title: Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and dairy manure: effects of food waste particle size and organic loading rate.
abstract: This study was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of food waste particle size on co-digestion of food waste and dairy manure at organic loading rates increased stepwise from 0.67 to 3 g/L/d of volatile solids (VS). Three anaerobic digesters were fed semi-continuously with equal VS amounts of food waste and dairy manure. Food waste was ground to 2.5 mm (fine), 4 mm (medium), and 8 mm (coarse) for the three digesters, respectively. Methane production rate and specific methane yield were significantly higher in the digester with fine food waste. Digestate dewaterability was improved significantly by reducing food waste particle size. Specific methane yield was highest at the organic loading rate of 2g VS/L/d, being 0.63, 0.56, and 0.47 L CH4/g VS with fine, medium, and coarse food waste, respectively. Methane production rate was highest (1.40-1.53 L CH4/L/d) at the organic loading rate of 3 g VS/L/d. The energy used to grind food waste was minor compared with the heating value of the methane produced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, 402 Baker Lab, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Fred O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Agyeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, 402 Baker Lab, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. Electronic address: wtao@esf.edu.
authors.forename: Wendong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D003612:Dairying; D005502:Food; D008372:Manure; D010316:Particle Size; D018505:Waste Management
chemical_list: D008372:Manure
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Dairy manure; Dewaterability; Food waste; Mechanical pretreatment; Organic loading rate