Anaerobic fermentation of beef cattle manure. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6534518· OSTI ID:6534518

Hashimoto, A G; Chen, Y R; Varel, V H

The research to convert livestock manure and crop residues into methane and a high protein feed ingredient by thermophilic anaerobic fermentation are summarized. The major biological and operational factors involved in methanogenesis were discussed, and a kinetic model that describes the fermentation process was presented. Substrate biodegradability, fermentation temperature, and influent substrate concentration were shown to have significant effects on CH/sub 4/ production rate. The kinetic model predicted methane production rates of existing pilot and full-scale fermentation systems to within 15%. The highest methane production rate achieved by the fermenter was 4.7 L CH/sub 4//L fermenter day. This is the highest rate reported in the literature and about 4 times higher than other pilot or full-scale systems fermenting livestock manures. Assessment of the energy requirements for anaerobic fermentation systems showed that the major energy requirement for a thermophilic system was for maintaining the fermenter temperature. The next major energy consumption was due to the mixing of the influent slurry and fermenter liquor. An approach to optimizing anaerobic fermenter designs by selecting design criteria that maximize the net energy production per unit cost was presented. Based on the results, we believe that the economics of anaerobic fermentation is sufficiently favorable for farm-scale demonstration of this technology.

• Research Organization: Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE (USA). Meat Animal Research Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6534518
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-98372-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
ANIMAL FEEDS
ANIMAL FOODS
ANIMALS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CATTLE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COST
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
DIGESTION
DISPERSIONS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMENTATION
FLUIDS
FOOD
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
KINETICS
MAMMALS
MANAGEMENT
MANURES
METHANE
MIXTURES
NUMERICAL DATA
OPERATION
OPTIMIZATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
PERFORMANCE
PILOT PLANTS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTIVITY
PROTEINS
RECOVERY
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RUMINANTS
SLURRIES
SOLID WASTES
SUSPENSIONS
SYNTHESIS
THEORETICAL DATA
THERMOPHILIC CONDITIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES