Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Steep Liquor in Pilot Scale Biogas Plant with Automatic Control System with Simultaneous Hydrogen and Methane Production

Abstract

Experimental studies of two-phase anaerobic digestion of corn steep liquor in semi-continuous automatic and semi-automatic modes of operation of a cascade of two anaerobic bioreactors with monitoring and control systems were performed. Corn steep liquor—a waste product from the process of treating corn grain for starch extraction—was used as a substrate in the process of anaerobic digestion with simultaneous hydrogen and methane production. The daily yields of biohydrogen in bioreactor 1 of the cascade (with a working volume of 8 dm3) are variable. In good operation, they are in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 L of biogas from a 1 dm3 working volume of the bioreactor, and the optimal pH is in the range of 5.0–5.5. The concentration of hydrogen in the biogas from the hydrogen bioreactor 1 is in the range of 14–34.7%. The daily yields of biomethane in bioreactor 2 of the cascade (with a working volume of 80 dm3) vary in the range 0.4 to 0.85 l of biogas from a 1 dm3 working volume of the bioreactor, and the concentration of methane in the biogas from bioreactor 2 is high and remains practically constant (in the range 65–69%). At a dilution rate of 0.4 day−1 and an organic loading rate of 20 gL for bioreactor 1, respectively, and a dilution rate of 0.05 day−1 for bioreactor 2, the best results were obtained. The computer control system is presented. Some energetical considerations were discussed.

Metagenomic Analysis of Bacterial, Archaeal and Fungal Diversity in Two-Stage Anaerobic Biodegradation for Production of Hydrogen and Methane from Corn Steep Liquor

“…CSL (ADM ® Corn Steep Liquor 104) from the manufacturer ADM Razgrad EAD, Razgrad, Bulgaria [ 18 ] was used as a raw material for feeding the first bioreactor. The main characteristics of the feed material are presented in Table 1 .…”

Biological Hydrogen Methanation with Carbon Dioxide Utilization: Methanation Acting as Mediator in the Hydrogen Economy

“…However, experience is vast, and the technology has been perfectly developed with several large-scale digesters treating sewage sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), manures in livestock farms, or a mixture of different wastes and agronomic substrates in centralized units. Efforts are still being made to increase the conversion efficiency, as it is temperature-phased digestion systems, high-rate configuration reactors, high-solid digestion, and the enhancement of methanogenesis by adding supplements such as nano-additive, adsorbents, or carbon conductive materials [87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94].…”

Metaheuristic Algorithms to Optimal Parameters Estimation of a Model of Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Steep Liquor

“…The two-stage anaerobic digestion process of corn steep liquor for sequential production of H 2 and CH 4 is carried out in two separate bioreactors [2]. During the first stage, relatively fast-growing acidogenic microorganisms engaged in the production of volatile fatty acids and H 2 are cultivated in the hydrogenic bioreactor BR 1 .…”

“…In the AD process, microorganisms decompose biomass in the absence of oxygen. Through AD, food and animal wastes are recycled to produce hydrogen gas which can be subsequently converted into biogas (methane) [2,3].…”

“…CSL has been used recently as a substrate for AD [2]. An experimental study of two-stage anaerobic biodegradation of corn extract has been performed with mesophilic temperatures in both bioreactors.…”