Methane production by anaerobic digestion of Bermuda grass

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6313096

Klass, D L; Ghosh, S

Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is one of the high-yield warm-season grasses that has been suggested as a promising raw material for conversion to methane. Experimental work performed with laboratory digesters to study the anaerobic digestion of Coastal Bermuda grass harvested in Louisiana and having a C/N ratio of 24 is described. Methane yields of about 1.9 SCF/lb of volatile solids( VS) added were observed under conventional mesophilic high-rate conditions. When supplemental nitrogen additions were made, the yields increased up to 3.5 SCF/lb of VS added indicating that the nitrogen content of the grass examined was insufficient to sustain high-rate digestion at the higher yield level. Thermophilic digestion with supplemental nitrogen additions afforded methane yields of about 2.7 SCF/lb VS added. Carbon and energy balances were calculated and the relative biodegradabilities of the organics were estimated.

• OSTI ID: 6313096
• Report Number(s): CONF-790415-13
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
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ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBON
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DIGESTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY BALANCE
FLUIDS
GRASS
HYDROCARBONS
LOUISIANA
MANAGEMENT
MESOPHILIC CONDITIONS
METHANE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANTS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTIVITY
SOUTHWEST REGION
SYNTHESIS
THERMOPHILIC CONDITIONS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YIELDS