Optimization of Biogas Production in Dry Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Manure by the Use of Alkalinity Index to Monitor a Prototype Cylindrical Digester

Ondiba Hesborn Andole^1, , Zhongfang Lei², Zhenya Zhang², James Raude³ and Christopher Kanali³

¹Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

²Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

³School of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya

Cite this paper:
Ondiba Hesborn Andole, Zhongfang Lei, Zhenya Zhang, James Raude and Christopher Kanali. Optimization of Biogas Production in Dry Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Manure by the Use of Alkalinity Index to Monitor a Prototype Cylindrical Digester. Sustainable Energy. 2017; 5(1):32-37. doi: 10.12691/rse-5-1-5

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the best alternative sustainable technologies for energy production and recovery from organic solid wastes. Up to now dry AD has been commercialized in the treatment of municipal solid wastes. Little information could be found on the practical application of dry AD to manure wastes or waste activated sludge. This study aimed at testing the feasibility of using alkalinity to manage dry AD system for swine manure treatment and clarify its effect on the stability and efficiency of the newly-developed prototype cylindrical digester system. A prototype cylindrical digester with a diameter of 40 mm and a volume of 1.3 liters was designed and fabricated. It was operated under mesophilic conditions (38C). The alkalinity of manure was increased by 3000 g/L (R₁) and 6000 g/L (R₂) by adding sodium bicarbonate with the raw swine manure as the control (R₀). Results showed that R₁ and R₂ maintained a relatively higher level of alkalinity during the whole operation compared to the control (R₀). Only one peak appeared in biogas production for the control reactor (R₀) which almost ceased on day 12, whereas R₁ and R₂ exhibited two biogas peaks. The 30 days’ biogas yield for R₂ was 276.6 ml/g-VS_added while R₁ was 204.8 ml/g-VS_added which corresponds to an increase by 2.7- and 1.7- fold respectively as compared to the control (R₀). 2.2- and 4.1-fold increase in methane production was achieved in R₁ and R₂ respectively as compared to R₀. This difference is most probably attributable to the high alkalinity in R₁ and R₂ that stabilized the digestion process and minimized the influence of pH variations on methanogenesis.

Keywords:
alkalinity dry anaerobic digestion prototype cylindrical digester swine manure

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