title: Process performance of high-solids batch anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge.
abstract: The characteristics of high-solids anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge were investigated by comparison with conventional low-solids processes. A series of batch experiments were conducted under mesophilic condition and the initial solid contents were controlled at four levels of 1.79%, 4.47%, 10.28% and 15.67%. During these experiments, biogas production, organic degradation and intermediate products were monitored. The results verified that high-solids batch AD of sewage sludge was feasible. Compared with the low-solids AD with solid contents of 1.79% or 4.47%, the high-solids processes decreased the specific biogas yield per gram of sludge volatile solids slightly, achieved the same organic degradation rate of about 40% within extended degradation time, but increased the volumetric biogas production rate and the treatment capability of digesters significantly. The blocked mass and energy transfer, the low substrate to inoculum rate and the excessive cumulative free ammonia were the main factors impacting the performance of high-solids batch AD.
authors.affiliation: a Shenzhen Environmental Microbial Application and Risk Control Key laboratory , Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055 , Peoples' Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaocong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yingchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chenchen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D012722:Sewage; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: anaerobic digestion; biogas; sewage sludge