Methane production from sweet sorghum residues via a two-stage process.
The start-up of a two-stage reactor configuration for the anaerobic digestion of sweet sorghum residues was evaluated. The sweet sorghum residues were a waste stream originating from the alcoholic fermentation of sweet sorghum and the subsequent distillation step. This waste stream contained high concentration of solid matter (9% TS) and thus could be characterized as a semi-solid, not easily biodegradable wastewater with high COD (115 g/l). The application of the proposed two-stage configuration (consisting of one thermophilic hydrolyser and one mesophilic methaniser) achieved a methane production of 16 l/l wastewater under a hydraulic retention time of 19 d.
Stamatelatou
K
K
Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece.
Dravillas
K
K
Lyberatos
G
G
D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D045868:Sorghum
D008697:Methane