Structured modeling of the anaerobic digestion of biomass particulates.
Anaerobic digestion of biological organic particulates to methane has been described by a structured mathematical model based on multiple-reaction stoichiometry, conventional material balances, and liquid phase equilibrium chemistry. A general stoichiometric treatment for any set of multiple biological reactions is derived based on a unit mass of oxggen equivalents of the reactions limiting substrate. The model agrees well with two existing experimental studies of anaerobic digestion of biomass particulates. Hypothetical computer simulations are presented to illustrate possible instabilities of the anaerobic process under various operating scenarios.
Swiss Federal Institute for Water Resources and Water Pollution Control (EAWAG), Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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Bryers