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Anaerobic Co-digestion in a Pilot-Scale Periodic Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (PABR) and Composting of Animal By-Products and Whey

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Abstract

The combination of anaerobic digestion and composting is examined as an integrated valorization process of the livestock waste generated in rural areas. Both biogas and high quality compost may be produced by such a combined process. Six different kinds of waste (pig manure, cow manure, cattle manure, poultry manure, sheep manure and whey) were mixed considering the annual waste production of Metsovo region, Greece, in a representative way. The feed was subjected to a solids/liquid separation step. The bioreactor was operated in different phases with different organic loadings of the liquid fraction of the waste. During phase #1, the Periodic Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (PABR) was fed with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10.65 days, (an organic loading rate of 0.83 g-COD Lreactor−1 day−1) and the biogas production rate was 0.2 Lbiogas Lreactor−1 day−1. During phase #2, the organic loading rate was increased to 1.9 g-COD Lreactor−1 day−1. The biogas production rate was 0.41 Lbiogas Lreactor−1 day−1. During phase #3, the organic loading rate was increased to 2.69 g-COD Lreactor−1 day−1 by decreasing the HRT to 6 days, resulting in the kinetic limitation of the process. The biogas production rate increased to 0.68 Lbiogas Lreactor−1 day−1 with an average methane composition of 65%. The experimental results obtained were used as a basis for the development of an ADM1 model (Batstone et al. in Anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1). IWA Task Group for Mathematical Modelling of Anaerobic Digestion Processes Report no 1, vol 1(1), 2002) that was able to adequately simulate the operation of the bioreactor. The solid fraction of the pretreatment step was mixed with sawdust and fed to a closed-vessel composter. The highest temperature (56.2 °C) was reached in 2 days. The germination index (GI) of the compost produced was 77.8%, meaning that it was free of phytotoxic substances.

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Abbreviations

ADM1:

Anaerobic Digestion Model No 1

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

FAS:

Free air space

GI:

Germination index

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

IWA:

International water association

OLR:

Organic loading rate

PABR:

Periodic anaerobic baffled reactor

sCOD:

Soluble chemical oxygen demand

SRT:

Solid retention time

T:

Switching period

tCOD:

Total chemical oxygen demand

TOC:

Total organic carbon

TSS:

Total suspended solids

UASB:

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket

US EPA:

United States Environmental Protection Agency

VFAs:

Volatile fatty acids

VS:

Volatile solids

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

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Acknowledgements

This research has been financed by the project “Development of a multiparametric model for optimizing energy planning on mountainous areas”, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and implemented by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15780, Athens, Greece

    I. Michalopoulos, D. Mathioudakis, I. Premetis, S. Michalakidi, K. Papadopoulou & G. Lyberatos

  2. Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Stadiou Str, Platani, 26504, Patras, Greece

    G. Lyberatos

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  1. I. Michalopoulos
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  2. D. Mathioudakis
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  4. S. Michalakidi
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Correspondence to K. Papadopoulou.

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Michalopoulos, I., Mathioudakis, D., Premetis, I. et al. Anaerobic Co-digestion in a Pilot-Scale Periodic Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (PABR) and Composting of Animal By-Products and Whey. Waste Biomass Valor 10, 1469–1479 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-0155-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-017-0155-z

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