title: Enhancing the functional and economical efficiency of a novel combined thermo chemical disperser disintegration of waste activated sludge for biogas production.
abstract: In this investigation, an effort was made to pretreat surplus waste activated sludge (WAS) inexpensively by a novel combined process involving thermo chemical disperser pretreatment. This pretreatment was found to be efficient at a specific energy (SE) consumption of 3360.94 kJ/kg TS, with the chemical oxygen demand (COD) solubilization of 20%. This was comparatively higher than thermo chemically treated sludge where the solubilization was found to be 15.5% at a specific energy consumption of 10,330 kJ/kg TS respectively. Higher production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) (675 mg/L) in anaerobic fermentation of pretreated WAS indicates better hydrolysis performance. The biogas production potential of sludge pretreated through this combined technique was found to be 0.455 (L/gVS) and comparatively higher than thermo chemically pretreated sludge. Economic investigation provides 90% net energy savings in this combined pretreatment. Therefore, this combined process was considered to be potentially effective and economical in sludge disintegration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Centre of Anna University, Tirunelveli, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kavitha
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Centre of Anna University, Tirunelveli, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jayashree
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Centre of Anna University, Tirunelveli, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adish Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Thiruparankundram, Madurai, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaliappan
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Centre of Anna University, Tirunelveli, India. Electronic address: rajeshces@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajesh Banu
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004735:Energy Transfer; D007194:India; D008697:Methane / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics; D062065:Wastewater / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D008697:Methane; D012722:Sewage; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Anaerobic biodegradability; Disperser; Specific energy; Thermo chemical treatment; Waste activated sludge (WAS)