title: Modeling the anaerobic digestion of cane-molasses vinasse: extension of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) with sulfate reduction for a very high strength and sulfate rich wastewater.
abstract: This research presents the modeling of the anaerobic digestion of cane-molasses vinasse, hereby extending the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 with sulfate reduction for a very high strength and sulfate rich wastewater. Based on a sensitivity analysis, four parameters of the original ADM1 and all sulfate reduction parameters were calibrated. Although some deviations were observed between model predictions and experimental values, it was shown that sulfates, total aqueous sulfide, free sulfides, methane, carbon dioxide and sulfide in the gas phase, gas flow, propionic and acetic acids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and pH were accurately predicted during model validation. The model showed high (±10%) to medium (10%-30%) accuracy predictions with a mean absolute relative error ranging from 1% to 26%, and was able to predict failure of methanogenesis and sulfidogenesis when the sulfate loading rate increased. Therefore, the kinetic parameters and the model structure proposed in this work can be considered as valid for the sulfate reduction process in the anaerobic digestion of cane-molasses vinasse when sulfate and organic loading rates range from 0.36 to 1.57 kg [Formula: see text]  m(-3) d(-1) and from 7.66 to 12 kg COD m(-3) d(-1), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Study Center of Energy and Industrial Processes, Sancti Spiritus University, Ave de los Martires 360, 60100 Sancti Spiritus, Cuba; Research Group ENVOC, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: ernestol@uniss.edu.cu.
authors.forename: Ernesto L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Water Management, Section Sanitary Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.l.f.m.Spanjers@tudelft.nl.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spanjers
authors.affiliation: Division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation (IEA), Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: kimberly.solon@iea.lth.se.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Solon
authors.affiliation: BIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modeling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Youri.Amerlinck@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Youri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amerlinck
authors.affiliation: BIOMATH, Department of Mathematical Modeling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: ingmar.nopens@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Ingmar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nopens
authors.affiliation: Research Group ENVOC, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Jo.Dewulf@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dewulf
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019649:Food Industry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008965:Molasses; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D013431:Sulfates
keywords: ADM1; Mathematical modeling; Simulation; Sulfate reduction; Vinasse