Enhancement of methane production in the anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6299669

The effect of powdered activated carbon and other additives on digester performance is evaluated in this report. The objectives of the project include optimizing the carbon addition process for maximum methane production, identifying ancillary benefits, establishing design criteria for application at full-scale facilities, assessing technical and economic feasibility, and estimating the impact of the technology on a nationwide basis. These objectives are being accomplished through a series of bench-scale experiments, pilot plant studies, and field demonstrations. Results indicate that the actual feasibility of carbon addition will depend largely on the individual circumstances at sewage treatment plants. Application of the carbon addition technique would produce beneficial effects only at those sites where digesters are operating poorly. The effect of carbon on sludge handling and transport costs, as well as on methane production, must be included in any feasibility study. It seems apparent that carbon addition should be considered at facilities where digesters are stressed, and implementation may be desirable in some cases. Due to rising natural gas and chemical prices, the economics of carbon addition may become much more attractive during the next few years.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-76CS20300
• OSTI ID: 6299669
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/20300-1; ON: DE81027246
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
ACTIVATED CARBON
ADDITIVES
ADSORBENTS
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
BUTYRIC ACID
CARBON
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA
DIGESTION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
GAS YIELDS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OPTIMIZATION
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
QUANTITY RATIO
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SYNTHESIS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YIELDS