title: New approach to control the methanogenic reactor of a two-phase anaerobic digestion system.
abstract: A new control strategy for the methanogenic reactor of a two-phase anaerobic digestion system has been developed and successfully tested on the laboratory scale. The control strategy serves the purpose to detect inhibitory effects and to achieve good conversion. The concept is based on the idea that volatile fatty acids (VFA) can be measured in the influent of the methanogenic reactor by means of titration. Thus, information on the output (methane production) and input of the methanogenic reactor is available, and a (carbon) mass balance can be obtained. The control algorithm comprises a proportional/integral structure with the ratio of (a) the methane production rate measured online and (b) a maximum methane production rate expected (derived from the stoichiometry) as a control variable. The manipulated variable is the volumetric feed rate. Results are shown for an experiment with VFA (feed) concentration ramps and for experiments with sodium chloride as inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Technische Chemie, ETH Zürich, Universitatstrasse 6 Hönggerberg HCI, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Sachs
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rys
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feitkenhauer
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology*; D019149:Bioreactors; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D008697:Methane