, COD hardly decreased because of the thermophilic hydrolysis of organic materials, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, without any significant consumption of volatile fatty acids. In the methanogenic/mesophilic phase, COD was reduced by 65.8 (1.1)% compared to a 47.4 (2.9)% reduction in VS reduction efficiency with the gradual increase in methane production during a methanogenic HRT between 25 and 10 d. A high protein degradation rate was observed in the optimized acidogenic phase, which is assumed to be due to the low content of carbohydrates in raw swine wastewater as well as the readily thermophilic hydrolysis of proteins. Two-phase systems of anaerobic digestion consisting of optimized thermophilic and mesophilic methanogenic digesters showed a stable performance with respect to VS reduction efficiency with OLRs less than 3 g VS/L·d, in other words, more than 10 days of methanogenic HRT in this study. PMID:23041140
Kim, Woong; Shin, Seung Gu; Cho, Kyungjin; Lee, Changsoo; Hwang, Seokhwan
Effects of hexavalent chromium on performance and microbial community of an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor.
The performance and microbial community of an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor (GSBR) were investigated at different hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) concentrations. The COD and NH4 (+)-N removal efficiencies decreased with the increase in Cr(VI) concentration from 0 to 30 mg/L. The specific oxygen utilization rate (SOUR) decreased from 34.86 to 12.18 mg/(g mixed liquor suspended sludge (MLSS)·h) with the increase in Cr(VI) concentration from 0 to 30 mg/L. The specific ammonium oxidation rate (SAOR), specific nitrite oxidation rate (SNOR), and specific nitrate reduction rate (SNRR) decreased with the increase in Cr(VI) concentration, whereas the SNRR was always higher than the sum of SAOR and SNOR at 0-30 mg/L Cr(VI). The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) showed some undefined particles on the surface of filamentous bacteria that might be the chelation of chromium and macromolecular organics at 30 mg/L Cr(VI). The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles revealed that some microorganisms adapting to high Cr(VI) concentration gradually became the predominant bacteria, while others without Cr(VI)-tolerance capacity tended to deplete or weaken. Some bacteria could tolerate the toxicity of high Cr(VI) concentration in the aerobic GSBR, such as Propionibacteriaceae bacterium, Ochrobactrum anthropi, and Micropruina glycogenica. PMID:25318421
Wang, Zichao; Gao, Mengchun; She, Zonglian; Jin, Chunji; Zhao, Yangguo; Yang, Shiying; Guo, Liang; Wang, Sen
Biogas from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: dealing with contaminants for a solid oxide fuel cell energy generator.
The present work investigates electricity production using a high efficiency electrochemical generator that employs as fuel a biogas from the dry anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). The as-produced biogas contains several contaminants (sulfur, halogen, organic silicon and aromatic compounds) that can be harmful for the fuel cell: these were monitored via an innovative mass spectrometry technique that enables for in-line and real-time quantification. A cleaning trap with activated carbons for the removal of sulfur and other VOCs contained in the biogas was also tested and monitored by observing the different breakthrough times of studied contaminants. The electrochemical generator was a commercial Ni anode-supported planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), tested for more than 300 h with a simulated biogas mixture (CH4 60 vol.%, CO2 40 vol.%), directly fed to the anode electrode. Air was added to promote the direct internal conversion of CH4 to H2 and CO via partial oxidation (POx). The initial breakthrough of H2S from the cleaning section was also simulated and tested by adding ?1 ppm(v) of sulfur in the anode feed; a full recovery of the fuel cell performance after 24h of sulfur exposure (?1 ppm(v)) was observed upon its removal, indicating the reliable time of anode exposure to sulfur in case of exhausted guard bed. PMID:25081854
Papurello, Davide; Lanzini, Andrea; Leone, Pierluigi; Santarelli, Massimo; Silvestri, Silvia
Performances and microbial features of an aerobic packed-bed biofilm reactor developed to post-treat an olive mill effluent from an anaerobic GAC reactor
Background Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is the aqueous effluent of olive oil producing processes. Given its high COD and content of phenols, it has to be decontaminated before being discharged. Anaerobic digestion is one of the most promising treatment process for such an effluent, as it combines high decontamination efficiency with methane production. The large scale anaerobic digestion of OMWs is normally conducted in dispersed-growth reactors, where however are generally achieved unsatisfactory COD removal and methane production yields. The possibility of intensifying the performance of the process using a packed bed biofilm reactor, as anaerobic treatment alternative, was demonstrated. Even in this case, however, a post-treatment step is required to further reduce the COD. In this work, a biological post-treatment, consisting of an aerobic biological "Manville" silica bead-packed bed aerobic reactor, was developed, tested for its ability to complete COD removal from the anaerobic digestion effluents, and characterized biologically through molecular tools. Results The aerobic post-treatment was assessed through a 2 month-continuous feeding with the digested effluent at 50.42 and 2.04 gl-1day-1 of COD and phenol loading rates, respectively. It was found to be a stable process, able to remove 24 and 39% of such organic loads, respectively, and to account for 1/4 of the overall decontamination efficiency displayed by the anaerobic-aerobic integrated system when fed with an amended OMW at 31.74 and 1.70 gl-1day-1 of COD and phenol loading rates, respectively. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of biomass samples from the aerobic reactor biofilm revealed that it was colonized by Rhodobacterales, Bacteroidales, Pseudomonadales, Enterobacteriales, Rhodocyclales and genera incertae sedis TM7. Some taxons occurring in the influent were not detected in the biofilm, whereas others, such as Paracoccus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Enterobacter, enriched significantly in the biofilter throughout the treatment. Conclusion The silica-bead packed bed biofilm reactor developed and characterized in this study was able to significantly decontaminate anaerobically digested OMWs. Therefore, the application of an integrated anaerobic-aerobic process resulted in an improved system for valorization and decontamination of OMWs. PMID:16595023
Bertin, Lorenzo; Colao, Maria Chiara; Ruzzi, Maurizio; Marchetti, Leonardo; Fava, Fabio
Effects of organic loading rate and effluent recirculation on the performance of two-stage anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste.
The effects of organic loading rates (OLR) and effluent recirculation on dynamics of acidogenic and methanogenic processes in two-stage anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste were investigated. Two systems were performed at OLRs of 1.3, 1.7, 2.1 and 2.6 g VS/L/d. One system recirculated the effluent from the methanogenic reactor to acidogenic reactor. With increasing OLRs, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration increased to approximately 8500 mg/L in acidogenic digester, where pH decreased from 6.4 to 5.2. Daily biogas production and methane content in methanogenic reactor increased from 1.2 to 4.4 L/d and from 27.4% to 60.5%, respectively. However, inhibition of hydrolysis in acidogenic reactor was demonstrated under the OLR of 2.6 g VS/L/d without recirculation, thus indicating system overloading. Effluent recirculation shown a considerable positive effect on alleviating VFA inhibition and improving biogas production in acidogenic reactor because of the effect of dilution and pH adjustment, particularly at high OLRs. PMID:23973975
Zuo, Zhuang; Wu, Shubiao; Zhang, Wanqin; Dong, Renjie
Determination of biogas generation potential as a renewable energy source from supermarket wastes.
Fruit, vegetable, flower waste (FVFW), dairy products waste (DPW), meat waste (MW) and sugar waste (SW) obtained from a supermarket chain were anaerobically digested, in order to recover methane as a source of renewable energy. Batch mesophilic anaerobic reactors were run at total solids (TS) ratios of 5%, 8% and 10%. The highest methane yield of 0.44 L CH4/g VS(added) was obtained from anaerobic digestion of wastes (FVFW+DPW+MW+SW) at 10% TS, with 66.4% of methane (CH4) composition in biogas. Anaerobic digestion of mixed wastes at 5% and 8% TS provided slightly lower methane yields of 0.41 and 0.40 L CH4/g VS(added), respectively. When the wastes were digested alone without co-substrate addition, the highest methane yield of 0.40 L CH4/g VS(added) was obtained from FVFW at 5% TS. Generally, although the volatile solids (VS) conversion percentages seemed low during the experiments, higher methane yields could be obtained from anaerobic digestion of supermarket wastes. A suitable carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, proper adjustment of the buffering capacity and the addition of essential trace nutrients (such as Ni) could improve VS conversion and biogas production yields significantly. PMID:24120116
Alkanok, Gizem; Demirel, Burak; Onay, Turgut T
Since 1967, the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has provided state-of-the-art experimental irradiation testing capability. A unique design is investigated herein for the purpose of providing a fast neutron flux test capability in the ATR. This new test capability could be brought on line in approximately 5 or 6 years, much sooner than a new test reactor could be built, to provide an interim fast-flux test capability in the timeframe before a fast-flux research reactor could be built. The proposed cost for this system is approximately $63M, much less than the cost of a new fast-flux test reactor. A concept has been developed to filter out a large portion of the thermal flux component by using a thermally conductive neutron absorber block. The objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of this experiment cooling concept.
Donna Post Guillen
Comparison of Diesel Oxidation Catalyst Performance on an Engine and a Gas Flow Reactor
This paper analyzes and compares reactor and engine behavior of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) in the presence of conventional diesel exhaust and low temperature premixed compression ignition (PCI) diesel exhaust. Surrogate exhaust mixtures of n-undecane (C11H24), ethene (C2H4), CO, O2, H2O, NO and N2 are defined for conventional and PCI combustion and used in the gas flow reactor tests.
Alexander Knafl; Manbae Han; Stanislav V. Bohac; Dennis N. Assanis; Patrick G. Szymkowicz
Simplified boiling water reactor thermal-hydraulic performance: A RELAP5\\/MOD2 model simulation
The results of a simulation activity on a General Electric (GE) simplified boiling water reactor (SBWR) carried out at ENEL (the Italian Electricity Board) are discussed. The SBWR is a medium-size [600 MW (electric)] new generation reactor developed by GE, whose safety is ensured by means of passive systems (water gravity injection, pressure suppression, and passive heat removal). The RELAP5\\/MOD2
P. Barbucci; L. Bella; F. Oriolo
Performance of a hybrid anaerobic reactor, combining a sludge blanket and a filter, treating slaughterhouse wastewater
A column reactor, in which the bottom two-thirds were occupied by a sludge blanket and the upper one-third by submerged clay rings, was evaluated using slaughterhouse wastewater as substrate. The reactor was operated at 35°C at loading rates varying from 5 g to 45 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) 1-1 × day-1 at an influent concentration of 2450 mg COD
R. Borja; C. J. Banks; Z. Wang
Performance and economics of a Pd-based planar WGS membrane reactor for coal gasification
Conceptual 300 tonne per day (tpd) H2-from-coal plants have been the subject of several major costing exercises in the past decade. Incorporating conventional high- and low-temperature water-gas-shift (WGS) reactors, amine-based CO2 removal and PSA-based H2 purification systems, these studies provide a benchmark against which alternative H2-from-coal technologies can be compared. The catalytic membrane reactor (CMR), combining a WGS catalyst and hydrogen-selective
M. D. Dolan; R. Donelson; N. C. Dave
Hydraulic performance of a proposed in situ photocatalytic reactor for degradation of MTBE in water.
Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) groundwater remediation projects often require a combination of technologies resulting in increasing the project costs. A cost-effective in situ photocatalytic reactor design, Honeycomb II, is proposed and tested for its efficiency in MTBE degradation at various flows. This study is an intermediate phase of the research in developing an in situ photocatalytic reactor for groundwater remediation. It examines the effect of the operating variables: air and water flow and double passages through Honeycomb II, on the MTBE removal. MTBE vaporisation is affected by not only temperature, Henry's law constant and air flow to volume ratio but also reactor geometry. The column reactor achieved more than 84% MTBE removal after 8 h at flows equivalent to horizontal groundwater velocities slower than 21.2 cm d?¹. Despite the contrasting properties between a photocatalytic indicator methylene blue and MTBE, the reactor efficiency in degrading both compounds showed similar responses towards flow (equivalent groundwater velocity and hydraulic residence time (HRT)). The critical HRT for both compounds was approximately 1 d, which corresponded to a velocity of 21.2 cm d?¹. A double pass through both new and used catalysts achieved more than 95% MTBE removal after two passes in 48 h. It also verified that the removal efficiency can be estimated via the sequential order of the removal efficiency of one pass obtained in the laboratory. This study reinforces the potential of this reactor design for in situ groundwater remediation. PMID:21067793
Lim, Leonard Lik Pueh; Lynch, Rod
The Success of Biogas Plants in Nepal: A Note on Gender
This article describes a successful programme to disseminate biogas plants in Nepal, and summarises the findings of various studies on the impact of the biogas technology on the quality of life of women.
J. Hans M. Opdam
Biogas production improvement and C/N control by natural clinoptilolite addition into anaerobic co-digestion of Phragmites australis, feces and kitchen waste.
Anaerobic co-digestion (A co-D) performance of Phragmites australis, feces and kitchen waste with addition of clinoptilolite (one main kind of zeolite) was investigated to evaluate the improvement of biogas/methane production and internal mechanism of nitrogen and organics control. A better biogas/methane production was observed by 10% clinoptilolite (v/v) than bentonite and diatomite, with the shortest lag phase of 0.070d(-1), the max rate of 15.89L/(kgVSday) and ultimate biogas production of 308.2L/kgVS as the modified Gompertz equation predicted. Accordingly, the content of methane in the biogas was increased from 44.10% to 65.30%. Furthermore, the clinoptilolite inhibited the acidification of digestion liquid (optimum pH 7.0-7.5) and enhanced the VFAs (acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid) destruction. Moreover, 10% of clinoptilolite optimally enhanced the microbial utilization of Ca(2+)/Mg(2+), controlled the C/N ratio, and improved the biogas production as well as NH3-N/NO3-N inhibition efficiency. PMID:25603527
Wang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Lieyu; Xi, Beidou; Sun, Wenjun; Xia, Xunfeng; Zhu, Chaowei; He, Xiaosong; Li, Mingxiao; Yang, Tianxue; Wang, Pengfei; Zhang, Zhonglei
Anaerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent using combined high-rate anaerobic reactors.
Combined system of high-rate anaerobic reactors for treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) was developed and investigated in this study. The system composed of one common primary hybrid reactor which was shared by two different secondary filter reactors. An overall COD removal efficiency of 93.5% was achieved in both systems. The secondary reactors contributed not only in enhancing the COD removal efficiency, but also ensured the performance stability of the entire system. Biomass remained intact in the secondary reactor in contrast to the primary reactor in which occasional washout of biomass was observed. The pH of POME was adjusted at the beginning of the operation, as the process continued POME did not require the external pH adjustment as the pH was maintained in desired range. The biogas was produced up to 110 l/d with the yield of 0.171-0.269 l [CH?]/g [COD removed] and 59.5-78.2% content of methane. PMID:23489567
Choi, Won-Ho; Shin, Chang-Ha; Son, Sung-Min; Ghorpade, Praveen A; Kim, Jeong-Joo; Park, Joo-Yang
Enzyme research and applications in biotechnological intensification of biogas production.
Biogas technology provides an alternative source of energy to fossil fuels in many parts of the world. Using local resources such as agricultural crop remains, municipal solid wastes, market wastes and animal waste, energy (biogas), and manure are derived by anaerobic digestion. The hydrolysis process, where the complex insoluble organic materials are hydrolysed by extracellular enzymes, is a rate-limiting step for anaerobic digestion of high-solid organic solid wastes. Biomass pretreatment and hydrolysis are areas in need of drastic improvement for economic production of biogas from complex organic matter such as lignocellulosic material and sewage sludge. Despite development of pretreatment techniques, sugar release from complex biomass still remains an expensive and slow step, perhaps the most critical in the overall process. This paper gives an updated review of the biotechnological advances to improve biogas production by microbial enzymatic hydrolysis of different complex organic matter for converting them into fermentable structures. A number of authors have reported significant improvement in biogas production when crude and commercial enzymes are used in the pretreatment of complex organic matter. There have been studies on the improvement of biogas production from lignocellulolytic materials, one of the largest and renewable sources of energy on earth, after pretreatment with cellulases and cellulase-producing microorganisms. Lipids (characterised as oil, grease, fat, and free long chain fatty acids, LCFA) are a major organic compound in wastewater generated from the food processing industries and have been considered very difficult to convert into biogas. Improved methane yield has been reported in the literature when these lipid-rich wastewaters are pretreated with lipases and lipase-producing microorganisms. The enzymatic treatment of mixed sludge by added enzymes prior to anaerobic digestion has been shown to result in improved degradation of the sludge and an increase in methane production. Strategies for enzyme dosing to enhance anaerobic digestion of the different complex organic rich materials have been investigated. This review also highlights the various challenges and opportunities that exist to improve enzymatic hydrolysis of complex organic matter for biogas production. The arguments in favor of enzymes to pretreat complex biomass are compelling. The high cost of commercial enzyme production, however, still limits application of enzymatic hydrolysis in full-scale biogas production plants, although production of low-cost enzymes and genetic engineering are addressing this issue. PMID:21851320
Parawira, Wilson
Biogas end-use in the European community
In Europe over the past few years the generation of biogas for energy and environmental purposes has been gaining in importance. Industrial wastewaters, cattle manure, sewage sludges, urban wastes, crop residues, algae and aquatic biomass are all typical of the materials being utilized. In contrast to the extensive inventory of biomethanation processes which has been carried out within the EEC, until recently a detailed, up-to-date investigation of the end-sues of biogas had not been undertaken. To supply the necessary information, the Commission of the European Communities and the Belgian Science Policy Office jointly entrusted a study to the Unit of Bioengineering at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. This book is record of the study and has the following key features: it gives a broad overview of the ongoing use of biogas in Europe; it summarizes available data on storage, purification and engines using biogas; it draws several conclusions concerning the technical and economic viability of the processes; it discusses the problems of using biogas; and it outlines recommendations and future R and D and demonstration projects in the field.
Constant, M.; Naveau, H.; Nyns, E.J. (Unite de Genie Biologique, Universite Catholique de Louvain (BE)); Ferrero, G.L.
The Biogas/Biofertilizer Business Handbook. Third Edition. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Reprint R-48.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
This book describes one approach to building and operating biogas systems. The biogas systems include raw material preparation, digesters, separate gas storage tanks, use of the gas to run engines, and the use of the sludge as fertilizer. Chapters included are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Biogas Systems are Small Factories"; (3) "The Raw Materials of…
Arnott, Michael
Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2009 Paper 206 Risk assessment of biogas exposure in kitchens
Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2009 Paper 206 Risk assessment of biogas exposure in kitchens C to pollutants while using biogas for cooking was assessed following the methodology described by the US - National Research Council. Information of hazardous compounds and compositions of several biogas types were
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Institute for Renewable Energy Ltd Preparation of a pilot biogas CHP plant integrated with
Institute for Renewable Energy Ltd Poland 1 Preparation of a pilot biogas CHP plant integrated on the preparation phase for a pilot investment in Koczala, Northern Poland, relating to an agricultural biogas CHP production and utilisation of agricultural biogas the project focused on BAT obtainable from various European
IEA-Renewable Energy Technologies, Bioenergy Agreement Task 37: Energy from Biogas and Landfill Gas
EFP-06 IEA- Renewable Energy Technologies, Bioenergy Agreement Task 37: Energy from Biogas-Bioenergy, Task 37- Energy from Biogas and Landfill Gas", via samarbejde, informationsudveksling, fælles analyser. biogas fra anaerob udrådning (AD) som en integreret gylle og affalds behandlings teknologi. Arbejdet
The optimal production of biogas for use as a transport fuel in Ireland
The Biofuels Directive places an onus on EU member states to ensure that biofuels are placed on their markets. This paper investigates the use of CH4-enriched biogas as a fuel. A number of options, which produce CH4-enriched biogas, were analysed from technical, economic and environmental perspectives. Biogas may be produced at a centralised anaerobic digestion (CAD) facility, accepting agricultural slurries
J. D. Murphy; K. McCarthy
A methodology for financial evaluation of biogas technology in India using cost functions
A methodology for financial evaluation of biogas technology for domestic use in India using recently developed cost functions is reported. Analytical expressions for the unit cost of biogas and cost per unit of useful energy delivered by a biogas plant in combination with other suitable technologies have been developed. Net present value and discounted pay-back period have been calculated. The
Seemin Rubab; Tara Chandra Kandpal
Microalgae as substrates for fermentative biogas production in a combined biorefinery concept
Most organic matter can be used for bioenergy generation via anaerobic fermentation. Today, crop plants like maize play the dominant role as substrates for renewable biogas production. In this work we investigated the suitability of six dominant microalgae species (freshwater and saltwater algae and cyanobacteria) as alternative substrates for biogas production. We could demonstrate that the biogas potential is strongly
J. H. Mussgnug; V. Klassen; A. Schlüter; O. Kruse
Microbial communities involved in biogas production from wheat straw as the sole substrate within a two-phase solid-state anaerobic digestion.
Microbial communities involved in biogas production from wheat straw as the sole substrate were investigated. Anaerobic digestion was carried out within an up-flow anaerobic solid-state (UASS) reactor connected to an anaerobic filter (AF) by liquor recirculation. Two lab-scale reactor systems were operated simultaneously at 37 °C and 55 °C. The UASS reactors were fed at a fixed organic loading rate of 2.5 g L(-1) d(-1), based on volatile solids. Molecular genetic analyses of the bacterial and archaeal communities within the UASS reactors (digestate and effluent liquor) and the AFs (biofilm carrier and effluent liquor) were conducted under steady-state conditions. The thermophilic UASS reactor had a considerably higher biogas and methane yield in comparison to the mesophilic UASS, while the mesophilic AF was slightly more productive than the thermophilic AF. When the thermophilic and mesophilic community structures were compared, the thermophilic system was characterized by a higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, as revealed by 16S rRNA gene (rrs) sequence analysis. The composition of the archaeal communities was phase-separated under thermophilic conditions, but rather stage-specific under mesophilic conditions. Family- and order-specific real-time PCR of methanogenic Archaea supported the taxonomic distribution obtained by rrs sequence analysis. The higher anaerobic digestion efficiency of the thermophilic compared to the mesophilic UASS reactor was accompanied by a high abundance of Firmicutes and Methanosarcina sp. in the thermophilic UASS biofilm. PMID:25467556
Heeg, Kathrin; Pohl, Marcel; Sontag, Mario; Mumme, Jan; Klocke, Michael; Nettmann, Edith
Performance of commercial off-the-shelf microelectromechanical systems sensors in a pulsed reactor environment
Prompted by the unexpected failure of piezoresistive sensors in both an elevated gamma-ray environment and reactor core pulse tests, we initiated radiation testing of several MEMS piezoresistive accelerometers and pressure transducers to ascertain their radiation hardness. Some commercial off-the-shelf sensors are found to be viable options for use in a high-energy pulsed reactor, but others suffer severe degradation and even catastrophic failure. Although researchers are promoting the use of MEMS devices in radiation-harsh environment, we nevertheless find assurance testing necessary.
Hobert, Keith Edwin [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Heger, Arlen S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mccready, Steven S [Los Alamos National Laboratory
A numerical and experimental analysis of reactor performance and deposition rates for CVD on monofilaments
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT is adopted to simulate a cylindrical upflow reactor designed for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on monofilaments. Equilibrium temperature profiles along the fiber and quartz reactor wall are experimentally measured and used as boundary conditions in numerical simulations. Two-dimensional axisymmetric flow and temperature fields are calculated for hydrogen and argon; the effect of free convection is assessed. The gas and surface chemistry is included for predicting silicon deposition from silane. The model predictions are compared with experimentally measured silicon CVD rates. Inferences are made for optimum conditions to obtain uniformity.
Gokoglu, S. A.; Kuczmarski, M.; Veitch, L.; Tsui, P.; Chait, A.
Gas sensing of SnO2 nanocrystals revisited: developing ultra-sensitive sensors for detecting the H2S leakage of biogas.
As a typical mode of energy from waste, biogas technology is of great interest to researchers. To detect the trace H2S released from biogas, we herein demonstrate a high-performance sensor based on highly H2S-sensitive SnO2 nanocrystals, which have been selectively prepared by solvothermal methods using benzimidazole as a mineralization agent. The sensitivity of as-obtained SnO2 sensor towards 5 ppm H2S can reach up to 357. Such a technique based on SnO2 nanocrystals opens up a promising avenue for future practical applications in real-time monitoring a trace of H2S from the leakage of biogas. PMID:25112163
Mei, Lin; Chen, Yuejiao; Ma, Jianmin
Gas Sensing of SnO2 Nanocrystals Revisited: Developing Ultra-Sensitive Sensors for Detecting the H2S Leakage of Biogas
As a typical mode of energy from waste, biogas technology is of great interest to researchers. To detect the trace H2S released from biogas, we herein demonstrate a high-performance sensor based on highly H2S-sensitive SnO2 nanocrystals, which have been selectively prepared by solvothermal methods using benzimidazole as a mineralization agent. The sensitivity of as-obtained SnO2 sensor towards 5?ppm H2S can reach up to 357. Such a technique based on SnO2 nanocrystals opens up a promising avenue for future practical applications in real-time monitoring a trace of H2S from the leakage of biogas. PMID:25112163
Mei, Lin; Chen, Yuejiao; Ma, Jianmin
Gas Sensing of SnO2 Nanocrystals Revisited: Developing Ultra-Sensitive Sensors for Detecting the H2S Leakage of Biogas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
As a typical mode of energy from waste, biogas technology is of great interest to researchers. To detect the trace H2S released from biogas, we herein demonstrate a high-performance sensor based on highly H2S-sensitive SnO2 nanocrystals, which have been selectively prepared by solvothermal methods using benzimidazole as a mineralization agent. The sensitivity of as-obtained SnO2 sensor towards 5 ppm H2S can reach up to 357. Such a technique based on SnO2 nanocrystals opens up a promising avenue for future practical applications in real-time monitoring a trace of H2S from the leakage of biogas.
Mei, Lin; Chen, Yuejiao; Ma, Jianmin
Performance Analysis of Potassium Heat Pipes Radiator for HP-STMCs Space Reactor Power System
A detailed design and performance results of C-C finned, and armored potassium heat pipes radiator for a 110 kWe Heat Pipes-Segmented Thermoelectric Module Converters (HP-STMCs) Space Reactor Power system (SRPS) are presented. The radiator consists of two sections; each serves an equal number of STMCs and has 162 longitudinal potassium heat pipes with 0.508 mm thick C-C fins. The width of the C-C fins at the minor diameter of the radiator is almost zero, but increases with distance along the radiator to reach 3.7 cm at the radiator's major diameter. The radiator's heat pipes (OD = 2.42 cm in front and 3.03 cm in rear) have thin titanium (0.0762 mm thick) liners and wicks (0.20 mm thick with an effective pore radius of 12-16 {mu}m) and a 1.016 mm thick C-C wall. The wick is separated from the titanium liner by a 0.4 mm annulus filled with liquid potassium to increase the capillary limit. The outer surfaces of the heat pipes in the front and rear sections of the radiator are protected with a C-C armor that is 2.17 mm and 1.70 mm thick, respectively. The inside surface of the heat pipes in the front radiator is thermally insulated while the C-C finned condensers of the rear heat pipes are exposed, radiating into space through the rear opening of the radiator cavity. The heat pipes in both the front and the rear radiators have a 1.5 m long evaporator section and each dissipates 4.47 kW while operating at 43.6% of the prevailing sonic limit. The front and rear radiator sections are 5.29 m and 2.61 m long with outer surface area and mass of 47.1 m2 and 314.3 kg, and 39.9 m2 and 243.2 kg, respectively. The total radiator is 7.63 m long and has minor and major diameters of 1.48 m and 5.57 m, respectively, and a total surface area of 87 m2; however, the effective radiator area, after accounting for heat rejection through the rear of the radiator cavity, is 98.8 m2. The radiator's total mass including the C-C armor is 557.5 kg and the specific area and specific mass are 6.41 kg/m2 and 5.07 kg/kWe, respectively.
El-Genk, Mohamed S.; Tournier, Jean-Michel [Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131 (United States); Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Dept., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131 (United States)
Performance Analysis of Potassium Heat Pipes Radiator for HP-STMCs Space Reactor Power System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
A detailed design and performance results of C-C finned, and armored potassium heat pipes radiator for a 110 kWe Heat Pipes-Segmented Thermoelectric Module Converters (HP-STMCs) Space Reactor Power system (SRPS) are presented. The radiator consists of two sections; each serves an equal number of STMCs and has 162 longitudinal potassium heat pipes with 0.508 mm thick C-C fins. The width of the C-C fins at the minor diameter of the radiator is almost zero, but increases with distance along the radiator to reach 3.7 cm at the radiator's major diameter. The radiator's heat pipes (OD = 2.42 cm in front and 3.03 cm in rear) have thin titanium (0.0762 mm thick) liners and wicks (0.20 mm thick with an effective pore radius of 12-16 ?m) and a 1.016 mm thick C-C wall. The wick is separated from the titanium liner by a 0.4 mm annulus filled with liquid potassium to increase the capillary limit. The outer surfaces of the heat pipes in the front and rear sections of the radiator are protected with a C-C armor that is 2.17 mm and 1.70 mm thick, respectively. The inside surface of the heat pipes in the front radiator is thermally insulated while the C-C finned condensers of the rear heat pipes are exposed, radiating into space through the rear opening of the radiator cavity. The heat pipes in both the front and the rear radiators have a 1.5 m long evaporator section and each dissipates 4.47 kW while operating at 43.6% of the prevailing sonic limit. The front and rear radiator sections are 5.29 m and 2.61 m long with outer surface area and mass of 47.1 m2 and 314.3 kg, and 39.9 m2 and 243.2 kg, respectively. The total radiator is 7.63 m long and has minor and major diameters of 1.48 m and 5.57 m, respectively, and a total surface area of 87 m2; however, the effective radiator area, after accounting for heat rejection through the rear of the radiator cavity, is 98.8 m2. The radiator's total mass including the C-C armor is 557.5 kg and the specific area and specific mass are 6.41 kg/m2 and 5.07 kg/kWe, respectively.
El-Genk, Mohamed S.; Tournier, Jean-Michel
Factors Affecting Process Temperature and Biogas Production in Small-scale Rural Biogas Digesters in Winter in Northern Vietnam
This study investigated the main factors influencing digester temperature and methods to reduce heat losses during the cold season in the subtropics. Four composite digesters (two insulated and two uninsulated) were buried underground to measure their internal temperature (°C) at a depth of 140 cm and 180 cm, biogas production and methane (CH4) concentration in biogas from August to February. In parallel the temperature of the air (100 cm above ground), in the slurry mixing tank and in the soil (10, 100, 140, and 180 cm depth) was measured by thermocouple. The influent amount was measured daily and the influent chemical composition was measured monthly during the whole experimental period. Seasonal variations in air temperature significantly affected the temperature in the soil, mixing tank and digester. Consequently, biogas production, which is temperature dependent, was influenced by the season. The main factors determining the internal temperature in the digesters were insulation with Styrofoam, air temperature and temperature of slurry in the mixing tank. Biogas production is low due to the cold climate conditions in winter in Northern Vietnam, but the study proved that storing slurry in the mixing tank until its temperature peak at around 14:00 h will increase the temperature in the digester and thus increase potential biogas production. Algorithms are provided linking digester temperature to the temperature of slurry in the mixing tank. PMID:25050049
Pham, C. H.; Vu, C. C.; Sommer, S. G.; Bruun, S.
Mechanical design of core components for a high performance light water reactor with a three pass core
Nuclear reactors using supercritical water as coolant can achieve more than 500 deg. C core outlet temperature, if the coolant is heated up in three steps with intermediate mixing to avoid hot streaks. This method reduces the peak cladding temperatures significantly compared with a single heat up. The paper presents an innovative mechanical design which has been developed recently for such a High Performance Light Water Reactor. The core is built with square assemblies of 40 fuel pins each, using wire wraps as grid spacers. Nine of these assemblies are combined to a cluster having a common head piece and a common foot piece. A downward flow of additional moderator water, separated from the coolant, is provided in gaps between the assemblies and in a water box inside each assembly. The cluster head and foot pieces and mixing chambers, which are key components for this design, are explained in detail. (authors)
Fischer, Kai [EnBW Kernkraft GmbH, Kernkraftwerk Philippsburg, D-76661 Philippsburg (Germany); Schneider, Tobias; Redon, Thomas [University of Karlsruhe, 76133 Karlsruhe (Germany); Schulenberg, Thomas; Starflinger, Joerg [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Nuclear and Energy Technologies, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)
Performance improvement analysis of boiling water reactors by incorporation of hydride fuel
The feasibility of improving the neutronic characteristics of boiling water reactors (BWR) by using U–Zr hydride fuel is studied. Several modified BWR fuel assembly designs are considered. These include designs in which hydride fuel rods replace water rods only, replace water rods and a fraction of the oxide fuel rods, replace oxide fuel in the upper half of all the
Wang Kan; Greenspan Ehud
Performance of an upflow anaerobic reactor combining a sludge blanket and a filter treating sugar waste
A new hybrid reactor, the upflow blanket filter (UBF), which combines an open volume in the bottom two-thirds of the reactor for a sludge blanket and submerged plastic rings (Flexiring, Koch Inc., 235 squared m/cubic m) in the upper one-third of the reactor volume, was studied. This UBF reactor was operated at 27 degrees C at loading rates varying from 5 to 51 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/l day with soluble sugar wastewater (2500 mg COD/l). Maximum removal rates of 34 g COD/l day and CH/sub 4/ production rates of 7 vol/vol day (standard temperature and pressure (STP)) were obtained. The biomass activity was about 1.2 g COD/g volatile suspended solids per day. Conversion (based on effluent soluble COD) was over 93% with loading rates up to 26 g COD/l day. At higher loading rates conversion decreased rapidly. The packing was very efficient in retaining biomass. 11 references.
Guiot, S.R.; Van den Berg, L.
Effect of particle size distribution on the simulation of immobilized enzyme reactor performance
A mathematical model that describes the heterogeneous reaction–diffusion process involved in a batch reactor with immobilized enzyme is presented. The model is based on equations considering reaction and diffusion components including biocatalyst particle size distribution. The reaction system includes the bulk liquid phase containing the dissolved substrate (and products) and the solid biocatalyst phase represented by spherical porous particles carrying
Pedro Valencia; Sebastián Flores; Lorena Wilson; Andrés Illanes
Metaproteome analysis of the microbial communities in agricultural biogas plants.
In biogas plants agricultural waste and energy crops are converted by complex microbial communities to methane for the production of renewable energy. In Germany, this process is widely applied namely in context of agricultural production systems. However, process disturbances, are one of the major causes for economic losses. In addition, the conversion of biomass, in particular of cellulose, is in most cases incomplete and, hence, insufficient. Besides technical aspects, a more profound characterization concerning the functionality of the microbial communities involved would strongly support the improvement of yield and stability in biogas production. To monitor these communities on the functional level, metaproteome analysis was applied in this study to full-scale agricultural biogas plants. Proteins were extracted directly from sludge for separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and subsequent identification with mass spectrometry. Protein profiles obtained with SDS-PAGE were specific for different biogas plants and often stable for several months. Differences of protein profiles were visualized by clustering, which allowed not only the discrimination between mesophilic and thermophilic operated biogas plants but also the detection of process disturbances such as acidification. In particular, acidification of a biogas plant was detected in advance by disappearance of major bands in SDS-PAGE. Identification of proteins from SDS-PAGE gels revealed that methyl CoM reductase, which is responsible for the release of methane during methanogenesis, from the order Methanosarcinales was significantly decreased. Hence, it is assumed that this enzyme might be a promising candidate to serve as a predictive biomarker for acidification. PMID:23369865
Heyer, R; Kohrs, F; Benndorf, D; Rapp, E; Kausmann, R; Heiermann, M; Klocke, M; Reichl, U
Desulfitobacterium hafniense Is Present in a High Proportion within the Biofilms of a High-Performance Pentachlorophenol-Degrading, Methanogenic Fixed-Film Reactor
We developed a pentachlorophenol (PCP)-degrading, methanogenic fixed-film reactor by using broken granular sludge from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. This methanogenic consortium was acclimated with increasing concentrations of PCP. After 225 days of acclimation, the reactor was performing at a high level, with a PCP removal rate of 1,173 ?M day?1, a PCP removal efficiency of up to 99%, a degradation efficiency of approximately 60%, and 3-chlorophenol as the main chlorophenol residual intermediate. Analyses by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that Bacteria and Archaea in the reactor stabilized in the biofilms after 56 days of operation. Important modifications in the profiles of Bacteria between the original granular sludge and the reactor occurred, as less than one-third of the sludge DGGE bands were still present in the reactor. Fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments with probes for Archaea or Bacteria revealed that the biofilms were composed mostly of Bacteria, which accounted for 70% of the cells. With PCR species-specific primers, the presence of the halorespiring bacterium Desulfitobacterium hafniense in the biofilm was detected very early during the reactor acclimation period. D. hafniense cells were scattered in the biofilm and accounted for 19% of the community. These results suggest that the presence of PCP-dehalogenating D. hafniense in the biofilm was crucial for the performance of the reactor. PMID:15691966
Lanthier, M.; Juteau, P.; Lépine, F.; Beaudet, R.; Villemur, R.
Effect of equation of state on prediction of trickle bed reactor model performance
P j b j / b ( Z 1 ) 1 n ( Z Z h ) + a / ( bR T ) 1 n ( 1 + h ) ( ( b j /b 2 a / a ) ) ( 3 8 ) The mixing rules are: b = Ej &xj bj) (39) a = ZjEs [xjx?(1 ? Ajs)(ajax) ] (40) For the vapor phase the x's must be replaced by y's. The model assn es.... MOYSAN 7. GRABOSKI DAUBERT P E 50 R C E N T C 40 0 N V E R S 30 0 N 20 0 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 REACTOR NEIONT IOINENSIONLESS) Figure 8. CONVERSION AS A FUNCTION OF REACTOR HEIGHT FOR FEED RATE OF 0. 10 GMOIE/SEC 30 60 70 60 1...
Netherland, Donald Wayne
Packed-bed reactor performance with immobilized lactase under thermal inactivation
Thermal inactivation of immobilized lactase has been studied in the presence of substrate and products. Modulation factors of thermal inactivation have been determined for lactose and galactose based on a two-stage series-type mechanism of inactivation. Galactose was a positive modulator of enzyme stability while the opposite occurred with lactose; the glucose effect was negligible. A model for packed-bed continuous reactor
A. Illanes; C. Altamirano; A. Aillapán; G. Tomasello; M. E. Zuñiga
Performance and kinetics of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater
A laboratory study was devised to verify the use of Monod kinetics for the modelling of a continuous upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater. Eight different hydraulic retention times (4.0–0.3 day) were investigated at an average influent COD concentration of 5.1 g.l. The maximum substrate utilization rate, k, and half saturation coefficient, KL, were determined to be
R. Borja; C. J. Banks; Z. Wang
Mechanical Performance of Ferritic Martensitic Steels for High Dose Applications in Advanced Nuclear Reactors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels are considered for core applications and pressure vessels in Generation IV reactors as well as first walls and blankets for fusion reactors. There are significant scientific data on testing and industrial experience in making this class of alloys worldwide. This experience makes F/M steels an attractive candidate. In this article, tensile behavior, fracture toughness and impact property, and creep behavior of the F/M steels under neutron irradiations to high doses with a focus on high Cr content (8 to 12) are reviewed. Tensile properties are very sensitive to irradiation temperature. Increase in yield and tensile strength (hardening) is accompanied with a loss of ductility and starts at very low doses under irradiation. The degradation of mechanical properties is most pronounced at <0.3 T M ( T M is melting temperature) and up to 10 dpa (displacement per atom). Ferritic/martensitic steels exhibit a high fracture toughness after irradiation at all temperatures even below 673 K (400 °C), except when tested at room temperature after irradiations below 673 K (400 °C), which shows a significant reduction in fracture toughness. Creep studies showed that for the range of expected stresses in a reactor environment, the stress exponent is expected to be approximately one and the steady state creep rate in the absence of swelling is usually better than austenitic stainless steels both in terms of the creep rate and the temperature sensitivity of creep. In short, F/M steels show excellent promise for high dose applications in nuclear reactors.
Anderoglu, Osman; Byun, Thak Sang; Toloczko, Mychailo; Maloy, Stuart A.
Removal of fluoxetine and its effects in the performance of an aerobic granular sludge sequential batch reactor.
Fluoxetine (FLX) is a chiral fluorinated pharmaceutical mainly indicated for treatment of depression and is one of the most distributed drugs. There is a clear evidence of environmental contamination with this drug. Aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors constitute a promising technology for wastewater treatment; however the removal of carbon and nutrients can be affected by micropollutants. In this study, the fate and effect of FLX on reactor performance and on microbial population were investigated. FLX adsorption/desorption to the aerobic granules was observed. FLX shock loads (?4?M) did not show a significant effect on the COD removal. Ammonium removal efficiency decreased in the beginning of first shock load, but after 20 days, ammonia oxidizing bacteria became adapted. The nitrite concentration in the effluent was practically null indicating that nitrite oxidizing bacteria was not inhibited, whereas, nitrate was accumulated in the effluent, indicating that denitrification was affected. Phosphate removal was affected at the beginning showing a gradual adaptation, and the effluent concentration was <0.04mM after 70 days. A shift in microbial community occurred probably due to FLX exposure, which induced adaptation/restructuration of the microbial population. This contributed to the robustness of the reactor, which was able to adapt to the FLX load. PMID:25625631
Moreira, Irina S; Amorim, Catarina L; Ribeiro, Ana R; Mesquita, Raquel B R; Rangel, António O S S; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Tiritan, Maria E; Castro, Paula M L
Optimization of biogas production using MEMS based near infrared inline-sensor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Due to climate protection and increasing oil prices, renewable energy is becoming extremely important. Anaerobic digestion is a particular environmental and resource-saving way of heat and power production in biogas plants. These plants can be operated decentralized and independent of weather conditions and allow peak load operation. To maximize energy production, plants should be operated at a high efficiency. That means the entire installed power production capacity (e.g. CHP) and biogas production have to be used. However, current plant utilization in many areas is significantly lower, which is economically and environmentally inefficient, since the biochemical process responds to fluctuations in boundary conditions, e.g. mixing in the conditions and substrate composition. At present only a few easily accessible parameters such as fill level, flow rates and temperature are determined on-line. Monitoring of substrate composition occurs only sporadically with the help of laboratory methods. Direct acquisition of substrate composition combined with a smart control and regulation concept enables significant improvement in plant efficiency. This requires a compact, reliable and cost-efficient sensor. It is for this reason that a MEMS sensor system based on NIR spectroscopy has been developed. Requirements are high accuracy, which is the basic condition for exact chemometric evaluation of the sample as well as optimized MEMS design and packaging in order to work in poor environmental conditions. Another issue is sample presentation, which needs an exact adopted optical-mechanical system. In this paper, the development and application of a MEMS-based analyzer for biogas plants will be explained. The above mentioned problems and challenges will be discussed. Measurement results will be shown to demonstrate its performance.
Saupe, Ray; Seider, Thomas; Stock, Volker; Kujawski, Olaf; Otto, Thomas; Gessner, Thomas
High-solids anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste in comparison with mono digestions: stability and performance.
System stability and performance of high-solids anaerobic co-digestion of dewatered sludge (DS) and food waste (FW) in comparison with mono digestions were investigated. System stability was improved in co-digestion systems with co-substrate acting as a diluting agent to toxic chemicals like ammonia or Na(+). For high-solids digestion of DS, the addition of FW not only improved system stability but also greatly enhanced volumetric biogas production. For high-solids digestion of FW, the addition of DS could reduce Na(+) concentration and help maintain satisfactory stability during the conversion of FW into biogas. System performances of co-digestion systems were mainly determined by the mixing ratios of DS and FW. Biogas production and volatile solids (VSs) reduction in digestion of the co-mixture of DS and FW increased linearly with higher ratios of FW. A kinetic model, which aimed to forecast the performance of co-digestion and to assist reactor design, was developed from long-term semi-continuous experiments. Maximum VS reduction for DS and FW was estimated to be 44.3% and 90.3%, respectively, and first order constant k was found to be 0.17d(-1) and 0.50 d(-1), respectively. Experimental data of co-digestion were in good conformity to the predictions of the model. PMID:23177568
Dai, Xiaohu; Duan, Nina; Dong, Bin; Dai, Lingling
KUGEL: A thermal, hydraulic, fuel performance and gaseous fission product release code for pebble bed reactor core analysis
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
A computer code developed to analyze the thermal, hydraulic and fuel particle performance characteristics of axisymmetric pebble bed reactors is presented. This FORTRAN 5 program is overlayed into three main segments to minimize core storage. Variable dimensioning was introduced so that storage allocation is based on the user-specified problem size, thus allowing the code to handle any problem with uniform mesh interval. This provides the flexibility to choose thermal problem mesh sizes different from those used in the physics analyses. The code can also handle a non-uniform void fraction distribution. DOE
Shamasundar, B. I.; Fehrenbach, M. E.
Biogas energy production from tropical biomass wastes by anaerobic digestion
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive technology in tropical regions for converting locally abundant biomass wastes into biogas which can be used to produce heat, electricity, and transportation fuels. However, investigations on AD of tropical forestry wastes, such as albizia biomass, and food w...
Energy use of biogas hampered by the presence of siloxanes
Siloxanes are widely used in industrial processes and consumer products. Some of them reach the wastewater. Siloxanes are not decomposed in the activated sludge process and partly concentrate in the sludge. During anaerobic digestion of the sludge, they volatilise into the formed biogas. Combustion of silicon containing gases, e.g., when producing electricity, produces, however, the abrasive microcrystalline silica that has
Raf Dewil; Lise Appels; Jan Baeyens
Performance of fast reactor mixed-oxide fuels pins during extended overpower transients
The Operational Reliability Testing (ORT) program, a collaborative effort between the US Department of Energy and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. (PNC) of Japan, was initiated in 1982 to investigate the behavior of mixed-oxide fuel pin under various slow-ramp transient and duty-cycle conditions. In the first phase of the program, a series of four extended overpower transient tests, with severity sufficient to challenge the pin cladding integrity, was conducted. The objectives of the designated TOPI-1A through -1D tests were to establish the cladding breaching threshold and mechanisms, and investigate the thermal and mechanical effects of the transient on pin behavior. The tests were conducted in EBR-2, a normally steady-state reactor. The modes of transient operation in EBR-2 were described in a previous paper. Two ramp rates, 0.1%/s and 10%/s, were selected to provide a comparison of ramp-rate effects on fuel behavior. The test pins chosen for the series covered a range of design and pre-test irradiation parameters. In the first test (1A), all pins maintained their cladding integrity during the 0.1%/s ramp to 60% peak overpower. Fuel pins with aggressive designs, i.e., high fuel- smear density and/or thin cladding, were, therefore, included in the follow-up 1B and 1C tests to enhance the likelihood of achieving cladding breaching. In the meantime, a higher pin overpower capability, to greater than 100%, was established by increasing the reactor power limit from 62.5 to 75 MWt. In this paper, the significant results of the 1B and 1C tests are presented. 4 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
Tsai, H.; Neimark, L.A. (Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)); Asaga, T.; Shikakura, S. (Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Tokyo (Japan))
Performance of a slurry bubble column reactor for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis: Determination of optimum condition
The CO conversion and selectivity to C1+ and C11+ wax products over Co\\/Al2O3 as well as Ru\\/Co\\/Al2O3 Fischer–Tropsch (F–T)catalysts were investigated by varying reaction temperature (210–250 °C), system pressure (1.0–3.0 MPa), GHSV (1000–6000 L\\/kg\\/h), superficial gas velocity (1.7–13.6 cm\\/s) and slurry concentration (9.09–26.67 wt.%) in a slurry bubble column reactor (0.05 m diameter×1.5 m height) to determine the optimum operating conditions. Squalane or paraffin wax was used
Kwang-Jae Woo; Suk-Hwan Kang; Seung-Moon Kim; Jong-Wook Bae; Ki-Won Jun
Steam generator materials performance in high temperature gas-cooled reactors
High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) systems feature a graphite-moderated, uranium-thorium, all-ceramic core and utilize high pressure helium as the primary coolant. The steam generators in these systems are exposed to gas-side temperatures approaching 760\\/degree\\/C (1400\\/degree\\/F) and produce superheated steam at 538\\/degree\\/C (1000\\/degree\\/F) and 16.5 MPa (2400 psi). Thus, the design and development of steam generators for these systems require consideration
J. E. Chafey; D. I. Roberts
Studies in biogas technology. IV - A novel biogas plant incorporating a solar water-heater and solar still
A reduction in the heat losses from the top of the gas holder of a biogas plant has been achieved by the simple device of a transparent cover. The heat losses thus prevented have been deployed to heat a water pond formed on the roof of the gas holder. This solar-heated water is mixed with the organic input for the
A. K. N. Reddy; C. R. Prasad; P. Rajabapaiah; S. R. C. Sathyanarayan
Performance Characterization of a Prototype Ultra-Short Channel Monolith Catalytic Reactor for Air Quality Control Applications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Contaminated air and process gases, whether in a crewed spacecraft cabin atmosphere, the working volume of a microgravity science or ground-based laboratory experiment facility, or the exhaust from an automobile, are pervasive problems that ultimately effect human health, performance, and well-being. The need for highly-effective, economical decontamination processes spans a wide range of terrestrial and space flight applications. Adsorption processes are used widely for process gas decontamination. Most industrial packed bed adsorption processes use activated carbon because it is cheap and highly effective. Once saturated, however, the adsorbent is a concentrated source of contaminants. Industrial applications either dump or regenerate the activated carbon. Regeneration may be accomplished in-situ or at an off-site location. In either case, concentrated contaminated waste streams must be handled appropriately to minimize environmental impact. As economic and regulatory forces drive toward minimizing waste and environmental impact, thermal catalytic oxidation is becoming more attractive. Through novel reactor and catalyst design, more complete contaminant destruction and greater resistance to poisoning can achieved leading to less waste handling, process down-time, and maintenance. Performance of a prototype thermal catalytic reactor, based on ultra-short channel monolith (USCM) catalyst substrate design, under a variety of process flow and contaminant loading conditions is discussed. The experimental results are evaluated against present and future air quality control and process gas purification processes used on board crewed spacecraft.
Perry, J. L.; Tomes, K. M.; Roychoudhury, S.; Tatara, J. D.
Effect of inlet temperature on the performance of a catalytic reactor. [air pollution control
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
A 12 cm diameter by 15 cm long catalytic reactor was tested with No. 2 diesel fuel in a combustion test rig at inlet temperatures of 700, 800, 900, and 1000 K. Other test conditions included pressures of 3 and 6 x 10 to the 5th power Pa, reference velocities of 10, 15, and 20 m/s, and adiabatic combustion temperatures in the range 1100 to 1400 K. The combustion efficiency was calculated from measurements of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions. Nitrogen oxide emissions and reactor pressure drop were also measured. At a reference velocity of 10 m/s, the CO and unburned hydrocarbons emissions, and, therefore, the combustion efficiency, were independent of inlet temperature. At an inlet temperature of 1000 K, they were independent of reference velocity. Nitrogen oxides emissions resulted from conversion of the small amount (135 ppm) of fuel-bound nitrogen in the fuel. Up to 90 percent conversion was observed with no apparent effect of any of the test variables. For typical gas turbine operating conditions, all three pollutants were below levels which would permit the most stringent proposed automotive emissions standards to be met.
Anderson, D. N.
Assessment of partial nitrification reactor performance through microbial population shift using quinone profile, FISH and SEM.
In engineered systems, biological nitrogen removal through partial nitrification to nitrite is of great interest. Accordingly, effect of operating parameters such as pH, DO and temperature on the accumulation of ammonia-oxidizers was investigated. pH of 8, DO of 0.3-0.5mg/l and temperature of 35 degrees C yielded a ratio of 0.9-1.5 of NO(2)N:NH(4)N in the effluent suitable as a feed for Anammox reactor. Microbial population shift during start-up was assessed using quinone profile, SEM and FISH. UQ-8 in the biomass, which is the predominant quinone in ammonia-oxidizers, increased from 24.8% on Day 1 to 61.2% on Day 136. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis in the reactor showed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria gradually outcompeted other bacteria and was the dominant population. The morphology and inner structure of the granular sludge was observed using SEM and the photographs indicated that the aerobic granular sludge showed a shift towards spherical and small rod-shaped clusters. PMID:17257833
Sinha, B; Annachhatre, A P
Performance of liquid metal reactor fuel pins with D9 cladding
The use of 316 stainless steel (SS) for Liquid Metal Fast Reactor applications is limited because of its tendency to swell significantly under neutron irradiation. Consequently, a number of alloys have been proposed as advanced cladding materials including precipitation hardened alloys, ferritic materials, and titanium modified versions of austenitic 316 SS. One of the latter type of alloys is called and is similar in composition to 316 SS but with titanium additions of approx.0.25%. Three mixed-oxide (U,Pu)O/sub 2/ fuel tests containing D9-clad pins have been successfully irradiated in EBR-II. They have demonstrated significantly lower swelling for D9 than for the reference 316 SS cladding and have shown that the behavior of D9 is very similar to 316 SS with respect to other properties important to reactor design. In two of the tests (designated P43 and P44), D9 was irradiated side-by-side with various other cladding materials. Two different variations of D9 (differing primarily in molybdenum), two cladding cold work levels, and two fuel smeared densities (85% and 89% TD) were explored. The third test, P45, was made up exclusively of 20% CW D9-clad pins.
Makenas, B.J.; Hales, J.W.
Fabrication and performance of AIN insulator coatings for application in fusion reactor blankets
The liquid-metal blanket concept for fusion reactors requires an coating on the first-wall structural material to minimize the magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop that occurs during the flow of liquid metal in a magnetic field. Based on the thermodynamics of interactions betwen the coating and the liquid lithium on one side and the structural V-base alloy on the other side, an AIN coating was selected as a candidate. Detailed investigations were conducted on the fabrication, metallurgical microstructure, compatibility in liquid Li, and electrical characteristics of AIN material obtained from several sources. Lithium compatibility was studied in static systems by exposing AIN-coated specimens to liquid Li for several time periods. Electrical resistance was measured at room temperature on the specimens before and after exposure to liquid Li. The results obtained in this study indicate that AIN is a viable coating from the standpoint of chemical compatibility in Li, electrical insulation, and ease of fabrication; for these reasons, the coating should be examined further for fusion reactor applications.
Natesan, K.
Microalgae as substrates for fermentative biogas production in a combined biorefinery concept.
Most organic matter can be used for bioenergy generation via anaerobic fermentation. Today, crop plants like maize play the dominant role as substrates for renewable biogas production. In this work we investigated the suitability of six dominant microalgae species (freshwater and saltwater algae and cyanobacteria) as alternative substrates for biogas production. We could demonstrate that the biogas potential is strongly dependent on the species and on the pretreatment. Fermentation of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was efficient with a production of 587 ml(±8.8 SE) biogas g volatile solids(-1) (VS(-1)), whereas fermentation of Scenedesmus obliquus was inefficient with only 287 ml(±10.1 SE) biogas g VS(-1) being produced. Drying as a pretreatment decreased the amount of biogas production to ca. 80%. The methane content of biogas from microalgae was 7-13% higher compared to biogas from maize silage. To evaluate integrative biorefinery concepts, hydrogen production in C. reinhardtii prior to anaerobic fermentation of the algae biomass was measured and resulted in an increase of biogas generation to 123% (±3.7 SE). We conclude that selected algae species can be good substrates for biogas production and that anaerobic fermentation can seriously be considered as final step in future microalgae-based biorefinery concepts. PMID:20691224
Mussgnug, J H; Klassen, V; Schlüter, A; Kruse, O
Determination of biogas generation potential as a renewable energy source from supermarket wastes
Highlights: • Disposal of supermarket wastes in landfills may contribute to environmental pollution. • High methane yields can be obtained from supermarket wastes by anaerobic co-digestion. • Fruit and vegetable wastes or dairy products wastes could individually be handled by a two-stage anaerobic process. • Buffering capacity, trace metal and C/N ratio are essential for digestion of supermarket wastes. - Abstract: Fruit, vegetable, flower waste (FVFW), dairy products waste (DPW), meat waste (MW) and sugar waste (SW) obtained from a supermarket chain were anaerobically digested, in order to recover methane as a source of renewable energy. Batch mesophilic anaerobic reactors were run at total solids (TS) ratios of 5%, 8% and 10%. The highest methane yield of 0.44 L CH{sub 4}/g VS{sub added} was obtained from anaerobic digestion of wastes (FVFW + DPW + MW + SW) at 10% TS, with 66.4% of methane (CH{sub 4}) composition in biogas. Anaerobic digestion of mixed wastes at 5% and 8% TS provided slightly lower methane yields of 0.41 and 0.40 L CH{sub 4}/g VS{sub added}, respectively. When the wastes were digested alone without co-substrate addition, the highest methane yield of 0.40 L CH{sub 4}/g VS{sub added} was obtained from FVFW at 5% TS. Generally, although the volatile solids (VS) conversion percentages seemed low during the experiments, higher methane yields could be obtained from anaerobic digestion of supermarket wastes. A suitable carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, proper adjustment of the buffering capacity and the addition of essential trace nutrients (such as Ni) could improve VS conversion and biogas production yields significantly.
Alkanok, Gizem; Demirel, Burak, E-mail: email@example.com; Onay, Turgut T.
In situ optical studies of methane and simulated biogas oxidation on high temperature solid oxide fuel cell anodes.
Novel integration of in situ near infrared (NIR) thermal imaging, vibrational Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared emission spectroscopy (FTIRES) coupled with traditional electrochemical measurements has been used to probe chemical and thermal properties of Ni-based, solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes operating with methane and simulated biogas fuel mixtures at 800 °C. Together, these three non-invasive optical techniques provide direct insight into the surface chemistry associated with device performance as a function of cell polarization. Specifically, data from these complementary methods measure with high spatial and temporal resolution thermal gradients and changes in material and gas phase composition in operando. NIR thermal images show that SOFC anodes operating with biogas undergo significant cooling (?T = -13 °C) relative to the same anodes operating with methane fuel (?T = -3 °C). This result is general regardless of cell polarization. Simultaneous Raman spectroscopic measurements are unable to detect carbon formation on anodes operating with biogas. Carbon deposition is observable during operation with methane as evidenced by a weak vibrational band at 1556 cm(-1). This feature is assigned to highly ordered graphite. In situ FTIRES corroborates these results by identifying relative amounts of CO2 and CO produced during electrochemical removal of anodic carbon previously formed from an incident fuel feed. Taken together, these three optical techniques illustrate the promise that complementary, in situ methods have for identifying electrochemical oxidation mechanisms and carbon-forming pathways in high temperature electrochemical devices. PMID:24247646
Kirtley, John D; Steinhurst, Daniel A; Owrutsky, Jeffery C; Pomfret, Michael B; Walker, Robert A
Direct reforming of biogas on Ni-based SOFC anodes: Modelling of heterogeneous reactions and validation with experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
This work focuses on the heterogeneous reactions taking place in a tubular anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) when the designated fuel is biogas from anaerobic digestion directly feeding the fuel cell. Operational maps of the fuel cell running on direct reforming of biogas were first obtained. Hence a mathematical model incorporating the kinetics of reforming reactions on Ni catalyst was used to predict the gas composition profile along the fuel channel. The model was validated against experimental data based on polarization curves. Also, the anode off-gas composition was collected and analyzed through a gas chromatograph. Finally, the model has been used to predict and analyze the gas composition change along the anode channel to evaluate effectiveness of the direct steam reforming when varying cell temperature, inlet fuel composition and the type of reforming process. The simulations results confirmed that thermodynamic-equilibrium conditions are not fully achieved inside the anode channel. It also outlines that a direct biogas utilization in an anode-supported SOFC is able to provide good performance and to ensure a good conversion of the methane even though when the cell temperature is far from the nominal value.
Santarelli, Massimo; Quesito, Francesco; Novaresio, Valerio; Guerra, Cosimo; Lanzini, Andrea; Beretta, Davide
Prediction of biogas yield and its kinetics in reed canary grass using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and chemometrics.
A rapid method is needed to assess biogas and methane yield potential of various kinds of substrate prior to anaerobic digestion. This study reports near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid alternative method to the conventional batch methods for prediction of specific biogas yield (SBY), specific methane yield (SMY) and kinetics of biogas yield (k-SBY) of reed canary grass (RCG) biomass. Dried and powdered RCG biomass with different level of maturity was used for biochemical composition analysis, batch assays and NIRS analysis. Calibration models were developed using partial least square (PLS) regression from NIRS spectra. The calibration models for SBY (R(2)=0.68, RPD=1.83) and k-SBY (R(2)=0.71, RPD=1.75) were better than the model for SMY (R(2)=0.53, RPD=1.49). Although the PLS model for SMY was less successful, the model performance was better compared to the models based on chemical composition. PMID:23941712
Kandel, Tanka P; Gislum, René; Jørgensen, Uffe; Lærke, Poul E
Micro-aeration for hydrogen sulfide removal from biogas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The presence of sulfur compounds (e.g. protein, sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfite, etc.) in the feed stream generates highly corrosive and odorous hydrogen sulfide during anaerobic digestion. The high sulfide level in the biogas stream is not only poisonous to many novel metal catalysts employed in thermo-catalytic processes but also reduces the quality of methane to produce renewable energy. This study used an innovative, low-maintenance, low-cost biological sulfide removal technology to remove sulfides simultaneously from both gas and liquid phase. ORP (Oxidation-Reduction-Potential) was used as the controlling parameter to precisely regulate air injection to the sulfide oxidizing unit (SOU). The microaeration technique provided just enough oxygen to partially oxidize sulfides to elemental sulfur without inhibiting methanogenesis. The SOU was equipped with a diffuser at the bottom for the dispersion of sulfide-laden biogas and injected air throughout the column. The SOU can be operated as a standalone unit or coupled with an anaerobic digester to simultaneously remove sulfide from the biogas and effluent. The integrated system was capable of reducing hydrogen sulfide in biogas from 2,450 to less than 2 ppmV with minimal sulfate production at the highest available sulfide loading rate of 0.24 kg/m3-day. More than 98% of sulfide removed was recovered as elemental sulfur. However, the standalone SOU was able to operate at high hydrogen sulfide loading of 1.46 kg/m 3-day at inlet sulfide concentration of 3000 ppmV and reduce the off-gas hydrogen sulfide concentrations to less than 10 ppmV. The experiment also revealed that the ORP controlled aeration was sensitive enough to prevent oxygen overdosing (dampening effect) during unexpected surges of aeration. Using generalized linear regression, a model predicting output H2S concentration based on input H2S concentrations, SOU medium heights, and biogas flow rates, was derived. With 95% confidence, output H2S concentration was affected by changes in liquid heights the most, followed by changes in flow rates. Feasibility studies for H2S removal from biogas by micro-aeration were conducted at the Ames Water Pollution Control Facility (AWPCF) by using different types of liquid media available at the plant, i.e. plant effluent, mixed liquor, and digester supernatant. From the experiment at AWPCF, it was found that operating pHs were affected by the amount of alkalinity in the liquid media and that the removal efficiencies were affected by the operating pH. Among all the liquid media tested, digester supernatant showed the greatest potential with more than 99% H2S removal at an operating pH of 7.0 and volumetric biogas flow rate of 21.6 m3/m 3-hr. By increasing trace metal contents and temperature of the medium, the hydrogen sulfide removal rate was greatly improved. The operating cost of the full-scale system was estimated to be approximately $2/kg-S-removed. In addition, it was also revealed that abiotic sulfide oxidation accounted for 95% of overall sulfide oxidation. This technology is expected to widen the use of biogas as a renewable fuel since the maintenance requirements of biogas handling equipment, the methane purification costs, and the emissions of SOx will dramatically be reduced. Importantly, the technology does not require inoculation of special bacteria, addition of nutrients and trace elements, or chemicals for pH control.
Duangmanee, Thanapong
Exergy & economic analysis of biogas fueled solid oxide fuel cell systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
We present an exergy and an economic analysis of a power plant that uses biogas produced from a thermophilic anaerobic digester (AD) to fuel a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). We performed a 4-variable parametric analysis of the AD-SOFC system in order to determine the optimal design operation conditions, depending on the objective function of interest. We present results on the exergy efficiency (%), power normalized capital cost ($ kW-1), and the internal rate of return on investment, IRR, (% yr-1) as a function of the current density, the stack pressure, the fuel utilization, and the total air stoichiometric ratio. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first AD-SOFC paper to include the cost of the AD when conducting economic optimization of the AD-SOFC plant. Our calculations show that adding a new AD-SOFC system to an existing waste water treatment (WWT) plant could yield positives values of IRR at today's average electricity prices and could significantly out-compete other options for using biogas to generate electricity. AD-SOFC systems could likely convert WWT plants into net generators of electricity rather than net consumers of electricity while generating economically viable rates of return on investment if the costs of SOFC systems are within a factor of two of the DOE/SECA cost targets.
Siefert, Nicholas S.; Litster, Shawn
Multistage fluidized bed reactor performance characterization for adsorption of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide and its different compounds are generated as primary greenhouse gases from the flue gases of coal-fired thermal power plants, boilers, and other stationary combustion processes. This greenhouse gas causes global warming after being emitted to the environment. To deal with this problem, a new dry scrubbing process was tested in this study. A three-stage countercurrent fluidized bed adsorber was developed, designed, and fabricated. It was used as a removal apparatus and operated in a continuous regime for the two-phase system. The height of each stage was 0.30 m, and the inner diameter was 0.10 m. The paper presents the removal of CO{sub 2} from gas mixtures by chemical sorption on porous granular calcium oxide particles in the reactor at ambient temperature. The advantages of a multistage fluidized bed reactor for high mass transfer and high gas-solid contact can enhance the removal of the gas when using a dry method. The effects of the operating parameters such as sorbent, superficial gas velocity, and the Weir height on CO{sub 2} removal efficiency in the multistage fluidized bed were investigated. The results indicate that the removal efficiency of the carbon dioxide was around 71% at a high solid flow rate corresponding to lower gas velocity at room temperature. In comparison with wet scrubbers, this dry process appears to have lower cost, less complicated configuration, and simpler disposal of used sorbent. The results in this study assume importance from the perspective of use of a multistage fluidized bed adsorber for control of gaseous pollutants at high temperature.
Roy, S.; Mohanty, C.R.; Meikap, B.C. [Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Titania and alumina sol-gel-derived microfluidics enzymatic-reactors for peptide mapping: design, characterization, and performance.
The design and characterization of titania-based and alumina-based Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidics enzymatic-reactors along with their analytical features in coupling with MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS were reported. Microfluidics with microchannel and stainless steel tubing (SST) were fabricated using PDMS casting and O(2)-plasma techniques, and were used for the preparation of an enzymatic-reactor. Plasma oxidation for the PDMS microfluidic system enabled the channel wall of the microfluidics to present a layer of silanol (SiOH) groups. These SiOH groups act as anchors onto the microchannel wall linked covalently with the hydroxyl groups of trypsin-encapsulated sol matrix. As a result, the trypsin-encapsulated gel matrix was anchored onto the wall of the microchannel, and the leakage of gel matrix from the microchannel was effectively prevented. A feature of the microfluidic enzymatic-reactors is the feasibility of performing on-line protein analysis by attached SST electrode and replaceable tip. The success of trypsin encapsulation was investigated by AFM imaging, assay of enzymatic activity, CE detection, and MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS analysis. The lab-made devices provide an excellent extent of digestion even at a fast flow rate of 7.0 microL/min, which affords the very short residence time of ca. 2 s. With the present device, the digestion time was significantly shortened compared to conventional tryptic reaction schemes. In addition, the encapsulated trypsin exhibits increased stability even after continuous use. These features are required for high-throughput protein identification. PMID:15595729
Wu, Huiling; Tian, Yuping; Liu, Baohong; Lu, Haojie; Wang, Xiaoyan; Zhai, Jianjun; Jin, Hong; Yang, Pengyuang; Xu, Yunmin; Wang, Honghai
The influence of preculture on the process performance of penicillin V production in a 100-l air-lift tower loop reactor
The influence of stirrer speed in the third preculture on the performance of penicillin V production by Penicillium chrysogenum in complex medium in a 100-l air-lift tower loop reactor was investigated. The process performance in the main culture was improved by increasing the stirrer speed from 500 to 750 rpm: the pellet size was reduced to half, the cell growth
J. Möller; J. Niehoff; S. Hotop; M. Dors; K. Schügerl
Maximising biogas in anaerobic digestion by using engine waste heat for thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment of sludge.
Dublin's Ringsend WWTP was designed to serve a population of approximately 1.2 million p.e. with a sludge production of 37,000 dry tonnes per year after upgrading to full secondary treatment. Several technical solutions were put forward as part of a design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) competition, with the chosen solution being a proposal by Black and Veatch for a combination of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology and anaerobic digestion with Cambi thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment (THP). The THP plant was built by Cambi and handed over to B&V in 2002. The plant is now operated by Celtic Anglian Water. In September 2004 a test was carried out on the mass and energy balance of the plant following 2 years of operation and is detailed in this paper. The process enables digestion at very high dry solids feed and low hydraulic retention time. The plant was built with three digesters of 4250 m3 each and is fed with hydrolysed sludge at 11% DS. There are four no. 1 MW Jenbacher engines operating mainly on biogas. Each pair of engines is fitted with a waste heat boiler with a capacity of one tonne steam per hour. These boilers have sufficient capacity to provide 80% of the steam required for the THP, which in turn provides all the heat for the subsequent digestion in the form of hydrolysed feed. There are two main biogas boilers for top up steam and other uses of the biogas including thermal oxidation of concentrated odours. PMID:17087375
Pickworth, B; Adams, J; Panter, K; Solheim, O E
Monitoring of sulfur dioxide emission resulting from biogas utilization on commercial pig farms in Taiwan.
The objective of this work tends to promote methane content in biogas and evaluate sulfur dioxide emission from direct biogas combustion without desulfurization. Analytical results of biogas combustion showed that combustion of un-desulfurized biogas exhausted more than 92% of SO? (P?0.01). In the meantime, more than 90% of hydrogen sulfide was removed during the combustion process using un-desulfurized biogas (P?0.01). Those disappeared hydrogen sulfide may deposit on the surfaces of power generator's engines or burner heads of boilers. Some of them (4.6-9.1% of H?S) were converted to SO? in exhaust gas. Considering the impacts to human health and living environment, it is better to desulfurize biogas before any applications. PMID:25404540
Su, Jung-Jeng; Chen, Yen-Jung
Hydrogen sulfide removal from livestock biogas by a farm-scale bio-filter desulfurization system.
A farm-scale biogas desulfurization system was designed and tested for H2S removal efficiency from livestock biogas. This work assesses the H2S removal efficiency of a novel farm-scale biogas bio-desulfurization system (BBS) operated for 350 days on a 1,000-head pig farm. Experimental data demonstrated that suitable humidity and temperature can help sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to form active bio-films on the bio-carriers. The daily average removal rate increased to 879.16 from 337.75 g-H2S/d with an average inlet H2S concentration of 4,691 ± 1,532 mg/m(3) in biogas. Thus, the overall (0-350 days) average H2S removal efficiency exceeded 93%. The proposed BBS overcomes limitations of H2S in biogas when utilizing pig farm biogas for power generation and other applications. PMID:23508153
Su, J-J; Chang, Y-C; Chen, Y-J; Chang, K-C; Lee, S-Y
Application of microbial indices to assess the performance of a sequencing batch reactor and membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater.
Microbial indexes of filamentous bacterial density were evaluated for their potential to act as indicators of sludge settling characteristics for sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment options. These options were operated using settled sewage over a range of aerated loading rates from 0.05 to 0.4/d and the evolution of protozoan and metazoan populations analysed. A filament density score ranging between 0 and 5, which has previously been applied to conventional activated sludge processes, was shown also to be a useful tool for the SBR and MBR, and was correlated to the settleability of the mixed liquor from both reactors. Due to the hydrodynamics of both systems and the subsequent differences in mixed liquors, optimum performance for each bioreactor was obtained under different operating conditions. Although there was no correlation between the numbers of any given protozoan species and plant operating conditions, there was a clear dependence between operating conditions and protozoan diversity. The highest diversity was found when operating conditions were optimum for both the SBR and MBR. PMID:23240209
Monsalvo, V M; Shanmugam, P; Horan, N J
Treatment of agro based industrial wastewater in sequencing batch reactor: performance evaluation and growth kinetics of aerobic biomass.
A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with a working volume of 8 L and an exchange ratio of 25% was used to enrich biomass for the treatment of the anaerobically treated low pH palm oil mill effluent (POME). The influent concentration was stepwise increased from 5000 ± 500 mg COD/L to 11,500 ± 500 mg COD/L. The performance of the reactor was monitored at different organic loading rates (OLRs). It was found that approximately 90% of the COD content of the POME wastewater was successfully removed regardless of the OLR applied to the SBR. Cycle studies of the SBR show that the oxygen uptake by the biomass while there is no COD reduction may be due to the oxidation of the storage product by the biomass. Further, the growth kinetic parameters of the biomass were determined in batch experiments using respirometer. The maximum specific growth rate (?max) was estimated to be 1.143 day(-1) while the half saturation constant (Ks) with respect to COD was determined to be 0.429 g COD/L. The decay coefficient (bD) and biomass yield (Y) were found to be 0.131 day(-1) and 0.272 mg biomass/mg COD consumed, respectively. PMID:25173730
Lim, J X; Vadivelu, V M
Production of lightweight ceramisite from iron ore tailings and its performance investigation in a biological aerated filter (BAF) reactor.
The few reuse and large stockpile of iron ore tailings (IOT) led to a series of social and environmental problems. This study investigated the possibility of using the IOT as one of starting materials to prepare lightweight ceramisite (LWC) by a high temperature sintering process. Coal fly ash (CFA) and municipal sewage sludge (SS) were introduced as additives. The LWC was used to serve as a biomedium in a biological aerated filter (BAF) reactor for municipal wastewater treatment, and its purification performance was examined. The effects of sintering parameters on physical properties of the LWC, and leaching concentrations of heavy metals from the LWC were also determined. The microstructure and the phase composition of the LWC were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results revealed that: (1) IOT could be used to produce the LWC under the optimal sintering parameters; (2) the leaching concentrations of heavy metals from the LWC were well below their respective regulatory levels in the China Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (CEQS); and (3) the BAF reactor with the LWC serving as the biomedium achieved high removal efficiencies for COD(Cr) (>92%), NH(4)(+)-N (>62%) and total phosphate (T-P) (>63%). Therefore, the LWC produced from the IOT was suitable to serve as the biomedium in the municipal wastewater treatment. PMID:20227178
Liu, Yangsheng; Du, Fang; Yuan, Li; Zeng, Hui; Kong, Sifang
Airlift column photobioreactors for Porphyridium sp. culturing: Part II. verification of dynamic growth rate model for reactor performance evaluation.
Dynamic growth rate model has been developed to quantify the impact of hydrodynamics on the growth of photosynthetic microorganisms and to predict the photobioreactor performance. Rigorous verification of such reactor models, however, is rare in the literature. In this part of work, verification of a dynamic growth rate model developed in Luo and Al-Dahhan (2004) [Biotech Bioeng 85(4): 382-393] was attempted using the experimental results reported in Part I of this work and results from literature. The irradiance distribution inside the studied reactor was also measured at different optical densities and successfully correlated by the Lambert-Beer Law. When reliable hydrodynamic data were used, the dynamic growth rate model successfully predicted the algae's growth rate obtained in the experiments in both low and high irradiance regime indicating the robustness of this model. The simulation results also indicate the hydrodynamics is significantly different between the real algae culturing system and an air-water system that signifies the importance in using reliable data input for the growth rate model. PMID:22068388
Luo, Hu-Ping; Al-Dahhan, Muthanna H
Optimization of a heterogeneous catalytic hydrodynamic cavitation reactor performance in decolorization of Rhodamine B: application of scrap iron sheets.
A low pressure pilot scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactor with 30 L volume, using fixed scrap iron sheets, as the heterogeneous catalyst, with no external source of H2O2 was devised to investigate the effects of operating parameters of the HC reactor performance. In situ generation of Fenton reagents suggested an induced advanced Fenton process (IAFP) to explain the enhancing effect of the used catalyst in the HC process. The reactor optimization was done based upon the extent of decolorization (ED) of aqueous solution of Rhodamine B (RhB). To have a perfect study on the pertinent parameters of the heterogeneous catalyzed HC reactor, the following cases as, the effects of scrap iron sheets, inlet pressure (2.4-5.8 bar), the distance between orifice plates and catalyst sheets (submerged and inline located orifice plates), back-pressure (2-6 bar), orifice plates type (4 various orifice plates), pH (2-10) and initial RhB concentration (2-14 mg L(-1)) have been investigated. The results showed that the highest cavitational yield can be obtained at pH 3 and initial dye concentration of 10 mg L(-1). Also, an increase in the inlet pressure would lead to an increase in the ED. In addition, it was found that using the deeper holes (thicker orifice plates) would lead to lower ED, and holes with larger diameter would lead to the higher ED in the same cross-sectional area, but in the same holes' diameters, higher cross-sectional area leads to the lower ED. The submerged operation mode showed a greater cavitational effects rather than the inline mode. Also, for the inline mode, the optimum value of 3 bar was obtained for the back-pressure condition in the system. Moreover, according to the analysis of changes in the UV-Vis spectra of RhB, both degradation of RhB chromophore structure and N-deethylation were occurred during the catalyzed HC process. PMID:23714332
Basiri Parsa, Jalal; Ebrahimzadeh Zonouzian, Seyyed Alireza
AVALIAÇÃO DO POTENCIAL DE PRODUÇÃO DE BIOGÁS E DA EFICIÊNCIA DE TRATAMENTO DO REATOR ANAERÓBIO DE MANTA DE LODO (UASB) ALIMENTADO COM DEJETOS DE SUÍNOS Potential evaluation of biogas production and treatment efficiency of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) fed with swine manure liquid effluent
The present research aimed at evaluating in lab-scale system the removal of pollutants and biogas production efficiency in treating a swine liquid effluent. The research was carried out in the Laboratory of Water Analysis from the Engineering Department of Federal University of Lavras (LAADEG). The system parts built up were: Acidification Equalization Tank (AET), an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor
Cláudio Milton; Montenegro Campos; Emerson Teruaki Mochizuki; Leonardo Henrique; Soares Damasceno; Cláudio Gouvêa Botelho
Biogas scrubbing, compression and storage: perspective and prospectus in Indian context
Biogas is a clean environment friendly fuel. Raw biogas contains about 55–65% methane (CH4), 30–45% carbon dioxide (CO2), traces of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and fractions of water vapours. Presently, it can be used only at the place where it is produced. There is a great need to make biogas transportable. This can be done by compressing the gas in cylinders
S. S. Kapdi; V. K. Vijay; S. K. Rajesh; Rajendra Prasad
Assessment of simulated biogas as a fuel for the spark ignition engine
Results are presented of tests with a variable compression ratio Ricardo E6 single-cylinder spark-ignition engine operating on simulated biogas formed from different mixtures of domestic natural gas and carbon dioxide. The fraction of carbon dioxide in the simulated biogas was changed from 0 to about 40% by volume to cover the range typically encountered in sources of biogas in practice.
Jingdang Huang; R. J Crookes
Bioaugmentation of biogas production by a hydrogen-producing bacterium.
The rate-limiting nature of the hydrogen concentration prevailing in the anaerobic digester has been recognized, but the associated alterations in the microbial community are unknown. In response to the addition of Enterobacter cloacae cells in laboratory anaerobic digesters, the level of biogas production was augmented. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time PCR) were used to study the survival of mesophilic hydrogen-producing bacteria and the effects of their presence on the composition of the other members of the bacterial community. E. cloacae proved to maintain a stable cell number and to influence the microbial composition of the system. Bioaugmentation by a single strain added to the natural biogas-producing microbial community was demonstrated. The community underwent pronounced changes as a result of the relatively slight initial shift in the microbiological system, responding sensitively to the alterations in local hydrogen concentration. PMID:25836037
Ács, Norbert; Bagi, Zoltán; Rákhely, Gábor; Minárovics, János; Nagy, Katalin; Kovács, Kornél L
Long-term performance assessment of grouted phosphate/sulfate waste from N Reactor operations
Phosphate sulfate waste (PSW) is a low-level liquid generated by activities associated with N Reactor operations. The waste will be mixed with dry solids and permanently disposed of as a cementitious grout in sub-surface concrete vaults at Hanford's 200-East Area. Categories of scenarios were analyzed that could cause humans to be exposed to radionuclides and chemicals from the grouted waste include contaminated groundwater and direct intrusion. In the groundwater scenario, contaminants are released from the buried grout monoliths, then eventually transported via the groundwater to the Columbia River. As modeled, the contaminants are assumed to leach out of the monoliths at a constant rate over a 10,000-year period. The other category of exposure involves intruders who inadvertently contact the waste directly, either by drilling, excavating, or gardening. Long-term impacts that could result from disposal of PSW grout were expressed in terms of incremental increases of chemical concentrations in the groundwater and surface waters, and radiation doses. None of the calculated impacts exceeded the corresponding regulatory limits set by Washington State, the Department of Energy, or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 38 refs., 17 figs., 27 tabs.
Sewart, G.H.; Farris, W.T.; Huizenga, D.G.; McMakin, A.H.; Streile, G.P.; Treat, R.L.
Thermophilic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid wastes with FOG wastes from a sewage treatment plant: reactor performance and microbial community monitoring.
Working at thermophilic conditions instead of mesophilic, and also the addition of a co-substrate, are both the ways to intend to improve the anaerobic digestion of the source-collected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (SC-OFMSW). Addition of sewage treatment plant fat, oil and grease wastes (STP-FOGW), that are nowadays sent to landfill, would represent an opportunity to recover a wasted methane potential and, moreover, improve the whole process. In this study, after a first period feeding only SC-OFMSW, a co-digestion step was performed maintaining thermophilic conditions. During the co-digestion period enhancements in biogas production (52%) and methane yield (36%) were achieved. In addition, monitoring of microbial structure by using PCR-DGGE and cloning techniques showed that bacterial community profiles clustered in two distinct groups, before and after the extended contact with STP-FOGW, being more affected by the STP-FOGW addition than the archaeal one. PMID:21320771
Martín-González, Lucia; Castro, Rita; Pereira, M Alcina; Alves, M Madalena; Font, Xavier; Vicent, Teresa
Design and Performance of a Thermal Neutron Imaging Facility at the North Carolina State University PULSTAR Reactor
A thermal neutron imaging facility has been set up at the North Carolina State University PULSTAR reactor. The PULSTAR is an open pool light water moderated 1 MWth research reactor with six beam tubes. The present facility is set up on beam tube # 5 of the reactor. The facility is intended to have radiographic and tomographic capabilities. The design
Kaushal K. Mishra; Ayman I. Hawari; Victor H. Gillette
Design and expected performance of a thermal neutron imaging facility at the N. C. State University PULSTAR reactor
A thermal neutron imaging facility has been set up at the North Carolina State University PULSTAR reactor. The PULSTAR is an open pool type light water moderated 1-MWth research reactor with six beam tubes. The present facility is set up on beam tube # 5 of the reactor. The facility is intended to have radiographic and tomographic capabilities. The design
K. K. Mishra; Ayman I. Hawari; Victor H. Gillette
Color removal from aqueous solution by biogas residual slurry
The adsorption of Acid Brilliant Blue on biogas residual slurry has been investigated. The parameters studied include dye concentration, agitation time, adsorbent dosage and pH. The equilibrium data fit well with both the Langmuir and Freundlich models of adsorption isotherm. Maximum removal of 99% was observed at pH 2.56. Desorption studies indicate that the dye is solubilised in 50%(v\\/v) acetic
R. T. Yamuna; C. Namasivayam
Process development of hydrogenous gas production for PEFC from biogas
A laboratory-scale gas processor that integrates four successive catalytic reactions: steam reforming of methane, high- and low-temperature water gas shifts and selective oxidation of carbon monoxide, was designed and tested in this study to produce hydrogen-rich gas with CO<10 ppm from a clean model biogas having a constant molar ratio of CH4\\/CO2=1.5:1.0 for a 50-W class polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Zhan-Guo Zhang; Guangwen Xu; Xin Chen; Kazunori Honda; Tadashi Yoshida
Biogas as a fuel source for SOFC co-generators
This study reports on the combination of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) generators fueled with biogas as renewable energy source, recoverable from wastes but at present underexploited. From a mobilisable near-future potential in the European Union (EU-15) of 17 million tonnes oil equivalent (Mtoe), under 15% appears to be converted today into useful heat and power (2Mtoe).SOFCs could improve and
Jan Van herle; Yves Membrez; Olivier Bucheli
Transmutation Performance Analysis for Inert Matrix Fuels in Light Water Reactors and Computational Neutronics Methods Capabilities at INL
The urgency for addressing repository impacts has grown in the past few years as a result of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) accumulation from commercial nuclear power plants. One path that has been explored by many is to eliminate the transuranic (TRU) inventory from the SNF, thus reducing the need for additional long term repository storage sites. One strategy for achieving this is to burn the separated TRU elements in the currently operating U.S. Light Water Reactor (LWR) fleet. Many studies have explored the viability of this strategy by loading a percentage of LWR cores with TRU in the form of either Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuels or Inert Matrix Fuels (IMF). A task was undertaken at INL to establish specific technical capabilities to perform neutronics analyses in order to further assess several key issues related to the viability of thermal recycling. The initial computational study reported here is focused on direct thermal recycling of IMF fuels in a heterogeneous Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) bundle design containing Plutonium, Neptunium, Americium, and Curium (IMF-PuNpAmCm) in a multi-pass strategy using legacy 5 year cooled LWR SNF. In addition to this initial high-priority analysis, three other alternate analyses with different TRU vectors in IMF pins were performed. These analyses provide comparison of direct thermal recycling of PuNpAmCmCf, PuNpAm, PuNp, and Pu. The results of this infinite lattice assembly-wise study using SCALE 5.1 indicate that it may be feasible to recycle TRU in this manner using an otherwise typical PWR assembly without violating peaking factor limits.
Michael A. Pope; Samuel E. Bays; S. Piet; R. Ferrer; Mehdi Asgari; Benoit Forget
Ultrasound pretreatment of filamentous algal biomass for enhanced biogas production.
The filamentous alga Hydrodictyon reticulatum harvested from a bench-scale wastewater treatment pond was used to evaluate biogas production after ultrasound pretreatment. The effects of ultrasound pretreatment at a range of 10-5000 J/mL were tested with harvested H. reticulatum. Cell disruption by ultrasound was successful and showed a higher degree of disintegration at a higher applied energy. The range of 10-5000 J/mL ultrasound was able to disintegrated H. reticulatum and the soluble COD was increased from 250 mg/L to 1000 mg/L at 2500 J/mL. The disintegrated algal biomass was digested for biogas production in batch experiments. Both cumulative gas generation and volatile solids reduction data were obtained during the digestion. Cell disintegration due to ultrasound pretreatment increased the specific biogas production and degradation rates. Using the ultrasound approach, the specific methane production at a dose of 40 J/mL increased up to 384 mL/g-VS fed that was 2.3 times higher than the untreated sample. For disintegrated samples, the volatile solids reduction was greater with increased energy input, and the degradation increased slightly to 67% at a dose of 50 J/mL. The results also indicate that disintegration of the algal cells is the essential step for efficient anaerobic digestion of algal biomass. PMID:24269061
Lee, Kwanyong; Chantrasakdakul, Phrompol; Kim, Daegi; Kong, Mingeun; Park, Ki Young
Two-stage high-rate biogas (H2 and CH4) production from food waste using anaerobic mixed microflora
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
To achieve the high-rate H2 and CH4 production from food waste using fermentative anaerobic microflora, the effects of carbonate-alkalinity in the recirculated digestion sludge on continuous two-stage fermentation were investigated. Higher H2 production rate of 2.9 L-H2/L/day was achieved at the recycle ratio of 1.0 in an alkalinity range of 9000 to 10000 mg-CaCO3/L. The maximum CH4 production rate was stably maintained at the range of 1.85 to 1.88 L-CH4/L/day without alkalinity change. Carbonate alkalinity in digestion sludge could reduce the H2 partial pressure in the headspace of the fermentation reactors, and improve a biogas production capacity in the two-stage fermentation process. The average volatile solids degradation rate in the overall process increased as the digestion sludge recycle increased from 0.5 to 1.0. These results show that the alkalinity in recycle of the digestion sludge is crucial factor in determining biogas (H2 and CH4) production capacity and reducing the total solids.
Xu, K.; Lee, D.; Kobayashi, T.; Ebie, Y.; Li, Y.; Inamori, Y.
Studies in biogas technology. Part IV. A novel biogas plant incorporating a solar water-heater and solar still
A reduction in the heat losses from the top of the gas holder of a biogas plant has been achieved by the simple device of\\u000a a transparent cover. The heat losses thus prevented have been deployed to heat a water pond formed on the roof of the gas\\u000a holder. This solar-heated water is mixed with the organic input for '
Amulya Kumar N. Reddy; C. R. Prasad; P. Rajabapaiah; S. R. C. Sathyanarayan
Effect of temperature on survival of micro-organisms and performance of anaerobic two-stage reactors treating cattle slurry.
A short-term thermophilic treatment was conducted in order to study the survival of micro-organisms in slurry derived from a cattle farm, at temperatures of 58, 63 and 68 degrees C for 6 h. The second trial was a biogas production experiment with an anaerobic mesophilic first stage and a thermophilic second stage. The mesophilic treatment was at 38 degrees C and the second stage was conducted at 55, 58 or 65 degrees C. The results of first trial showed that survival of micro-organisms was decreased remarkably at higher temperatures in spite of the fact that during the experiment part of slurry was replaced with fresh slurry. Meanwhile, the second trial showed that optimum production ofbiogas was at 55 degrees C while the best result for hygienic control was achieved at 65 degrees C. PMID:22629631
Mohaibes, Mohammed; Heinonen-Tanski, Helvi
Continuously-stirred Anaerobic Digester to Convert Organic Wastes into Biogas: System Setup and Basic Operation
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a bioprocess that is commonly used to convert complex organic wastes into a useful biogas with methane as the energy carrier 1-3. Increasingly, AD is being used in industrial, agricultural, and municipal waste(water) treatment applications 4,5. The use of AD technology allows plant operators to reduce waste disposal costs and offset energy utility expenses. In addition to treating organic wastes, energy crops are being converted into the energy carrier methane 6,7. As the application of AD technology broadens for the treatment of new substrates and co-substrate mixtures 8, so does the demand for a reliable testing methodology at the pilot- and laboratory-scale. Anaerobic digestion systems have a variety of configurations, including the continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), plug flow (PF), and anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) configurations 9. The CSTR is frequently used in research due to its simplicity in design and operation, but also for its advantages in experimentation. Compared to other configurations, the CSTR provides greater uniformity of system parameters, such as temperature, mixing, chemical concentration, and substrate concentration. Ultimately, when designing a full-scale reactor, the optimum reactor configuration will depend on the character of a given substrate among many other nontechnical considerations. However, all configurations share fundamental design features and operating parameters that render the CSTR appropriate for most preliminary assessments. If researchers and engineers use an influent stream with relatively high concentrations of solids, then lab-scale bioreactor configurations cannot be fed continuously due to plugging problems of lab-scale pumps with solids or settling of solids in tubing. For that scenario with continuous mixing requirements, lab-scale bioreactors are fed periodically and we refer to such configurations as continuously stirred anaerobic digesters (CSADs). This article presents a general methodology for constructing, inoculating, operating, and monitoring a CSAD system for the purpose of testing the suitability of a given organic substrate for long-term anaerobic digestion. The construction section of this article will cover building the lab-scale reactor system. The inoculation section will explain how to create an anaerobic environment suitable for seeding with an active methanogenic inoculum. The operating section will cover operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The monitoring section will introduce testing protocols using standard analyses. The use of these measures is necessary for reliable experimental assessments of substrate suitability for AD. This protocol should provide greater protection against a common mistake made in AD studies, which is to conclude that reactor failure was caused by the substrate in use, when really it was improper user operation 10. PMID:22824993
Usack, Joseph G.; Spirito, Catherine M.; Angenent, Largus T.
Biogas and Fuel Cells Workshop Summary Report: Proceedings from the Biogas and Fuel Cells Workshop, Golden, Colorado, June 11-13, 2012
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) held a Biogas and Fuel Cells Workshop June 11-13, 2012, in Golden, Colorado, to discuss biogas and waste-to-energy technologies for fuel cell applications. The overall objective was to identify opportunities for coupling renewable biomethane with highly efficient fuel cells to produce electricity; heat; combined heat and power (CHP); or combined heat, hydrogen and power (CHHP) for stationary or motive applications. The workshop focused on biogas sourced from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), landfills, and industrial facilities that generate or process large amounts of organic waste, including large biofuel production facilities (biorefineries).
Not Available
Comparison of UASB and EGSB reactors performance, for treatment of raw and deoiled palm oil mill effluent (POME).
Anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) and deoiled POME was investigated both in batch assays and continuous reactor experiments using up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors. The methane potential determined from batch assays of POME and deoiled POME was 503 and 610 mL-CH(4)/gVS-added, respectively. For the treatment of POME in continuously fed reactors, both in UASB and EGSB reactors more than 90% COD removal could be obtained, at HRT of 5 days, corresponding to OLR of 5.8 gVS/(L-reactor.d). Similar methane yields of 436-438 mL-CH(4)/gVS-added were obtained for UASB and EGSB respectively. However, for treatment of deoiled POME, both UASB and EGSB reactors could operate at lower OLR of 2.6 gVS/(L-reactor.d), with the methane yield of 600 and 555 mL-CH(4)/gVS-added for UASB and EGSB, respectively. The higher methane yield achieved from the deoiled POME was attributed to lower portion of biofibers which are more recalcitrant compared the rest of organic matter in POME. The UASB reactor was found to be more stable than EGSB reactor under the same OLR, as could be seen from lower VFA concentration, especially propionic acid, compared to the EGSB reactor. PMID:21377272
Fang, Cheng; O-Thong, Sompong; Boe, Kanokwan; Angelidaki, Irini
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) divertor plate performance and lifetime considerations
The ITER divertor plate performance during the technology phase of operation has been analyzed. High-Z materials, such as tungsten and tantalum, have been considered as plasma side materials, and refractory metal alloys, Ta-10W, TZM, Nb-1Zr, and V-15Cr-5Ti, plus copper alloys have been considered as the structural materials. The fatigue lifetime have been predicted for structural plates and for duplex plates with the plasma side material bonded to the structure. The results indicate that refractory alloys have a comparable or improved performance to copper alloys. Peak allowable heat fluxes for these analyses are in the range of 15--20 MW/m{sup 2} for 2 mm thick structural plates and 7--11 MW/m{sup 2} for 4 mm thick duplex plates. 4 refs., 55 figs., 6 tabs.
Mattas, R.F.
Individual plant examination program: Perspectives on reactor safety and plant performance. Parts 2--5: Final report; Volume 2
This report provides perspectives gained by reviewing 75 Individual Plant Examination (IPE) submittals pertaining to 108 nuclear power plant units. IPEs are probabilistic analyses that estimate the core damage frequency (CDF) and containment performance for accidents initiated by internal events. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviewed the IPE submittals with the objective of gaining perspectives in three major areas: (1) improvements made to individual plants as a result of their IPEs and the collective results of the IPE program, (2) plant-specific design and operational features and modeling assumptions that significantly affect the estimates of CDF and containment performance, and (3) strengths and weaknesses of the models and methods used in the IPEs. These perspectives are gained by assessing the core damage and containment performance results, including overall CDF, accident sequences, dominant contributions to component failure and human error, and containment failure modes. Methods, data, boundary conditions, and assumptions used in the IPEs are considered in understanding the differences and similarities observed among the various types of plants. This report is divided into three volumes containing six parts. Part 1 is a summary report of the key perspectives gained in each of the areas identified above, with a discussion of the NRC`s overall conclusions and observations. Part 2 discusses key perspectives regarding the impact of the IPE Program on reactor safety. Part 3 discusses perspectives gained from the IPE results regarding CDF, containment performance, and human actions. Part 4 discusses perspectives regarding the IPE models and methods. Part 5 discusses additional IPE perspectives. Part 6 contains Appendices A, B and C which provide the references of the information from the IPEs, updated PRA results, and public comments on draft NUREG-1560 respectively.
Individual plant examination program: Perspectives on reactor safety and plant performance. Part 1: Final summary report; Volume 1
This report provides perspectives gained by reviewing 75 Individual Plant Examination (IPE) submittals pertaining to 108 nuclear power plant units. IPEs are probabilistic analyses that estimate the core damage frequency (CDF) and containment performance for accidents initiated by internal events. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviewed the IPE submittals with the objective of gaining perspectives in three major areas: (1) improvements made to individual plants as a result of their IPEs and the collective results of the IPE program, (2) plant-specific design and operational features and modeling assumptions that significantly affect the estimates of CDF and containment performance, and (3) strengths and weaknesses of the models and methods used in the IPEs. These perspectives are gained by assessing the core damage and containment performance results, including overall CDF, accident sequences, dominant contributions to component failure and human error, and containment failure modes. Methods, data, boundary conditions, and assumptions used in the IPEs are considered in understanding the differences and similarities observed among the various types of plants. This report is divided into three volumes containing six parts. Part 1 is a summary report of the key perspectives gained in each of the areas identified above, with a discussion of the NRC`s overall conclusions and observations. Part 2 discusses key perspectives regarding the impact of the IPE Program on reactor safety. Part 3 discusses perspectives gained from the IPE results regarding CDF, containment performance, and human actions. Part 4 discusses perspectives regarding the IPE models and methods. Part 5 discusses additional IPE perspectives. Part 6 contains Appendices A, B and C which provide the references of the information from the IPEs, updated PRA results, and public comments on draft NUREG-1560 respectively.
Effect of particle size on the performance of autotrophic nitrogen removal in the granular sludge bed reactor and microbiological mechanisms.
The effect of particle size on the performance of autotrophic nitrogen removal in the granular sludge bed reactor (GSB-ANR) and microbiological mechanisms were investigated. The results indicated that performance of GSB-ANR process decreased gradually with the increase of the granular sludge size. Indeed small granules ranging between 0.5 and 0.9mm had a higher nitrogen removal capacity than large ones. The reasons of this effect were that (i) the aerobic ammonium oxidizing capacity of microorganisms was the bottle neck of nitrogen removal in GSB-ANR process, and the increase of aerobic ammonium oxidizing activity enhances nitrite production in nitrification and promotes subsequent nitrite consumption during anaerobic ammonia oxidation; (ii) the aerobic/anaerobic zone separation in granular sludge was the key factor affecting the aerobic ammonium oxidizing capacity of microorganisms. The small granules had a larger aerobic functional zone (75.1%) which was profitable for up-regulating the expression level of functional gene in aerobic ammonium oxidizing microorganisms. PMID:24561629
Wang, Lan; Zheng, Ping; Xing, Yajuan; Li, Wei; Yang, Jian; Abbas, Ghulam; Liu, Shuai; He, Zhanfei; Zhang, Jiqiang; Zhang, Hongtao; Lu, Huifeng
Use of new membrane-reactor saccharification assay to evaluate the performance of cellulases under simulated SSF conditions
A new saccharification assay has been devised, in which a continuously buffer-swept membrane reactor is used to remove the solubilized saccharification products, thus allowing high extents of substrate conversion without significant inhibitory effects from the buildup of either cellobiose or glucose. This diafiltration saccharification assay (DSA) can, therefore, be used to obtain direct measurements of the performance of combinations of cellulose and substrate under simulated SSF conditions, without the saccharification results being complicated by factors that may influence the subsequent fermentation step. This assay has been used to compare the effectiveness of commercial and special in-house-produced Trichoderma reesei cellulose preparations in the saccharification of a standardized microcrystalline (Sigmacell) substrate and a dilute-acid pretreated lignocellulosic substrate. Initial results strongly suggest that enzyme preparations produced in the presence of the targeted lignocellulosic substrate will saccharify that substrate more effectively. These results call into question the widespread use of the {open_quotes}filter paper assay{close_quotes} as a reliable predictor of enzyme performance in the extensive hydrolysis of substrates that are quite different from filter paper in both physical properties and chemical composition. 14 refs., 6 figs.
Baker, J.O.; Vinzant, T.B.; Ehrman, C.I. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)] [and others
Performance and microbial community profiles in an anaerobic reactor treating with simulated PTA wastewater: from mesophilic to thermophilic temperature.
Performance and microbial community profiles in a hybrid anaerobic reactor treating synthetic PTA wastewater (contained the major pollutants terephthalate and benzoate) were studied over 220 days from 33 °C to 52 °C. Results indicated that PTA treatment process was highly sensitive to temperature variations in terms of COD removal. Operation at 37 °C showed the best performance as well as the most diverse microbial community revealed by 16S rRNA gene clone library and T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism). Finally, the anaerobic process achieved a total COD removal of 77.4%, 91.9%, 87.4% and 66.1% at 33, 37, 43 and 52 °C. While the corresponding TA removal were 77.6%, 94.0%, 89.1% and 60.8%, respectively. Sequence analyses revealed acetoclastic Methanosaeta was preponderant at 37 °C, while hydrogenotrophic genera including Methanobrevibacter and Methanofollis were more abundant at other temperatures. For bacterial community, 16 classes were identified. The largely existent Syntrophorhabdus members (belonging to ?-Proteobacteria) at 37 °C was likely to play an important role in mesophilic anaerobic wastewater treatment system contained terephthalate. Meanwhile, ?-Proteobacteria seemed to be favored in an anaerobic system higher than 43 °C. PMID:24952270
Li, Xiang-kun; Ma, Kai-li; Meng, Ling-wei; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Ke
Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) Fuel-Performance Test Facility (FPTF)
The Fuel-Performance Test Facility (FPTF) is the latest in a series of special EBR-II instrumented in-core test facilities. A flow control valve in the facility is programmed to vary the coolant flow, and thus the temperature, in an experimental-irradiation subassembly beneath it and coupled to it. In this way, thermal transients can be simulated in that subassembly without changing the temperatures in surrounding subassemblies. The FPTF also monitors sodium flow and temperature, and detects delayed neutrons in the sodium effluent from the experimental-irradiation subassembly beneath it. This facility also has an acoustical detector (high-temperature microphone) for detecting sodium boiling.
Pardini, J.A.; Brubaker, R.C.; Veith, D.J.; Giorgis, G.C.; Walker, D.E.; Seim, O.S.
Hydraulic performance of pump suction inlets for emergency core cooling systems in boiling water reactors. Containment sump reliability studies. Generic task A-43
This document reports on the hydraulic performance of two representative Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Residual Heat Removal (RHR) suction inlet configurations; namely, those of the Mark I, and Mark II and Mark III designs. Key parameters of interest were air-ingestion levels, vortex types, suction pipe swirl, and the RHR inlet pressure loss coefficient. Tests were conducted with nearly uniform and
Comparison of UASB and EGSB reactors performance, for treatment of raw and deoiled palm oil mill effluent (POME)
Anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) and deoiled POME was investigated both in batch assays and continuous reactor experiments using up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors. The methane potential determined from batch assays of POME and deoiled POME was 503 and 610mL-CH4\\/gVS-added, respectively. For the treatment of POME in continuously fed reactors,
Cheng Fang; Sompong O-Thong; Kanokwan Boe; Irini Angelidaki
Evaluation of a hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge-filter bed reactor: effect of the proportion of packing medium on performance.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the volume occupied by the filter bed zone on the behavior of an anaerobic hybrid UASFB reactor. This configuration contains a sludge bed in the lower part of the reactor and a filter bed in the upper part. Three such reactors, each with a working volume of 9.8-L, were studied; these differed in proportion of packing medium occupying 50, 35 and 20% of the working volume of the reactors, respectively. All the reactors were fed with wine distillery vinasse and were operated for a period of 232 days at 33+/-1 degrees C with increasing OLRs. No significant differences were observed between the reactors for the range of OLRs studied. Indeed, relatively high OLRs could be reached for all the three reactors with an average OLR of about 18 g COD/L d towards the end of the experiment, while maintaining a constant HRT of 26 h. COD(t) and COD(s) removal efficiencies were always more than 80 and 86%, respectively, even for the highest OLR. High quantities of VS were accumulated in the reactors with an average value of 438+/-17 g per reactor. Most of the biomass was in the sludge bed zone suggesting that this part was playing a major role in COD removal. The internal packing medium on the top of the reactor had a key role in retaining the small flocculated particles inside the reactor, while minimizing the escape of solids in the effluent. This study suggests that low packing volume ratios can be used in the design of UASFB reactors, which allows a reduction in the costs of packing medium required as the supports are expensive. PMID:20351423
Rajagopal, Rajinikanth; Mehrotra, Indu; Kumar, Pradeep; Torrijos, Michel
Wastewater treatment performance of a filtration bio-reactor equipped with a mesh as a filter material
The mesh filtration bio-reactor (MFBR) was equipped with a nylon mesh as filter material instead of a microfiltration membrane in a membrane bio-reactor. Laboratory scale MFBRs were used for the experiments. We have observed that a mesh having a pore size of 100 ?m effectively rejected activated sludge and that the reactor retained SS of up to 9000 mg·l?1 with a flux
Yoshiaki Kiso; Yong-Jun Jung; Takashi Ichinari; Minsoo Park; Takane Kitao; Kazuyuki Nishimura; Kyung-Seok Min
Comparative study of economics of different models of family size biogas plants for state of Punjab, India
Biogas, the end product of anaerobic digestion of cattle dung, can successfully supplement the cooking fuels in the countryside areas of India, where the raw material needed for its production is plentifully available. Because of the lack of awareness regarding selection of a suitable model and size of biogas plant, the full potential of the biogas producing material is not
K. Jatinder Singh; Sarbjit Singh Sooch
Environmental systems analysis of biogas systems—Part II: The environmental impact of replacing various reference systems
This paper analyses the overall environmental impact when biogas systems are introduced and replace various reference systems for energy generation, waste management and agricultural production. The analyses are based on Swedish conditions using a life-cycle perspective. The biogas systems included are based on different combinations of raw materials and final use of the biogas produced (heat, power and transportation fuel).
Pål Börjesson; Maria Berglund
Numerical and experimental study of soot formation in laminar diffusion flames burning simulated biogas fuels at elevated pressures
biogas fuels at elevated pressures Marc R.J. Charest , �mer L. Gülder, Clinton P.T. Groth University 18 April 2014 Available online 2 June 2014 Keywords: Soot formation High pressure combustion Biogas, and other chemical species that are harmful to human health and the environment. Gaseous biofuels, or biogas
Gülder, �mer L.
5th International Landfills Conference -Sardinia'95, Cagliari, 1995 DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A METHOD FOR MEASURING BIOGAS
OF A METHOD FOR MEASURING BIOGAS EMISSIONS USING A DYNAMIC CHAMBER Zbigniew POKRYSZKA, Christian TAUZIEDE biogas flow, designing a dynamic flux chamber. Preliminary bench tests revealed the necessity of defining gas releases. A mixture of gases (known as biogas) is produced from organic waste, and consists mainly
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Anaerobic digestion of saline creeping wild ryegrass for biogas production and pretreatment of particleboard material
The objective of this research was to develop an integrated process to produce biogas and high-quality particleboard using saline creeping wild ryegrass (CWR), Leymus triticoides through anaerobic digestion (AD). Besides producing biogas, AD also serves as a pretreatment method to remove the wax layer of CWR for improving binding capability and then the residue is used to produce high-quality particleboard.
Yi Zheng; Zhongli Pan; Ruihong Zhang; Hamed M. El-Mashad; Jinming Pan; Bryan M. Jenkins
Identification of the microbiological community in biogas systems and evaluation of microbial risks from gas usage
The plans for introducing biogas produced from organic waste to the pipe system for natural gas has raised concerns about the risk of transmitting disease via the gas. To assess this risk, condensate water from gas pipes and gas from different parts of a biogas upgrading system were sampled and cultured for microbial content. On average, 105 cfu ml?1 were found in
Björn Vinnerås; Caroline Schönning; Annika Nordin
Anaerobic Digestion of Saline Creeping Wild Ryegrass for Biogas Production and Pretreatment of Particleboard Material
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The objective of this research was to develop an integrated process to produce biogas and high-quality particleboard using saline creeping wild ryegrass (CWR), Leymus triticoides through anaerobic digestion (AD). Besides producing biogas, AD also serves as a pretreatment method to remove the wax la...
Enhancement of biogas production from solid substrates using different techniques––a review
Biogas, a clean and renewable form of energy could very well substitute (especially in the rural sector) for conventional sources of energy (fossil fuels, oil, etc.) which are causing ecological–environmental problems and at the same time depleting at a faster rate. Despite its numerous advantages, the potential of biogas technology could not be fully harnessed or tapped as certain constraints
Yadvika; Santosh; T. R. Sreekrishnan; Sangeeta Kohli; Vineet Rana
Technical and economic analysis of biogas production in Ireland utilising three different crop rotations
The Biofuels Directive sets reference values for the quantity of biofuels and other renewable fuels to be placed on the transport market. Biogas from agricultural crops can be used to meet this directive. This paper investigates biogas production for three crop rotations: wheat, barley and sugar beet; wheat, wheat and sugar beet; wheat only. A technical and economic analysis for
J. D. Murphy; N. Power
Impact of biogas digesters on cookhouse volatile organic compound exposure for rural Kenyan farmwomen.
Women living on rural Kenyan smallholder dairy farms burn wood as biofuel in family cookhouses. Unventilated biofuel combustion produces harmful levels of respirable particles and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in indoor environments. Biogas digesters, which can generate high methane-content biogas from livestock manure composting were recently installed on 31 farms. The study objectives were to compare VOC exposure profiles for women cooking on farms with and without biogas digesters, and to compare seasonal variations in VOC exposures for those women cooking with biogas. Participants (n=31 biogas farms, n=31 referent farms) wore passive thermal desorption VOC sampling tubes and recorded cookhouse fuel use on time activity sheets for 7 days. Women using biogas spent significantly less time (mean=509?min/week) exposed to cookhouse wood smoke compared with the referent group (mean=1122?min/week) (P<0.01). Total VOC exposure did not differ between farm groups (P=0.14), though concentrations of trans-1,3-dichloropropene, bromoform, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene in biogas cookhouses were significantly lower than in referent cookhouses, even after Bonferroni correction. The composition of VOC species was also significantly different, reflecting the different fuel sources. Biogas digester technologies have great potential for reducing exposure to wood smoke VOCs in low-income countries. PMID:23899962
Dohoo, Carolyn; Read Guernsey, Judith; Gibson, Mark D; VanLeeuwen, John
Nonrenewable Energy Cost and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a "Pig-Biogas-Fish" System in China
The purpose of this study is to assess the energy savings and emission reductions of the present rural biogas system in China. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method is used to analyze a "pig-biogas-fish" system in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China. The nonrenewable energy cost and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the system, including the pigsty, the biogas digester, and the fishpond, are taken into account. The border definition is standardized because of the utilization of the database in this paper. The results indicate that the nonrenewable energy consumption intensity of the "pig-biogas-fish" system is 0.60?MJ/MJ and the equivalent CO2 emission intensity is 0.05?kg CO2-eq/MJ. Compared with the conventional animal husbandry system, the "pig-biogas-fish" system shows high renewability and GHG reduction benefit, which indicates that the system is a scientific and environmentally friendly chain combining energy and ecology. PMID:23213302
Yang, Qing; Wu, Xiaofang; Yang, Haiping; Zhang, Shihong; Chen, Hanping
TOKOPS: Tokamak Reactor Operations Study: The influence of reactor operations on the design and performance of tokamaks with solid-breeder blankets: Final report
Reactor system operation and procedures have a profound impact on the conception and design of power plants. These issues are studied here using a model tokamak system employing a solid-breeder blanket. The model blanket is one which has evolved from the STARFIRE and BCSS studies. The reactor parameters are similar to those characterizing near-term fusion engineering reactors such as INTOR or NET (Next European Tokamak). Plasma startup, burn analysis, and methods for operation at various levels of output power are studied. A critical, and complicating, element is found to be the self-consistent electromagnetic response of the system, including the presence of the blanket and the resulting forces and loadings. Fractional power operation, and the strategy for burn control, is found to vary depending on the scaling law for energy confinement, and an extensive study is reported. Full-power reactor operation is at a neutron wall loading pf 5 MW/m/sup 2/ and a surface heat flux of 1 MW/m/sup 2/. The blanket is a pressurized steel module with bare beryllium rods and low-activation HT-9-(9-C-) clad LiAlO/sub 2/ rods. The helium coolant pressure is 5 MPa, entering the module at 297/sup 0/C and exiting at 550/sup 0/C. The system power output is rated at 1000 MW(e). In this report, we present our findings on various operational scenarios and their impact on system design. We first start with the salient aspects of operational physics. Time-dependent analyses of the blanket and balance of plant are then presented. Separate abstracts are included for each chapter.
Conn, R.W.; Ghoniem, N.M.; Firestone, M.A. (eds.)
Searching for links in the biotic characteristics and abiotic parameters of nine different biogas plants
Summary To find links between the biotic characteristics and abiotic process parameters in anaerobic digestion systems, the microbial communities of nine full?scale biogas plants in South Tyrol (Italy) and Vorarlberg (Austria) were investigated using molecular techniques and the physical and chemical properties were monitored. DNA from sludge samples was subjected to microarray hybridization with the ANAEROCHIP microarray and results indicated that sludge samples grouped into two main clusters, dominated either by Methanosarcina or by Methanosaeta, both aceticlastic methanogens. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were hardly detected or if detected, gave low hybridization signals. Results obtained using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) supported the findings of microarray hybridization. Real?time PCR targeting Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta was conducted to provide quantitative data on the dominating methanogens. Correlation analysis to determine any links between the microbial communities found by microarray analysis, and the physicochemical parameters investigated was conducted. It was shown that the sludge samples dominated by the genus Methanosarcina were positively correlated with higher concentrations of acetate, whereas sludge samples dominated by representatives of the genus Methanosaeta had lower acetate concentrations. No other correlations between biotic characteristics and abiotic parameters were found. Methanogenic communities in each reactor were highly stable and resilient over the whole year. PMID:22950603
Walter, Andreas; Knapp, Brigitte A.; Farbmacher, Theresa; Ebner, Christian; Insam, Heribert; Franke?Whittle, Ingrid H.
Siloxanes removal from biogas by high surface area adsorbents.
Biogas utilized for energy production needs to be free from organic silicon compounds, as their burning has damaging effects on turbines and engines; organic silicon compounds in the form of siloxanes can be found in biogas produced from urban wastes, due to their massive industrial use in synthetic product, such as cosmetics, detergents and paints. Siloxanes removal from biogas can be carried out by various methods (Mona, 2009; Ajhar et al., 2010 May; Schweigkofler and Niessner, 2001); aim of the present work is to find a single practical and economic way to drastically and simultaneously reduce both the hydrogen sulphide and the siloxanes concentration to less than 1 ppm. Some commercial activated carbons previously selected (Monteleone et al., 2011) as being effective in hydrogen sulfide up taking have been tested in an adsorption measurement apparatus, by flowing the most volatile siloxane (hexamethyldisiloxane or L2) in a nitrogen stream, typically 100-200 ppm L2 over N2, through an activated carbon powder bed; the adsorption process was analyzed by varying some experimental parameters (concentration, grain size, bed height). The best activated carbon shows an adsorption capacity of 0.1g L2 per gram of carbon. The next thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirms the capacity data obtained experimentally by the breakthrough curve tests. The capacity results depend on L2 concentration. A regenerative carbon process is then carried out by heating the carbon bed up to 200 °C and flushing out the adsorbed L2 samples in a nitrogen stream in a three step heating procedure up to 200 °C. The adsorption capacity is observed to degrade after cycling the samples through several adsorption-desorption cycles. PMID:24075968
Gislon, P; Galli, S; Monteleone, G
Pilot-scale field study for ammonia removal from lagoon biogas using an acid wet scrubber.
The anaerobic activities in swine slurry storage and treatment generate biogas containing gaseous ammonia component which is a chemical agent that can cause adverse environmental impacts when released to the atmosphere. The aim of this pilot plant study was to remove ammonia from biogas generated in a covered lagoon, using a sulfuric acid wet scrubber. The data showed that, on average, the biogas contained 43.7 ppm of ammonia and its concentration was found to be exponentially related to the air temperature inside the lagoon. When the air temperature rose to 35°C and the biogas ammonia concentration reached 90 ppm, the mass transfer of ammonia/ammonium from the deeper liquid body to the interface between the air and liquid became a limiting factor. The biogas velocity was critical in affecting ammonia removal efficiency of the wet scrubber. A biogas flow velocity of 8 to 12 mm s(-1) was recommended to achieve a removal efficiency of greater than 60%. Stepwise regression revealed that the biogas velocity and air temperature, not the inlet ammonia concentration in biogas, affected the ammonia removal efficiency. Overall, when 73 g L(-1) (or 0.75 M) sulfuric acid solution was used as the scrubber solution, removal efficiencies varied from 0% to 100% with an average of 55% over a 40-d measurement period. Mass balance calculation based on ammonium-nitrogen concentration in final scrubber liquid showed that about 21.3 g of ammonia was collected from a total volume of 1169 m(3) of biogas, while the scrubber solution should still maintain its ammonia absorbing ability until its concentration reaches up to 1 M. These results showed promising use of sulfuric acid wet scrubber for ammonia removal in the digester biogas. PMID:24762182
Lin, Hongjian; Wu, Xiao; Miller, Curtis; Zhu, Jun; Hadlocon, Lara Jane; Manuzon, Roderick; Zhao, Lingying
About the performance of Sphaerotilus natans to reduce hexavalent chromium in batch and continuous reactors.
The hexavalent chromium biological reduction constitutes a safe and economical detoxification procedure of wastewaters containing Cr(VI). However, little research has been done to evaluate Cr(VI) tolerance and reduction capacity of microbial cultures under different growth conditions. The aims of this work were (a) to evaluate the capacity of Sphaerotilus natans to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in a continuous system limited in carbon and energy source or in nitrogen source, (b) to evaluate the toxic effect of Cr(VI) on this microorganism, (c) to carry out a complete analysis of Cr(VI) reduction by S. natans not only in continuous regime but also in batch system, and (d) to model the obtained results mathematically. S. natans exhibited great resistance to Cr(VI) (19-78 mg l(-1)) and optimal growth in continuous and batch systems using a mineral medium supplemented only with citric acid as organic substrate. In carbon- and energy-limited continuous systems, a maximum percentual decrease in Cr(VI) by 13% was reached for low influent Cr(VI) concentration (4.3-5.32 mg Cr(VI)l(-1)); the efficiency of the process did not notoriously increase as the length of cellular residence time was increased from 4.16 to 50h. A nitrogen-limited continuous operation with a cellular residence time of 28.5h resulted in a Cr(VI) decrease of approximately 26-32%. In batch system, a mathematical model allowed to predict the Cr(VI) concentration as a function of time and the ratio between the initial Cr(VI) concentration and that of the biomass. High concentrations of initial Cr(VI) and biomass produced the highest performance of the process of Cr(VI) reduction reached in batch system, aspects which should be considered in detoxification strategies of wastewaters. PMID:19345486
Caravelli, Alejandro H; Zaritzky, Noemí E
Deployment of a Suite of High-Performance Computational Tools for Multi-scale Multi-physics Simulation of Generation IV Reactors
The overall objective of this project has been to deploy advanced simulation capabilities for next generation reactor systems utilizing newly available, high-performance computing facilities. The approach includes the following major components: The development of new simulation capabilities using state-of-the-art computer codes of different scales: molecular dynamics (MD) level, DNS (FronTier and PHASTA) and CFD (NPHASE-CMFD); The development of advanced numerical solvers for large-size computational problems; The deployment of a multiple-code computational platform for multiscale simulations of gas/liquid two-phase flow during reactor transients and accidents; and Application of the new computational methodology to study the progression of loss-of-flow accident in sodium fast reactor (SFR).
Podowski, Michael Z
On-farm biogas systems information dissemination project. Final report
The purpose of this project was to study how farmers manage anaerobic digesters on three New York State dairy farms. Two years of data collected were from both plug-flow and tower-type mixed-flow digesters at regular intervals over a three-year period revealed that the financial return from the energy produced by a biogass system in the late 1980`s is marginal. Little difficulty was experienced in operation of the anaerobic digester; however, several farms utilizing congeneration to convert biogas into electricity and heat suffered from not applying maintenance to the congenerator in a timely fashion.
Campbell, J.K.; Koelsch, R.K.; Guest, R.W.; Fabian, E.
Postgraduate Programme Renewable Energy (PPRE) --Biogas Workshop --01. -04. Feb. 2010 --Oldenburg University --venue: TGO, Marie-Curie-Strae 1, 26129 Oldenburg Programme Part 1
Postgraduate Programme Renewable Energy (PPRE) -- Biogas Workshop -- 01. - 04. Feb. 2010 -- Oldenburg University -- venue: TGO, Marie-Curie-Stra�e 1, 26129 Oldenburg Programme Part 1: Domestic Biogas Biogas  Introduction: Relevance of biogas for Development (JL) 09:45 Coffee Break 10:00 From Waste
Damm, Werner
Chinese Biogas Digester. A Potential Model for Small-Scale, Rural Applications. (A Manual for Construction and Operation). Reprint No. R-51.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
This book provides the basic knowledge and guides for the construction and operation of a small-scale, family-size biogas unit. The first chapter discusses the benefits of biogas production and the Chinese biogas model. The second chapter shows the components, design formulas, and sizing units of the biogas model. Chapter 3 describes actual…
Nakagawa, Charles H.; Honquilada, Q. L.
The influence of screw configuration on the pretreatment performance of a continuous twin screw-driven reactor (CTSR).
A combination of a continuous twin screw-driven reactor (CTSR) and a dilute acid pretreatment was used for the pretreatment of biomass with a high cellulose content and high monomeric xylose hydrolyzate. With the newly modified CTSR screw configuration (Config. 3), the influences of the screw rotational speed (30-60 rpm), of the pretreatment conditions such as acid concentration (1-5%) and reaction temperature (160-175 °C) at the operating condition of biomass feeding rate (1.0 g/min) and acid feeding rate (13.4 mL/min) on the pretreatment performance were investigated. The cellulose content in the pretreated rape straw was 67.1% at the following optimal conditions: barrel temperature of 165 °C, acid concentration of 3.0% (w/v), and screw rotational speed of 30 rpm. According to the three screw configurations, the glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis were 70.1%, 72.9%, and 78.7% for screw Configs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. PMID:23395738
Choi, Chang Ho; Um, Byung-Hwan; Oh, Kyeong Keun
Controlled continuous bio-hydrogen production using different biogas release strategies.
Dark fermentation for bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) production is an easily operated and environmentally friendly technology. However, low bio-H2 production yield has been reported as its main drawback. Two strategies have been followed in the past to improve this fact: genetic modifications and adjusting the reaction conditions. In this paper, the second one is followed to regulate the bio-H2 release from the reactor. This operating condition alters the metabolic pathways and increased the bio-H2 production twice. Gas release was forced in the continuous culture to study the equilibrium in the mass transfer between the gaseous and liquid phases. This equilibrium depends on the H2, CO2, and volatile fatty acids production. The effect of reducing the bio-H2 partial pressure (bio-H2?pp) to enhance bio-H2 production was evaluated in a 30 L continuous stirred tank reactor. Three bio-H2 release strategies were followed: uncontrolled, intermittent, and constant. In the so called uncontrolled fermentation, without bio-H2?pp control, a bio-H2 molar yield of 1.2 mol/mol glucose was obtained. A sustained low bio-H2?pp of 0.06 atm increased the bio-H2 production rate from 16.1 to 108 mL/L/h with a stable bio-H2 percentage of 55% (v/v) and a molar yield of 1.9 mol/mol glucose. Biogas release enhanced bio-H2 production because lower bio-H2 pp, CO2 concentration, and reduced volatile fatty acids accumulation prevented the associated inhibitions and bio-H2 consumption. PMID:24879593
Esquivel-Elizondo, S; Chairez, I; Salgado, E; Aranda, J S; Baquerizo, G; Garcia-Peña, E I
Towards molecular biomarkers for biogas production from lignocellulose-rich substrates.
Biogas production from lignocellulose-rich agricultural residues is gaining increasingly importance in sustainable energy production. Hydrolysis/acidogenesis (H/A) of lignocellulose as the initial rate-limiting step deserves particular optimization. A mixture of straw/hay was methanized applying two-phase digester systems with an initial H/A reactor and a one-stage system at different, meso- and thermophilic temperatures. H/A was intensified with increasing pH values and increasing temperature. H/A fermenters, however, were prone to switch to methanogenic systems at these conditions. Substrate turnover was accelerated in the bi-phasic process but did not reach the methanation efficiency of the single-stage digestion. There was no indication that two different cellulolytic inocula could establish in the given process. Bacterial communities were analyzed applying conventional amplicon clone sequencing targeting the hypervariable 16S rRNA gene region V6-V8 and by metagenome analyses applying direct DNA pyrosequencing without a PCR step. Corresponding results suggested that PCR did not introduce a bias but offered better phylogenetic resolution. Certain Clostridium IV and Prevotella members were most abundant in the H/A system operated at 38 °C, certain Clostridium III and Lachnospiraceae bacteria in the 45 °C, and certain Clostridium IV and Thermohydrogenium/Thermoanaerobacterium members in the 55 °C H/A system. Clostridium III representatives, Lachnospiraceae and Thermotogae dominated in the thermophilic single-stage system, in which also a higher portion of known syntrophic acetate oxidizers was found. Specific (RT-)qPCR systems were designed and applied for the most significant and abundant populations to assess their activity in the different digestion systems. The RT-qPCR results agreed with the DNA based community profiles obtained at the different temperatures. Up to 10(12) 16S rRNA copies mL(-1) were determined in H/A fermenters with prevalence of rRNA of a Ruminococcaceae subgroup. Besides, Thermohydrogenium/Thermoanaerobacterium rRNA prevailed at thermophilic and Prevotellaceae rRNA at mesophilic conditions. The developed (RT)-qPCR systems can be used as biomarkers to optimize biogas production from straw/hay and possibly other lignocellulosic substrates. PMID:24785351
Lebuhn, Michael; Hanreich, Angelika; Klocke, Michael; Schlüter, Andreas; Bauer, Christoph; Pérez, Carmen Marín
Startup and operation of anaerobic EGSB reactor treating palm oil mill effluent.
A bench-scale expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor was applied to the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME). The reactor had been operated continuously at 35 degrees C for 514 d, with organic loading rate (OLR) increased from 1.45 to 17.5 kg COD/(m3 x d). The results showed that the EGSB reactor had good performance in terms of COD removal on the one hand, high COD removal of 91% was obtained at two days' of hydraulic retention time (HRT), and the highest OLR of 17.5 kg COD/(m3 x d). On the other hand, only 46% COD in raw POME was transformed into biogas in which the methane content was about 70% (V/V). A 30-d intermittent experiment indicated that the maximum transformation potential of organic matter in raw POME into methane was 56%. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation was observed in the later operation stage, and this was settled by supplementing trace metal elements. On the whole, the system exhibited good stability in terms of acidity and alkalinity. Finally, the operational problems inherent in the laboratory scale experiment and the corresponding countermeasures were also discussed. PMID:18763558
Zhang, Yejian; Yan, Li; Chi, Lina; Long, Xiuhua; Mei, Zhijian; Zhang, Zhenjia
Performance of a 24,000 liter, multi stage Continuous Stirred Reactor Separator (CSRS) for ethanol from sugars, and application of the CSRS towards cellulosics
A pilot scale 24,000 liter, 4 stage reactor has been built, installed, and is undergoing performance trials. This Continuous Stirred Reactor Separator (CSRS) allows the continuous production and separation of ethanol from the fermentation broth using stirred reactor stages crossed with gas stripping of the overflow broth. The gas stripping of ethanol speeds fermentation rates by reducing the ethanol concentration on the lower stages. This CSRS is designed to have ethanol recovered from the exiting vapors using a solvent absorption column, after which the ethanol will be recovered from the solvent. The CSRS was installed in March of 1995, and has been operated as a continuous cascade type fermenter (without separation). The reactor has been running continuously since September of 1995 with feed rates varying between 0 (when feed tanks are exhausted) to 20 LPM. Yeast densities of a flocculent yeast have been measured at up to 50% cell settling volume. Preliminary work on biomass conversion to ethanol using the CSRS is being performed. Pretreatment studies, xylose fermentations, and SSF of cellulose have been started. It is planned to operate a two section CSRS for the successive conversion of hemicellulose/xylans followed by cellulose/glucans to ethanol.
Dale, M.C. [Bio-Process Innovation Inc., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Gribb, D.; Lehman, R.L. [Permeate Refining Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (United States)
Performance of up-flow anaerobic fixed bed reactor of the treatment of sugar beet pulp lixiviation in a thermophilic range.
The acclimatization and performance study of lixiviation of sugar beet pulp are carried out in upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactor in thermophilic range of temperature (55°C). Several hydraulic retention time is conducted (11, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1.5 days). The performance study showed that Chemical Oxygen Demand removal efficiency is 90% for 6 days-HRT. While COD removal efficiency was reduced within the range of 74.3% and 59.4% in others HRT. Organic loading rates greater than 10 kg COD/m(3)d in influent, (2 days-HRT), produces a destabilization of the process due to total acidity accumulation in reactors although is the HRT with highest methane production. The results showed that an increase in OLR was directly correlated with active biomass inside reactor but not with the amount in microbial community. The bacterial concentration inside the reactor is strongly influenced by the content of microorganisms in the lixiviation of sugar beet pulp. PMID:24412482
Montañés Alonso, Rocío; Pérez García, Montserrat; Solera del Río, Rosario
Naval Reactors Prime Contractor Team (NRPCT) Experiences and Considerations With Irradiation Test Performance in an International Environment
This letter forwards a compilation of knowledge gained regarding international interactions and issues associated with Project Prometheus. The following topics are discussed herein: (1) Assessment of international fast reactor capability and availability; (2) Japanese fast reactor (JOYO) contracting strategy; (3) NRPCT/Program Office international contract follow; (4) Completion of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) contract for manufacture of reactor test components; (5) US/Japanese Departmental interactions and required Treaties and Agreements; and (6) Non-technical details--interactions and considerations.
MH Lane
Utilization of Biodiesel By-Products for Biogas Production
This contribution reviews the possibility of using the by-products from biodiesel production as substrates for anaerobic digestion and production of biogas. The process of biodiesel production is predominantly carried out by catalyzed transesterification. Besides desired methylesters, this reaction provides also few other products, including crude glycerol, oil-pressed cakes, and washing water. Crude glycerol or g-phase is heavier separate liquid phase, composed mainly by glycerol. A couple of studies have demonstrated the possibility of biogas production, using g-phase as a single substrate, and it has also shown a great potential as a cosubstrate by anaerobic treatment of different types of organic waste or energy crops. Oil cakes or oil meals are solid residues obtained after oil extraction from the seeds. Another possible by-product is the washing water from raw biodiesel purification, which is an oily and soapy liquid. All of these materials have been suggested as feasible substrates for anaerobic degradation, although some issues and inhibitory factors have to be considered. PMID:21403868
Kolesárová, Nina; Hut?an, Miroslav; Bodík, Igor; Špalková, Viera
Biogas energy production from tropical biomass wastes by anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive technology in tropical regions for converting locally abundant biomass wastes into biogas which can be used to produce heat, electricity, and transportation fuels. However, investigations on AD of tropical forestry wastes, such as albizia biomass and food wastes, such as taro, papaya, and sweet potato, are limited. In this study, these tropical biomass wastes were evaluated for biogas production by liquid AD (L-AD) and/or solid-state AD (SS-AD), depending on feedstock characteristics. When albizia leaves and chips were used as feedstocks, L-AD had greater methane yields (161 and 113 L kg(-1)VS, respectively) than SS-AD (156.8 and 59.6 L kg(-1)VS, respectively), while SS-AD achieved 5-fold higher volumetric methane productivity than L-AD. Mono-digestion and co-digestion of taro skin, taro flesh, papaya, and sweet potato achieved methane yields from 345 to 411 L kg(-1)VS, indicating the robustness of AD technology. PMID:25022835
Ge, Xumeng; Matsumoto, Tracie; Keith, Lisa; Li, Yebo
Single-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable waste: comparison of start-up, reactor stability and process performance.
Single-phase and two-phase digestion of fruit and vegetable waste were studied to compare reactor start-up, reactor stability and performance (methane yield, volatile solids reduction and energy yield). The single-phase reactor (SPR) was a conventional reactor operated at a low loading rate (maximum of 3.5 kgVS/m3 d), while the two-phase system consisted of an acidification reactor (TPAR) and a methanogenic reactor (TPMR). The TPAR was inoculated with methanogenic sludge similar to the SPR, but was operated with step-wise increase in the loading rate and with total recirculation of reactor solids to convert it into acidification sludge. Before each feeding, part of the sludge from TPAR was centrifuged, the centrifuge liquid (solubilized products) was fed to the TPMR and centrifuged solids were recycled back to the reactor. Single-phase digestion produced a methane yield of 0.45 m3 CH4/kg VS fed and VS removal of 83%. The TPAR shifted to acidification mode at an OLR of 10.0 kgVS/m3 d and then achieved stable performance at 7.0 kgVS/m3 d and pH 5.5-6.2, with very high substrate solubilization rate and a methane yield of 0.30 m3 CH4/kg COD fed. The two-phase process was capable of high VS reduction, but material and energy balance showed that the single-phase process was superior in terms of volumetric methane production and energy yield by 33%. The lower energy yield of the two-phase system was due to the loss of energy during hydrolysis in the TPAR and the deficit in methane production in the TPMR attributed to COD loss due to biomass synthesis and adsorption of hard COD onto the flocs. These results including the complicated operational procedure of the two-phase process and the economic factors suggested that the single-phase process could be the preferred system for FVW. PMID:24679584
Ganesh, Rangaraj; Torrijos, Michel; Sousbie, Philippe; Lugardon, Aurelien; Steyer, Jean Philippe; Delgenes, Jean Philippe
Production of nitrous oxide from anaerobic digester centrate and its use as a co-oxidant of biogas to enhance energy recovery.
Coupled Aerobic-anoxic Nitrous Decomposition Operation (CANDO) is a new process for wastewater treatment that removes nitrogen from wastewater and recovers energy from the nitrogen in three steps: (1) NH4(+) oxidation to NO2(-); (2) NO2(-) reduction to N2O gas; and (3) N2O conversion to N2 with energy production. In this work, we optimize Steps 1 and 2 for anaerobic digester centrate, and we evaluate Step 3 for a full-scale biogas-fed internal combustion engine. Using a continuous stirred reactor coupled to a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor, we observed sustained partial oxidation of NH4(+) to NO2(-) and sustained (3 months) partial reduction of NO2(-) to N2O (75-80% conversion, mass basis), with >95% nitrogen removal (Step 2). Alternating pulses of acetate and NO2(-) selected for Comamonas (38%), Ciceribacter (16%), and Clostridium (11%). Some species stored polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and coupled oxidation of PHB to reduction of NO2(-) to N2O. Some species also stored phosphorus as polyphosphate granules. Injections of N2O into a biogas-fed engine at flow rates simulating a full-scale system increased power output by 5.7-7.3%. The results underscore the need for more detailed assessment of bioreactor community ecology and justify pilot- and full-scale testing. PMID:24780056
Scherson, Yaniv D; Woo, Sung-Geun; Criddle, Craig S
Co-production of ethanol, biogas, protein fodder and natural fertilizer in organic farming--evaluation of a concept for a farm-scale biorefinery.
The addition of a biorefinery to an organic farm was investigated, where ethanol was produced from germinated rye grains and whey, and the effluent was separated into two streams: the protein-rich solid fraction, to be used as animal feed, and the liquid fraction, which can be co-digested with clover grass silage to produce biogas. A method for ethanol production from rye was applied by utilizing inherent amylase activity from germination of the seed. Biogas potential of ethanol fermentation effluent was measured through anaerobic digestion trials. The effluent from the trials was assumed to serve as natural fertilizer. A technoeconomic analysis was also performed; total capital investment was estimated to be approximately 4 M USD. Setting a methane selling price according to available incentives for "green electricity" (0.72 USD/m(3)) led to a minimum ethanol selling price of 1.89 USD/L (project lifetime 25 yr, at a discount rate 10%). PMID:22154299
Oleskowicz-Popiel, Piotr; Kádár, Zsófia; Heiske, Stefan; Klein-Marcuschamer, Daniel; Simmons, Blake A; Blanch, Harvey W; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye
Biomass-to-electricity: analysis and optimization of the complete pathway steam explosion--enzymatic hydrolysis--anaerobic digestion with ICE vs SOFC as biogas users.
The paper deals with the energy analysis and optimization of a complete biomass-to-electricity energy pathway, starting from raw biomass towards the production of renewable electricity. The first step (biomass-to-biogas) is based on a real pilot plant located in Environment Park S.p.A. (Torino, Italy) with three main steps ((1) impregnation; (2) steam explosion; (3) enzymatic hydrolysis), completed by a two-step anaerobic fermentation. In the second step (biogas-to-electricity), the paper considers two technologies: internal combustion engines and a stack of solid oxide fuel cells. First, the complete pathway has been modeled and validated through experimental data. After, the model has been used for an analysis and optimization of the complete thermo-chemical and biological process, with the objective function of maximization of the energy balance at minimum consumption. The comparison between ICE and SOFC shows the better performance of the integrated plants based on SOFC. PMID:22940353
Santarelli, M; Barra, S; Sagnelli, F; Zitella, P
Biogas and methane yield in response to co- and separate digestion of biomass wastes.
The impact of co-digestion as opposed to separate digestion, on biogas and methane yield (apparent synergetic effects) was investigated for three biomass materials (pig manure, cow manure and food waste) under mesophilic conditions over a 36 day period. In addition to the three biomass materials (digested separately), 13 biomass mixtures (co-digested) were used. Two approaches for modelling biogas and methane yield during co-digestion, based on volatile solids concentration and ultimate gas and methane potentials, were evaluated. The dependency of apparent synergetic effects on digestion time and biomass mixture composition was further assessed using measured cumulative biogas and methane yields and specific biogas and methane generation rates. Results indicated that it is possible, based on known volatile solids concentration and ultimate biogas or methane yields for a set of biomass materials digested separately, to accurately estimate gas yields for biomass mixtures made from these materials using calibrated models. For the biomass materials considered here, modelling indicated that the addition of pig manure is the main cause of synergetic effects. Co-digestion generally resulted in improved ultimate biogas and methane yields compared to separate digestion. Biogas and methane production was furthermore significantly higher early (0-7 days) and to some degree also late (above 20 days) in the digestion process during co-digestion. PMID:25492719
Adelard, Laetitia; Poulsen, Tjalfe G; Rakotoniaina, Volana
Integrated fuel performance and thermal-hydraulic sub-channel models for analysis of sodium fast reactors
Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR) show promise as an effective way to produce clean safe nuclear power while properly managing the fuel cycle. Accurate computer modeling is an important step in the design and eventual licensing ...
Fricano, Joseph William
Performance of one-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal in a biofilm reactor with low C/N ratio.
Wastewater with C/N ratios ranging from 1.00 to 0.33 caused by a gradual increase in influent [Formula: see text] concentration was used to evaluate the performance of the one-stage nitrogen removal process in a biofilm reactor. The system was operated for 197 days under chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 250?mg?L(-1) and influent [Formula: see text] concentrations ranging from 250 to 750?mg?L(-1). The effects of the C/N ratio and dissolved oxygen (DO) on nitrogen removal were evaluated at different influent C/N ratios and DO concentrations, respectively. The microbial composition of the system was examined by scanning electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and the relative contribution of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) to nitrogen removal was assessed by calculating the average rates of ANAMMOX and denitrification in batch experiments. Results showed that the removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (TN), [Formula: see text] and COD were 74-97%, 75-99% and 64-97%, respectively. The C/N ratio had a significant influence on nitrogen removal efficiency when it was decreased from 1.00 to 0.70, but no significant change was observed when it was reduced from 0.70 to 0.33. DO also correlated with the [Formula: see text] concentration in the influent, and 3.0?mg?L(-1) was found to be a suitable concentration for the influent [Formula: see text] concentration of 450?±?5?mg?L(-1). Analysis of microbial composition of the system revealed that biofilm and activated sludge were mainly composed of aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria, anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) and denitrifying bacteria. Activity tests suggested that AnAOB played an important role in the one-stage autot