title: Effect of substrate pretreatment on particle size distribution in a full-scale research biogas plant.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the pretreatment effects of high-fibre substrate on particle size distribution in a full-scale agricultural biogas plant (BGP). Two digesters, one fed with pretreated material and one with untreated material, were investigated for a period of 90days. Samples from different positions and heights were taken with a special probe sampling system and put through a wet sieve. The results show that on average 58.0±8.6% of the particles in both digesters are fine fraction (<0.063mm). A higher amount of particles (13.1%) with a length >4mm was measured in the untreated digester. However, the volume distribution over all positions and heights did not show a clear and uniform distribution of particles. These results reveal that substrate pretreatment has an effect on particle size in the fermenting substrate, but due to the uneven distribution mixing, is not homogeneous within the digester.
authors.affiliation: University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart 70599, Germany. Electronic address: hajo.naegele@uni-hohenheim.de.
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Naegele
authors.affiliation: University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart 70599, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.moench-tegeder@uni-hohenheim.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mönch-Tegeder
authors.affiliation: University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart 70599, Germany. Electronic address: nicola.haag@uni-hohenheim.de.
authors.forename: Nicola Leonard
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.affiliation: University of Hohenheim, State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart 70599, Germany. Electronic address: oechsner@uni-hohenheim.de.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oechsner
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000382:microbiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D008372:Manure; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012996:Solutions; C036909:lignocellulose; D008031:Lignin
keywords: Biogas; Full-scale; Mixing quality; Particle size distribution; Pretreatment