Simulation of substrate degradation in composting of sewage sludge

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Waste Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2010.04.004· OSTI ID:21418127

Jun, Zhang ^[1]; Tongbin, Chen; Guodi, Zheng; Jun, Chen; Chuang, Ma; Songlin, Guo ^[1]; Wei, Du ^[2]

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1. Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing 100101 (China)
2. Beijing GreenTech Environmental Engineering Company, Beijing 100080 (China)

To simulate the substrate degradation kinetics of the composting process, this paper develops a mathematical model with a first-order reaction assumption and heat/mass balance equations. A pilot-scale composting test with a mixture of sewage sludge and wheat straw was conducted in an insulated reactor. The BVS (biodegradable volatile solids) degradation process, matrix mass, MC (moisture content), DM (dry matter) and VS (volatile solid) were simulated numerically by the model and experimental data. The numerical simulation offered a method for simulating k (the first-order rate constant) and estimating k{sub 20} (the first-order rate constant at 20 {sup o}C). After comparison with experimental values, the relative error of the simulation value of the mass of the compost at maturity was 0.22%, MC 2.9%, DM 4.9% and VS 5.2%, which mean that the simulation is a good fit. The k of sewage sludge was simulated, and k{sub 20}, k{sub 20s} (first-order rate coefficient of slow fraction of BVS at 20 {sup o}C) of the sewage sludge were estimated as 0.082 and 0.015 d{sup -1}, respectively.

• OSTI ID: 21418127
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Vol. 30, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2010.04.004; PII: S0956-053X(10)00212-6; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES
09 BIOMASS FUELS
BIODEGRADATION
BIOREACTORS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPOSTING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MASS BALANCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SOLID WASTES
STRAW
VOLATILE MATTER
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
EVALUATION
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATTER
NUMERICAL DATA
PROCESSING
SEWAGE
SIMULATION
SLUDGES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES