title: Optimizing anaerobic digestion by selection of the immobilizing surface for enhanced methane production.
abstract: Maximizing methane production while maintaining an appreciable level of process stability is a crucial challenge in the anaerobic digestion industry. In this study, the role of six parameters: the type of immobilizing supports, loading rate, inoculum levels, C:N ratio, trace nutrients concentrations and mixing rate, on methane production were investigated under thermophilic conditions (55 ± 1°C) with synthetic substrate medium. The immobilizing supports were Silica gel, Sand, Molecular Sieve and Dowex Marathon beads. A Taguchi Design of Experiment (DOE) methodology was employed to determine the effects of different parameters using an L(16) orthogonal array. Overall, immobilizing supports influenced methane production substantially (contributing 61.3% of the observed variation in methane yield) followed by loading rate and inoculum which had comparable influence (17.9% and 17.7% respectively). Optimization improved methane production by 153% (from 183 to 463 ml CH(4)l(-1)d(-1)).
authors: Department of Water and Environmental Management, University of Bristol, UK.
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Adu-Gyamfi
authors: Sreenivas Rao
authors: SR
authors: Ravella
authors: Phil J
authors: PJ
authors: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000737:chemistry; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013499:Surface Properties; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D056804:Biofuels; D008697:Methane