A review on the potential use of flammable gases from sewage systems as a source of energy

Abstract

The demand for natural resources has increased exponentially due to the consistent growth of the global population and urbanization. This has resulted to considerable environmental challenges that are potentially affecting the global sustainable development goals. Therefore, it is important to develop sustainable strategies to manage urban wastes as well as produce and utilize energy. Flammable gases being generated from the sewage systems can be a prospective renewable resource of energy. However, existing studies suggest that the potential of sewage gas utilization for energy production has not been explored effectively. This paper focuses on identifying key design elements of sewage systems in an Anaerobic Digester (AD) to optimize the process of conversion of human waste into energy source. The paper uses a kinetic model to describe the fermentation process and thus evaluating the effect of key parameters on biogas (specifically methane) gases production in an anaerobic digester environment.