Investigation of factors influencing biogas production in a large-scale thermophilic municipal biogas plant

Abstract

A continuously operated, thermophilic, municipal biogas plant was observed over 26 months (sampling twice per month) in regard to a number of physicochemical parameters and the biogas production. Biogas yields were put in correlation to parameters such as the volatile fatty acid concentration, the pH and the ammonium concentration. When the residing microbiota was classified via analysis of the 16S rRNA genes, most bacterial sequences matched with unidentified or uncultured bacteria from similar habitats. Of the archaeal sequences, 78.4% were identified as belonging to the genus Methanoculleus, which has not previously been reported for biogas plants, but is known to efficiently use H(2) and CO(2) produced by the degradation of fatty acids by syntrophic microorganisms. In order to further investigate the influence of varied amounts of ammonia (2-8 g/L) and volatile fatty acids on biogas production and composition (methane/CO(2)), laboratory scale satellite experiments were performed in parallel to the technical plant. Finally, ammonia stripping of the process water of the technical plant was accomplished, a measure through which the ammonia entering the biogas reactor via the mash could be nearly halved, which increased the energy output of the biogas plant by almost 20%.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Hydrogenotrophic, Methanogenic Archaeon Methanoculleus bourgensis Strain MS2 T , Isolated from a Sewage Sludge Digester

“…Moreover, Methanoculleus bourgensis was identified in production-scale biogas plants fed with maize silage and manure (4,7,10). Other studies reported that M. bourgensis seems to be well adapted in biogas communities encountering high salt and ammonium concentrations (5,16,17).…”

Microbiological processes for waste conversion to bioenergy products: Approaches and directions

“…Syntrophy is important in the degradation of sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids. (This diagram was created using information derived from Schink 1997;Karakashev et al 2006;Bohn et al 2007;Liu and Whitman 2008;Lozano et al 2009;Sousa et al 2009;Weiss et al 2009. ) Although much is known about the basic metabolism and chemical kinetics of anaerobic digestion, much less is known about the actual microbes responsible for these processes (Weiland 2010).…”

Producción de metano a partir de desechos orgánicos generados en el Tecnológico de Costa Rica

“…Las bacterias metanogénicas constituyen el último eslabón de la cadena de microorganismos encargados de digerir la materia orgánica y devolver al medio los elementos básicos para reiniciar el ciclo, ya que estas bacterias tienen la capacidad de convertir el ácido acético en metano y dióxido de carbono (Weiss et al, 2009, Sosa et al, 1999Hilbert, 1998, Antoni et al, 2007.…”