• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.46-54
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• 2015

In this study, an applicability of thermal pretreatment for primary and secondary sludge, which are generated in a sewage treatment plant, was evaluated. The efficiency and charateristics was investigated with each sludge after pretreatment under the condition of $100{\sim}220^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. As the result, it was found that $SCOD_{Cr}$, $NH_4{^+}$, VFAs concentrations increased as the pre-treatment temperature increased. For COD solubilization, it was also highly dependent on an increase of temperature resulting in acceleration on hydrolysis and acid fermentation. In the BMP (Biochemical Methane Potential) experiment, for the primary sludge, it showed the higher biogas production rate at a temperature of $220^{\circ}C$, however, the effect was insignificant (5.6%). Whereas, for the secondary sludge, the increase on biogass production rate was 38.8% ($180^{\circ}C$) and this means that the secondary sludge is more suitable for an applicability of thermal pretreatment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2017

MET (Microbial Electrochemical Technology), such as MFC (Microbial Fuel Cell) and MEC (Microbial Electrolysis Cell), is a promising technology for producing sustainable biogas from an anaerobic digester (AD). At current stage, however, the most likely limiting factors, large internal resistances, should be overcome for successful scale up of this technology. Various researchers reported that application of electrode materials containing high current density, increase of ion strength and conductivity, configuration of electrode are good methods for minimizing internal resistances. Recently, stainless steel is receiving great attention because of not only high performance and durability but also low cost. Therefore, in this study, we evaluate electrochemical characteristics and biogas production rate using various electrode materials and configuration (graphite carbon coated with catalysts ($GC-C_M$) or not (GC), stainless steel mesh (SUS-M) and plate (SUS-P)). As the results, current densities of $GC-C_M$, GC, SUS-P, SUS-M were 2.03, 1.36, 1.04, $1.13A/m^2$, respectively. Methane yields of $GC-C_M$, GC, SUS-P, SUS-M were 0.27, 0.14, 0.19, 0.21 $L-CH_4/g-COD_{rem}$., respectively. Stainless steel shows high current density and methane yield, which are similar as graphite carbon coated with catalysts.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.594-598
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• 2012

In the present study, biogas was produced from the anaerobic digestion of marine macroalgae (Laminaria japonica) biomass. The optimal anaerobic condition for producing the sludge was the freeze treatment at $-70^{\circ}C$ for 20 min. Total amounts of hydrogen and methane gas produced were 667.28 mL/L and 3420.24 mL/L, respectively, which were 2.7 and 3.4 times greater than that in the control group. Freeze treatment of sludge produced the maximum biogas under an initial optimum pH of 7.0 and the maximum biomass at an initial optimum pH of 8.0. We confirmed that biogas production was greatly reduced under acidic conditions compared to that under alkaline conditions. Sludge was freeze treated, and the biomass and sludge production was optimal the total amounts of hydrogen and methane gas produced were 643.73 mL/L and 4291.6 mL/L, respectively, which were 2.6 and 4.3 times greater than in the control group. Also the results showed that under optimal conditions in a 5-L bioreactor, a maximum of 1605.03 mL/L of hydrogen and 4593.71 mL/L of methane gas could be produced by the substrate contained in the marine macroalgae biomass.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.122-127
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• 2013

The hypochlorite ion ($OCl^-$) is a widely used disinfecting agent in pig rearing in Korea, but its residual effect on $CH_4$ production from pig slurry is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibition effects of residual $OCl^-$ on $CH_4$ production during the initial anaerobic digestion stage of pig slurry. Three organic concentrations (9.9, 26.2 and 43.7 g/L) of volatile solids (VS) were tested with the addition of 52.3 mg/L $OCl^-$, ten times of the typical concentration used in Korea, or without $OCl^-$ (Control) in anaerobic batch culture. The culture was run under mesophilic ($38^{\circ}C$) conditions for 20 d. At the lowest organic concentration with $OCl^-$, the VS degradation was 10.3% lower (p<0.05) than Control, while at the higher organic concentration with $OCl^-$, it did not differ from Control. $CH_4$ yields were higher in the control treatments than their $OCl^-$ counterpart cultures, and $CH_4$ yields of Control and $OCl^-$ treatments at the organic concentrations of 9.9, 26.2 and 43.7 g/L differed in the probability level (p) of 0.31, 0.04, and 0.06, respectively. Additionally, $CH_4$ concentration increased steeply and reached 70.0% within 4 d in the absence $OCl^-$, but a gradual increase up to 60.0% was observed in 6 d in the $OCl^-$ treated cultures. The $R_m$ (the maximum specific $CH_4$ production rate) and ${\lambda}$ (lag phase time) of 9.9 g/L with $OCl^-$ were 8.1 ml/d and 25.6 d, while the $R_m$ was increased to 15.1 ml/d, and ${\lambda}$ was reduced to 11.4 d in PS-III (higher organic concentration) with $OCl^-$. The results suggest that a prolonged fermentation time was necessary for the methanogens to overcome the initial $OCl^-$ inhibitory effect, and an anaerobic reactor operated with high organic loadings was more advantageous to mitigate the inhibitory effect of residual hypochlorite ion.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biodegradability and performance of organic removal and methane production rate when treating piggery wastewater using a pilot scale two-phase anaerobic system operated up to a volumetric rate of $10m^3/day$. The pilot scale two-phase anaerobic process is consisted of a continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor (CFSTR) for the acidification phase and an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor (UASB) for the methanogenesis. The acidogenic reactor played key roles in reducing the periodically applied shock-loading and in the acidification of the influent organics. The acidogenic CFSTR was operated at organic loading rates (OLR) between 1.8 and $14.4kgCOD/m^3{\cdot}day$, and the UASB reactor was operated between 0.5 and $5.6kgCOD/m^3{\cdot}day$. A stable maximum biogas production rate was $81m^3/day$ and the methane conversion rate of the organic matter varied from 0.30 to $0.42L\;CH_4/g\;COD_{removed}$(0.40) at hydraulic retention time (HRT) above 3.5days. The methane contents ranged from 73 to 82% during the experimental period. It is known that most of the removed organic matter was converted to methane gas, and the produced biogas might be high quality for its subsequent use.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.98-105
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• 2007

The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that enhanced anaerobic digestion could be achieved by adopting ultrasonic cavitation pretreatment on the basis of the biogas production and to compare the simulation results of ADM1 (Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1) with results of the experimentally operated digester the ultrasonic pretreatment of sewage sludge showed the hindered effect on the dewaterbility and the increase of SCOD production. In this study, four sets of lab-scale anaerobic digester were operated with untreated(control), 30 min, 60 min and 90 min ultrasonic pretreated sludge. TCOD removal efficiencies in digesters of control, 30, 60, 90 min sonicated sludge were 31.9%, 37.9, 38.5% and42.2%, and 75 removal were 15.9%, 20.8%, 21.5%, 24.1% respectively. Also more biogas was produced gradually with the increased sludge loading and the pretreatment time. Overall the simulation results had a correspondence tendency with the experimental efficiencies.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.366-376
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• 2014

Purpose: In the process of anaerobic digestion, stirring of the digester and feeding of organic waste into the digester have been considered important factors for digestive efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine the most appropriate conditions for both stirring interval of the digester and organic feeding frequency in order to improve anaerobic digestion performance. Methods: A 5-L anaerobic digester was used to conduct continuous batch tests to process swine manure and food waste. Four different stirring intervals of the digester were used: 5 min/h, 10 min/2 h, 15 min/3 h, and 20 min/4 h. Results: The application of swine manure to the digester every 5 min/h resulted in the highest production of biogas as well as the highest removal rates of volatile solids (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand. Stirring the digester with a mixture of swine manure and food waste at intervals of 5min/h and 10min/2 h produced the highest biogas yields of 515.3 mL/gVS and 521.1 mL/gVS, respectively. To test different supply frequencies, organic waste was added to the digester in either a 12-hor 24-h cycle. The 24-h cycle produced 1.5-fold greater biogas production than that during the 12-h cycle. Conclusions: Thus, from the above results, to optimize anaerobic digestion performance, the ideal stirring condition must be 5min/h for swine manure feeding and 10min/2h for co-digestion of food waste and swine manure in a 24-h cycle.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2012

In this study, we operated a UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactor by using foodwaste leachate as a raw material with the method of Mesophilic Digestion ($35{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$) and Thermophilic Digestion ($55{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$). During 20 days of operating time with the Mesophilic Digestion, the recirculation ratio of effluent was stepwisely changed in every five days. Thermophilic Digestion was carried out at the same condition for Mesophilic Digestion. Results showed that the organic removal efficiency of Mesophilic Digestion was over 90% and the yield of methane production was from 66 up to 70%. The organic removal efficiency of Thermophilic Digestion was over 80% and the yield of methane production was between 62 to 68%. Also, when UASB reactor was operating to over the 3Q effluent recirculation, the experiment could be carried out economically and stably.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2014

The leachate recirculation anaerobic digestion system has the advantage of stable methane gas generation compared with existing one phase systems. In this study, an anaerobic digestion system fed with source separated food waste from school cafeteria was studied with different food waste/inoculum anaerobic sludge volume ratios (8:2, 3:7, 2:8). From this study, leachate recirculation anaerobic reactor with food waste/inoculum anaerobic sludge volume ratio of 2:8 that is 9 gVS/L of OLR(Organic Loading Rate) had the highest gas production. Also this anaerobic reactor showed daily decrease of H2S and NH3 contents in produced gas. Average biogas yield was 1.395 m3 Biogas/kg VS added. Other anaerobic reactors with food waste/inoculum anaerobic sludge volume ratio of 8:2 and 3:7 stopped methane gas production.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2005

Anaerobic decomposition is one of the most common processes in nature and has been extensively used in waste and wastewater treatment for several centuries. New applications and system modifications continue to be adapted making the process either more effective, less expensive, or suited to the particular waste in question and the operation to which it is to be applied. Animal manure is a highly biodegradable organic material and will naturally undergo anaerobic fermentation, resulting in release of noxious odors, such as in manure storage pits. Depending on the presence or absence of oxygen in the manure, biological treatment process may be either aerobic or anaerobic. Under anaerobic conditions, bacteria carry on fermentative metabolisms to break down the complex organic substances into simpler organic acids and then convert them to ultimately formed methane and carbon dioxide. Anaerobic biological systems for animal manure treatment include anaerobic lagoons and anaerobic digesters. Methane and carbon dioxide are the principal end products of controlled anaerobic digestion. These two gases are collectively called biogas. The biogas contains $60\~70\%$ methane and can be used directly as a fuel for heating or electrical power generation. Trace amounts of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide ($100\~300\;ppm$) are always present in the biogas stream. Anaerobic lagoons have found widespread application in the treatment of animal manure because of their low initial costs, ease of operation and convenience of loading by gravity flow from the animal buildings. The main disadvantage is the release of odors from the open surfaces of the lagoons, especially during the spring warm-up or if the lagoons are overloaded. However, if the lagoons are covered and gases are collected, the odor problems can be solved and the methane collected can be used as a fuel. Anaerobic digesters are air-tight, enclosed vessels and are used to digest manure in a well-controlled environment, thus resulting in higher digestion rates and smaller space requirements than anaerobic lagoons. Anaerobic digesters are usually heated and mixed to maximize treatment efficiency and biogas production. The objective of this work was to review a current anaerobic biological treatment of animal manure for effective new technologies in the future.