Three-reaction model for the anaerobic digestion of microalgae.
Coupling an anaerobic digester to a microalgal culture has received increasing attention as an alternative process for combined bioenergy production and depollution. In this article, a dynamic model for anaerobic digestion of microalgae is developed with the aim of improving the management of such a coupled system. This model describes the dynamics of inorganic nitrogen and volatile fatty acids since both can lead to inhibition and therefore process instability. Three reactions are considered: Two hydrolysis-acidogenesis steps in parallel for sugars/lipids and for proteins, followed by a methanogenesis step. The proposed model accurately reproduces experimental data for anaerobic digestion of the freshwater microalgae Chlorella vulgaris with an organic loading rate of 1 gCOD L(-1) d(-1). In particular, the three-reaction pathway allows to adequately represent the observed decoupling between biogas production and nitrogen release. The reduced complexity of this model makes it suitable for developing advanced, model-based control and monitoring strategies.
BIOCORE-INRIA, BP93, 06902 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France. francis.mairet@usm.cl
Francis
F
Mairet
Olivier
O
Bernard
Elliot
E
Cameron
Monique
M
Ras
Laurent
L
Lardon
Jean-Philippe
JP
Steyer
Benoît
B
Chachuat
D000641:Ammonia; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D056804:Biofuels; D019149:Bioreactors; D048408:Chlorella vulgaris / Q000378:metabolism*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008697:Methane; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological
D056804:Biofuels; D000641:Ammonia; D008697:Methane