Methane energy from municipal solid wastes and potential indices of anearobic digestion process performance

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5869092

Wong, D Y

Anaerobic digestion has gained recognition as a viable method of energy recovery from, as well as treatment of waste organic matter. Although the process itself has been used by man since the turn of the century, much of the basic principles governing this biological phenomenon remain undiscovered. This research sought to add to the scientific knowledge and understanding of the anaerobic digestion process. The energy potential recoverable by anaerobic digestion from the digestible fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW) was studied. In an applied approach, process parameters, such as organic loading rate and retention time, were manipulated and waste nutrient materials, such as sewage sludge and cattle manures, were added to result in an optimal operational and environmental condition under which maximal digestion and methane production occurred. A method for rapid assessment of digestion process health or performance was sought. Control and stressed sewage sludge digestion conditions were compared for differences in the rates of metabolic turnover of the lower fatty acids, acetate, propionate and n-butyrate, and in Coenzyme M levels in the digestion supernatant. Rapid changes in the fatty acid turnover rates in response to operational stress applied to digesting sludge were detected using radiolabelled fatty acids. The turnover of butyrate appeared to be highly sensitive to microbiological digestion performance and may be useful as a rapid indicator of process instability.

• OSTI ID: 5869092
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
METHANE
BIOSYNTHESIS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
SEWAGE SLUDGE
ACETATES
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATTLE
MANURES
MEASURING METHODS
METABOLISM
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
SOLID WASTES
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALKANES
ANIMALS
BIOCONVERSION
DIGESTION
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
MAMMALS
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
PROCESSING
REACTION KINETICS
RUMINANTS
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
SYNTHESIS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
090122* - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)
140504 - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)