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Ling Chan H, Xu H, Zhou Y. External ceramic membrane contactor for in-situ H 2 assisted biogas upgrading. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 406:130981. [PMID: 38879053 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Biological H2-assisted biogas upgrading has gained significant attention as an environmentally friendly substitute to common physico-chemical upgrading techniques, but is largely limited by the low solubility of H2. This study evaluated the design of a ceramic membrane contactor module for H2 injection. H2 dissolution was maintained at high efficiency by controlling gas supply and sludge recirculation rate, achieving a biogas quality of average 98.8% CH4 during the stable operation phase with a 108% increase in the CH4 production rate. This also outperforms conventional H2 injection using diffuser sparging which could only achieve a biogas quality of 84% CH4 content. Microbial community analysis found high Methanobacterium spp. abundance within the archaea at 95.2% at the end of the operation, allowing the dominance of the hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis pathway for high upgrading efficiencies. The system is a high-performance external membrane connector module coupled to common anaerobic digestion systems for biogas upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ling Chan
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore
| | - Hui Xu
- Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 637141, Singapore
| | - Yan Zhou
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.
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2
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Baransi-Karkaby K, Yanuka-Golub K, Hassanin M, Massalha N, Sabbah I. In-situ biological biogas upgrading using upflow anaerobic polyfoam bioreactor: Operational and biological aspects. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024. [PMID: 39036861 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
A high rate upflow anaerobic polyfoam-based bioreactor (UAPB) was developed for lab-scale in-situ biogas upgrading by H2 injection. The reactor, with a volume of 440 mL, was fed with synthetic wastewater at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.5 g COD/L·day and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7.33 h. The use of a porous diffuser, alongside high gas recirculation, led to a higher H2 liquid mass transfer, and subsequently to a better uptake for high CH4 content of 56% (starting from 26%). Our attempts to optimize both operational parameters (H2 flow rate and gas recirculation ratio, which is the total flow rate of recirculated gas over the total outlet of gas flow rate) were not initially successful, however, at a very high recirculation ratio (32) and flow rate (54 mL/h), a significant improvement of the hydrogen consumption was achieved. These operational conditions have in turn driven the methanogenic community toward the dominance of Methanosaetaceae, which out-competed Methanosarcinaceae. Nevertheless, highly stable methane production rates of 1.4-1.9 L CH4/Lreactor.day were observed despite the methanogenic turnover. During the different applied operational conditions, the bacterial community was especially impacted, resulting in substantial shifts of taxonomic groups. Notably, Aeromonadaceae was the only bacterial group positively correlated with increasing hydrogen consumption rates. The capacity of Aeromonadaceae to extracellularly donate electrons suggests that direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) enhanced biogas upgrading. Overall, the proposed innovative biological in-situ biogas upgrading technology using the UAPB configuration shows promising results for stable, simple, and effective biological biogas upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Baransi-Karkaby
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, Israel
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Keren Yanuka-Golub
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, Israel
| | - Mahdi Hassanin
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, Israel
| | - Nedal Massalha
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, Israel
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Isam Sabbah
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, Shefa-Amr, Israel
- Prof. Ephraim Katzir Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Braude College of Engineering, Karmiel, Israel
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3
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Hoffstadt K, Nikolausz M, Krafft S, Bonatelli ML, Kumar V, Harms H, Kuperjans I. Optimization of the Ex Situ Biomethanation of Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide in a Novel Meandering Plug Flow Reactor: Start-Up Phase and Flexible Operation. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:165. [PMID: 38391651 PMCID: PMC10886298 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11020165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
With the increasing use of renewable energy resources for the power grid, the need for long-term storage technologies, such as power-to-gas systems, is growing. Biomethanation provides the opportunity to store energy in the form of the natural gas-equivalent biomethane. This study investigates a novel plug flow reactor that employs a helical static mixer for the biological methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In tests, the reactor achieved an average methane production rate of 2.5 LCH4LR∗d (methane production [LCH4] per liter of reactor volume [LR] per day [d]) with a maximum methane content of 94%. It demonstrated good flexibilization properties, as repeated 12 h downtimes did not negatively impact the process. The genera Methanothermobacter and Methanobacterium were predominant during the initial phase, along with volatile organic acid-producing, hydrogenotrophic, and proteolytic bacteria. The average ratio of volatile organic acid to total inorganic carbon increased to 0.52 ± 0.04, while the pH remained stable at an average of pH 8.1 ± 0.25 from day 32 to 98, spanning stable and flexible operation modes. This study contributes to the development of efficient flexible biological methanation systems for sustainable energy storage and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hoffstadt
- Institute NOWUM-Energy, University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Juelich, Germany
| | - Marcell Nikolausz
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Krafft
- Institute NOWUM-Energy, University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Juelich, Germany
| | - Maria Letícia Bonatelli
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vivekanantha Kumar
- Institute NOWUM-Energy, University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Juelich, Germany
| | - Hauke Harms
- Department of Applied Microbial Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabel Kuperjans
- Institute NOWUM-Energy, University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Juelich, Germany
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4
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Thapa A, Jo H, Han U, Cho SK. Ex-situ biomethanation for CO 2 valorization: State of the art, recent advances, challenges, and future prospective. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108218. [PMID: 37481094 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Ex-situ biomethanation is an emerging technology that facilitates the use of surplus renewable electricity and valorizes carbon dioxide (CO2) for biomethane production by hydrogenotrophic methanogens. This review offers an up-to-date overview of the current state of ex-situ biomethanation and thoroughly analyzes key operational parameters affecting hydrogen (H2) gas-liquid mass transfer and biomethanation performance, along with an in-depth discussion of the technical challenges. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review article to discuss microbial community structure in liquid and biofilm phases and their responses after exposure to H2 starvation during ex-situ biomethanation. In addition, future research in areas such as reactor configuration and optimization of operational parameters for improving the H2 mass transfer rate, inhibiting opportunistic homoacetogens, integration of membrane technology, and use of conductive packing material is recommended to overcome challenges and improve the efficiency of ex-situ biomethanation. Furthermore, this review presents a techno-economic analysis for the future development and facilitation of industrial implementation. The insights presented in this review will offer useful information to identify state-of-the-art research trends and realize the full potential of this emerging technology for CO2 utilization and biomethane production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Thapa
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University, 32 Dongguk-ro, IIsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongmok Jo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University, 32 Dongguk-ro, IIsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Uijeong Han
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University, 32 Dongguk-ro, IIsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Kyung Cho
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Dongguk University, 32 Dongguk-ro, IIsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Yaashikaa PR, Senthil Kumar P, Saravanan A, Karishma S, Rangasamy G. A biotechnological roadmap for decarbonization systems combined into bioenergy production: Prelude of environmental life-cycle assessment. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 329:138670. [PMID: 37054843 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Decarbonization has become a critical issue in recent years due to rising energy demands and diminishing oil resources. Decarbonization systems based on biotechnology have proven to be a cost-effective and environmentally benign technique of lowering carbon emissions. Bioenergy generation is an environmentally friendly technique for mitigating climate change in the energy industry, and it is predicted to play an important role in lowering global carbon emissions. This review essentially provides a new perspective on the unique biotechnological approaches and strategies based decarbonization pathways. Furthermore, the application of genetically engineered microbes in CO2 biomitigation and energy generation is particularly emphasized. The production of biohydrogen and biomethane via anaerobic digestion techniques has been highlighted in the perspective. In this review, role of microorganisms in bioconversion of CO2 into different types of bioproducts such as biochemical, biopolymers, biosolvents and biosurfactant was summarized. The current analysis, which includes an in-depth discussion of a biotechnology-based roadmap for the bioeconomy, provides a clear picture of sustainability, forthcoming challenges, and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Yaashikaa
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - P Senthil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India; Centre of Excellence in Water Research (CEWAR), Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, 603110, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - A Saravanan
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - S Karishma
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - Gayathri Rangasamy
- School of Engineering, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon; University Centre for Research and Development & Department of Civil Engineering, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, 140413, India
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6
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Hu Z, Hu S, Hong PY, Zhang X, Prodanovic V, Zhang K, Ye L, Deletic A, Yuan Z, Zheng M. Impact of electrochemically generated iron on the performance of an anaerobic wastewater treatment process. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 875:162628. [PMID: 36889383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater has the advantages of lower biomass yield, lower energy demand and higher energy recover over the conventional aerobic treatment process. However, the anaerobic process has the inherent issues of excessive phosphate and sulfide in effluent and superfluous H2S and CO2 in biogas. An electrochemical method allowing for in-situ generation of Fe2+ in the anode and hydroxide ion (OH-) and H2 in the cathode was proposed to overcome the challenges simultaneously. The effect of electrochemically generated iron (e‑iron) on the performance of anaerobic wastewater treatment process was explored with four different dosages in this work. The results showed that compared to control, the experimental system displayed an increase of 13.4-28.4 % in COD removal efficiency, 12.0-21.3 % in CH4 production rate, 79.8-98.5 % in dissolved sulfide reduction, 26.0-96.0 % in phosphate removal efficiency, depending on the e‑iron dosage between 40 and 200 mg Fe/L. Dosing of the e‑iron significantly upgraded the quality of produced biogas, showing a much lower CO2 and H2S contents in biogas in experimental reactor than that in control reactor. The results thus demonstrated that e‑iron can significantly improve the performance of anaerobic wastewater treatment process, bringing multiple benefits with the increase of its dosage regarding effluent and biogas quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhetai Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, SA 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xueqin Zhang
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Veljko Prodanovic
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Kefeng Zhang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Liu Ye
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ana Deletic
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zheng
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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7
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Ale Enriquez F, Ahring BK. Strategies to overcome mass transfer limitations of hydrogen during anaerobic gaseous fermentations: A comprehensive review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 377:128948. [PMID: 36963702 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Fermentation of gaseous substrates such as carbon dioxide (CO2) has emerged as a sustainable approach for transforming greenhouse gas emissions into renewable fuels and biochemicals. CO2 fermentations are catalyzed by hydrogenotrophic methanogens and homoacetogens, these anaerobic microorganisms selectively reduce CO2 using hydrogen (H2) as electron donor. However, H2 possesses low solubility in liquid media leading to slow mass transport, limiting the reaction rates of CO2 reduction. Solving the problems of mass transport of H2 could boost the advance of technologies for valorizing industrial CO2-rich streams, like biogas or syngas. The application could further be extended to combustion flue gases or even atmospheric CO2. In this work, an overview of strategies for overcoming H2 mass transport limitations during methanogenic and acetogenic fermentation of H2 and CO2 is presented. The potential for using these strategies in future full-scale facilities and the knowledge gaps for these applications are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuad Ale Enriquez
- Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, Richland, WA 99354, USA; The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Birgitte K Ahring
- Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, Richland, WA 99354, USA; The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; Biological Systems Engineering Department, L.J. Smith Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
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8
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Dong H, Cheng J, Yue L, Xia R, Chen Z, Zhou J. Perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions as hydrogen carriers to promote the biological conversion of hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane. J CO2 UTIL 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2023.102445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
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9
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Tauber J, Möstl D, Vierheilig J, Saracevic E, Svardal K, Krampe J. Biological Methanation in an Anaerobic Biofilm Reactor—Trace Element and Mineral Requirements for Stable Operation. Processes (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/pr11041013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological methanation of carbon dioxide using hydrogen makes it possible to improve the methane and energy content of biogas produced from sewage sludge and organic residuals and to reach the requirements for injection into the natural gas network. Biofilm reactors, so-called trickling bed reactors, offer a relatively simple, energy-efficient, and reliable technique for upgrading biogas via ex-situ methanation. A mesophilic lab-scale biofilm reactor was operated continuously for nine months to upgrade biogas from anaerobic sewage sludge digestion to a methane content >98%. To supply essential trace elements to the biomass, a stock solution was fed to the trickling liquid. Besides standard parameters and gas quality, concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, and Fe were measured in the liquid and the biofilm using ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) to examine the biofilms load-dependent uptake rate and to calculate quantities required for a stable operation. Additionally, microbial community dynamics were monitored by amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA gene). It was found that all investigated (trace) elements are taken up by the biomass. Some are absorbed depending on the load, others independently of it. For example, a biomass-specific uptake of 0.13 mg·g−1·d−1 for Ni and up to 50 mg·g−1·d−1 for Mg were measured.
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10
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Deschamps L, Lemaire J, Imatoukene N, Lopez M, Theoleyre MA. Evaluation of Gas-to-Liquid Transfer with Ceramic Membrane Sparger for H 2 and CO 2 Fermentation. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:1220. [PMID: 36557128 PMCID: PMC9783551 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12121220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen and carbon dioxide fermentation to methane, called bio-methanation, is a promising way to provide renewable and easy-to-store energy. The main challenge of bio-methanation is the low gas-to-liquid transfer of hydrogen. Gas injection through a porous membrane can be used to obtain microbubbles and high gas-to-liquid transfer. However, the understanding of bubble formation using a membrane in the fermentation broth is still missing. This study focused on the impact of liquid pressure and flow rate in the membrane, gas flow rate, membrane hydrophobicity, surface, and pore size on the overall gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient (KLa) for hydrogen with gas injection through a porous membrane in real fermentation conditions. It has been shown that KLa increased by 13% with an increase in liquid pressure from 0.5 bar to 1.5 bar. The use of a hydrophilic membrane increased the KLa by 17% compared to the hydrophobic membrane. The membrane with a pore size of 0.1 µm produced a higher KLa value compared to 50 and 300 kDa. The liquid crossflow velocity did not impact the KLa in the studied range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Deschamps
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Julien Lemaire
- Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Centre Européen de Biotechnologie et de Bioéconomie (CEBB), 3 rue des Rouges Terres, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Nabila Imatoukene
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Michel Lopez
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France
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11
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Ngu V, Fletcher DF, Kavanagh JM, Rafrafi Y, Dumas C, Morchain J, Cockx A. H2 mass transfer – a key factor for efficient biological methanation: Comparison between pilot-scale experimental data, 1D and CFD models. Chem Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2022.118382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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12
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Biological Aspects, Advancements and Techno-Economical Evaluation of Biological Methanation for the Recycling and Valorization of CO2. ENERGIES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/en15114064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, sustainable and renewable energy production is a global priority. Over the past decade, several Power-to-X (PtX) technologies have been proposed to store and convert the surplus of renewable energies into chemical bonds of chemicals produced by different processes. CO2 is a major contributor to climate change, yet it is also an undervalued source of carbon that could be recycled and represents an opportunity to generate renewable energy. In this context, PtX technologies would allow for CO2 valorization into renewable fuels while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With this work we want to provide an up-to-date overview of biomethanation as a PtX technology by considering the biological aspects and the main parameters affecting its application and scalability at an industrial level. Particular attention will be paid to the concept of CO2-streams valorization and to the integration of the process with renewable energies. Aspects related to new promising technologies such as in situ, ex situ, hybrid biomethanation and the concept of underground methanation will be discussed, also in connection with recent application cases. Furthermore, the technical and economic feasibility will be critically analyzed to highlight current options and limitations for implementing a sustainable process.
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13
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Ghofrani-Isfahani P, Tsapekos P, Peprah M, Kougias P, Zervas A, Zhu X, Yang Z, Jacobsen CS, Angelidaki I. Ex-situ biogas upgrading in thermophilic trickle bed reactors packed with micro-porous packing materials. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 296:133987. [PMID: 35176296 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Two thermophilic trickle bed reactors (TBRs) were packed with different packing densities with polyurethane foam (PUF) and their performance under different retention times were evaluated during ex-situ biogas upgrading process. The results showed that the TBR more tightly packed i.e. containing more layers of PUF achieved higher H2 utilization efficiency (>99%) and thus, higher methane content (>95%) in the output gas. The tightly packed micro-porous PUF enhanced biofilm immobilization, gas-liquid mass transfer and biomethanation efficiency. Moreover, applying a continuous high-rate nutrient trickling could lead to liquid overflow resulting in formation of non-homogenous biofilm and severe deduction of biomethanation efficiency. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the liquid media were predominated by hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Moreover, members of Peptococcaceae family and uncultured members of Clostridia class were identified as the most abundant species in the biofilm. The proliferation of hydrogenotrophic methanogens together with syntrophic bacteria showed that H2 addition resulted in altering the microbial community in biogas upgrading process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Ghofrani-Isfahani
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Tsapekos
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Maria Peprah
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Kougias
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Dimitra, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece
| | - Athanasios Zervas
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Xinyu Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Ziyi Yang
- Biomass Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Center, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
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14
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Model application to a lab-scale thermophilic hydrogenotrophic methanation system. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.108228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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15
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Zhao J, Li Y, Dong R. Recent progress towards in-situ biogas upgrading technologies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 800:149667. [PMID: 34426339 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Yu Li
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Qinghuadonglu No.17, 100083 Beijing, China.
| | - Renjie Dong
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Qinghuadonglu No.17, 100083 Beijing, China.
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16
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Li Y, Ni J, Cheng H, Zhu A, Guo G, Qin Y, Li YY. Methanogenic performance and microbial community during thermophilic digestion of food waste and sewage sludge in a high-solid anaerobic membrane bioreactor. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 342:125938. [PMID: 34547708 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The methanogenic performance and microbial community of the thermophilic anaerobic mono-digestion and co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge in a high-solid membrane bioreactor were investigated by a continuous experiment. The methane recovery rate of the system reached 98.0% and 89.0% when the substrate was pure food waste and 25% sewage sludge substitution, respectively. Kinetics characterization showed that hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step in both mono-digestion and co-digestion while methanogenic performance and microbial community were significantly affected by feed condition. The dominant archaea for methane generation shifted from Methanothermobacter thermophilus (72.82%) to Methanosarcina thermophila (96.25%) with sewage sludge gradually added from 0% to 100% in the substrate. The relationships between digestion performance, such as the accumulation of soluble proteins in the reactor, and functional microbial groups were also carefully analyzed. Finally, reasonable metabolic pathways for mono-digestion and co-digestion were summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yemei Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Jialing Ni
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-07 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Hui Cheng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Aijun Zhu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Guangze Guo
- Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-6-20 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yu Qin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yu-You Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-6-20 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
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17
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Ghofrani-Isfahani P, Tsapekos P, Peprah M, Kougias P, Zhu X, Kovalovszki A, Zervas A, Zha X, Jacobsen CS, Angelidaki I. Ex-situ biogas upgrading in thermophilic up-flow reactors: The effect of different gas diffusers and gas retention times. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 340:125694. [PMID: 34352646 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Four different types of ceramic gas distributors (Al2O3 of 1.2 μm and SiC of 0.5, 7 and 14 μm) were evaluated to increase biomethane formation during ex-situ biogas upgrading process. Each type of gas diffuser was tested independently at three different gas retention times of 10, 5 and 2.5 h, at thermophilic conditions. CH4 production rate increased by increasing input gas flow rate for all type of distributors, whereas CH4 concentration declined. Reactors equipped with SiC gas distributors effectively improved biomethane content fulfilling natural gas standards. Microbial analysis showed high abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens and proliferated syntrophic bacteria, i.e. syntrophic acetate oxidizers and homoacetogens, confirming the effect of H2 to alternate anaerobic digestion microbiome and enhance hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. A detailed anaerobic bioconversion model was adapted to simulate the operation of the R1-R4 reactors. The model was shown to be effective for the simulation of biogas upgrading process in up-flow reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Ghofrani-Isfahani
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Tsapekos
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Maria Peprah
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis Kougias
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Demeter, Thermi-Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Xinyu Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Adam Kovalovszki
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Athanasios Zervas
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
| | - Xiao Zha
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Carsten S Jacobsen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
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18
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Energetic Potential for Biological Methanation in Anaerobic Sewage Sludge Digesters in Austria. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14206618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Biological methanation as a method of sector coupling between electric and gas grids is expected to be an integral part of the green energy change. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) involving anaerobic digestion (AD) allow existing infrastructure to operate as energy conversion plants, to close carbon cycles and to generate long-term storable energy in the form of biomethane. Therefore, municipal raw sludge and additional organic residuals (co-substrates) are converted into biogas. Hydrogen is added to convert the carbon dioxide in the biogas into methane via biological methanation (BM). In this study, the energy amount that is convertible via BM in municipal digesters in Austria was calculated. The amount of energy, which can be transformed from electric surplus energy into biomethane, was assessed. Operational data from lab-scale digesters were combined with data from 28 Austrian full-scale wastewater treatment plants with AD. They represent 9.2 Mio population equivalents (PE), or 68% of Austria’s municipal AD capacity for WWTPs > 50,000 PE (in sum, 13.6 Mio PE). Energy flows for BM including water electrolysis and anaerobic digestion were created on a countrywide basis. It was found that 2.9–4.4% (220–327 GWh·y−1) of Austria’s yearly renewable electricity production (7470 GWh·y−1) can be transformed into biomethane via BM in municipal digesters.
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19
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Deschamps L, Imatoukene N, Lemaire J, Mounkaila M, Filali R, Lopez M, Theoleyre MA. In-situ biogas upgrading by bio-methanation with an innovative membrane bioreactor combining sludge filtration and H 2 injection. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 337:125444. [PMID: 34175771 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A bioreactor using membrane technologies was used to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ bio-methanation coupled to industrial wastewater treatment for biogas upgrading. High biogas productivity (1.7 Nm3Biogas/m3Bioreactor/day) with high CH4 content (97.9%) was reached. In-situ bio-methanation did not affect the COD removal efficiency of anerobic digestion (>94%). Process resilience has been tested for both substrate overload and H2 intermittence injection. Recovery of high CH4 content after 7 days without H2 injection occurred within few hours. Influence of microbial community has been studied showing that both hydrogenotrophic and homoacetogenic-acetoclastic pathways were involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Deschamps
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France.
| | - Nabila Imatoukene
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Julien Lemaire
- Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Centre Européen de Biotechnologie et de Bioéconomie (CEBB), 3 rue des Rouges Terres, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Mahamadou Mounkaila
- Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Centre Européen de Biotechnologie et de Bioéconomie (CEBB), 3 rue des Rouges Terres, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Rayen Filali
- Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Centre Européen de Biotechnologie et de Bioéconomie (CEBB), 3 rue des Rouges Terres, 51110 Pomacle, France
| | - Michel Lopez
- URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France
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20
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Ahmmed MS, Jensen MB, Kofoed MVW, Ottosen LDM, Batstone DJ. Hydrodynamic analysis of full-scale in-situ biogas upgrading in manure digesters. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 203:117528. [PMID: 34399247 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The addition of hydrogen to anaerobic digesters is an emerging technique for the sustainable upgrading of biogas to biomethane with renewable electricity. However, it is critically dependent on the effective gas-liquid transfer of hydrogen, which is a sparingly soluble gas. Very little is known about the impact of liquid and gas flow and bubble size on gas-liquid transfer during H2 injection in full-scale anaerobic digesters. A computational fluid dynamic model was developed using a two-fluid approach for non-Newtonian liquid in the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform, OpenFOAM. The newly developed model was validated against published experimental data-sets of a gas-mixed, laboratory-scale anaerobic digester, with good agreement between the numerical and experimental velocity fields. The hydrodynamics of the full-scale in-situ biomethanation system using venturi ejectors for H2 injection was then simulated to investigate gas-liquid dynamics, including gas-liquid mass transfer, at different operational conditions. Gas-liquid mixing is mainly controlled by the gas-plumes interaction, which promotes turbulence at the interaction zone, resulting in increasing gas bubbles mixing with the liquid and the gas-liquid interfacial area. However, beyond the plume interaction zone, the digester had flow short-circuiting and inactive zones. It was found that, due to this short-circuiting behaviour, an increase in gas flow-rate may not be an effective option in reducing inactive zones, although it can increase the gas-liquid interfacial area. Comparative analysis of the impact of gas flow and bubble size indicated that gas flow had a linear effect on both kLa and gas holdup, but that bubble size had a non-linear impact, with higher kLa values achieved at bubble sizes less than 2 mm. Comparison against measured data in the same system indicated the predicted kLa values were at the same level as measured kLa, at a bubble size of 2 mm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shakil Ahmmed
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Australia.
| | - Mads Borgbjerg Jensen
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangovej 2, Aarhus N DK-8200, Denmark.
| | - Michael V W Kofoed
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangovej 2, Aarhus N DK-8200, Denmark.
| | - Lars D M Ottosen
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangovej 2, Aarhus N DK-8200, Denmark.
| | - Damien J Batstone
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Australia.
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21
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Miehle M, Hackbarth M, Gescher J, Horn H, Hille-Reichel A. Biological biogas upgrading in a membrane biofilm reactor with and without organic carbon source. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 335:125287. [PMID: 34034065 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biogas upgrading is a necessary step to minimize the CO2 of raw biogas and to make it suitable for gas liquefaction or introduction into the national gas grid. Biomethanation is a promising approach since it converts the CO2 to more methane on site, while taking advantage of the organisms responsible for biogas production in the first place. This study investigates the suitability of a pseudo-dead-end membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) for ex-situ biogas upgrading using biogas as sole carbon source as well as for additional acetoclastic methanation when an organic carbon source is provided. Results prove that the concept of MBfR is especially advantageous for ex-situ hydrogenotrophic methanation of biogas CO2, yielding high product gas qualities of up to 99% methane. It is discussed that cross-flow membrane operation could reduce mass flux of inert methane through membranes, attached biofilms, and reactor liquid, and, thus, improve methanation space time yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Miehle
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
| | - Max Hackbarth
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany; DVGW Research Centre at Engler-Bunte-Institut of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Water Chemistry, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
| | - Johannes Gescher
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Biology (IAB), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
| | - Harald Horn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany; DVGW Research Centre at Engler-Bunte-Institut of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Water Chemistry, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
| | - Andrea Hille-Reichel
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany.
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22
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Wahid R, Horn SJ. Impact of operational conditions on methane yield and microbial community composition during biological methanation in in situ and hybrid reactor systems. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:170. [PMID: 34416924 PMCID: PMC8379887 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-02019-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biogas can be upgraded to methane biologically by adding H2 to biogas reactors. The process is called biological methanation (BM) and can be done in situ in a regular biogas reactor or the biogas can be transferred to a separate ex situ upgrading reactor. The hybrid BM concept, a combination of in situ and ex situ BM, has received little attention, and only a few studies have been reported. The hybrid BM has the advantage of resolving the issue of pH increment during in situ BM, while the size of the ex situ BM reactor could be reduced. RESULTS In this study, the efficiency of in situ and hybrid biological methanation (BM) for upgrading raw biogas was investigated. The hybrid BM system achieved a CH4 yield of 257 mL gVS-1 when degrading a feedstock blend of manure and cheese waste. This represented an increase in methane yield of 76% when compared to the control reactor with no H2 addition. A 2:1 H2:CO2 ratio resulted in stable reactor performance, while a 4:1 ratio resulted in a high accumulation of volatile fatty acids. H2 consumption rate was improved when a low manure-cheese waste ratio (90%:10%) was applied. Furthermore, feeding less frequently (every 48 h) resulted in a higher CH4 production from CO2 and H2. Methanothermobacter was found to dominate the archaeal community in the in situ BM reactor, and its relative abundance increased over the experimental time. Methanosarcina abundance was negatively affected by H2 addition and was nearly non-existent at the end of the experiment. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that hybrid BM outperforms in situ BM in terms of total CH4 production and content of CH4 in the biogas. In comparison to in situ BM, the use of hybrid BM increased CH4 yield by up to 42%. Furthermore, addition of H2 at 2:1 H2:CO2 ratio in in situ BM resulted in stable reactor operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radziah Wahid
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Svein Jarle Horn
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
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23
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Díaz I, Díaz-Curbelo A, Ignacio Matute K, Fdz-Polanco M, Pérez-Elvira SI. Influence of the operating conditions of the intermediate thermal hydrolysis on the energetic efficiency of the sludge treatment process. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 333:125114. [PMID: 33894446 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The application of steam explosion between two stages of anaerobic digestion may improve energy recovery from sludge while increasing organic matter removal. The influence of the operating conditions of the thermal process: temperature (130-210 °C), retention time (5-45 min) and TS concentration (5.4-10.8%), on the efficiency of VS removal, the biochemical methane potential of hydrolysed sludge and the kinetic constant of the degradation were evaluated using a Taguchi design. Increasing temperature and time increased the removal of VS and the potential of methane production but the kinetic constant was higher at lower temperatures. An optimal operating scheme was found at 170 °C (6 barg), 25 min at the greatest TS concentration in the feeding. Under such conditions, the thermal energy obtained from biogas combustion in a CHP covered the requirements for vapour generation and a profit of 3.54 € m-3 of sludge was estimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Díaz
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alina Díaz-Curbelo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Kevin Ignacio Matute
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - María Fdz-Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sara Isabel Pérez-Elvira
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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24
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Lai CY, Zhou L, Yuan Z, Guo J. Hydrogen-driven microbial biogas upgrading: Advances, challenges and solutions. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 197:117120. [PMID: 33862393 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As a clean and renewable energy, biogas is an important alternative to fossil fuels. However, the high carbon dioxide (CO2) content in biogas limits its value as a fuel. 'Biogas upgrading' is an advanced process which removes CO2 from biogas, thereby converting biogas to biomethane, which has a higher commercial value. Microbial technologies offer a sustainable and cost-effective way to upgrade biogas, removing CO2 using hydrogen (H2) as electron donor, generated by surplus electricity from renewable wind or solar energy. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens can be applied to convert CO2 with H2 to methane (CH4), or alternatively, homoacetogens can convert both CO2 and H2 into value-added chemicals. Here, we comprehensively review the current state of biogas generation and utilization, and describe the advances in biological, H2-dependent biogas upgrading technologies, with particular attention to key challenges associated with the processes, e.g., metabolic limitations, low H2 transfer rate, and finite CO2 conversion rate. We also highlight several new strategies for overcoming technical barriers to achieve efficient CO2 conversion, including process optimization to eliminate metabolic limitation, novel reactor designs to improve H2 transfer rate and utilization efficiency, and employing advanced genetic engineering tools to generate more efficient microorganisms. The insights offered in this review will promote further exploration into microbial, H2-driven biogas upgrading, towards addressing the global energy crisis and climate change associated with use of fossil fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yu Lai
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Linjie Zhou
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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25
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Okoro‐Shekwaga CK, Ross A, Camargo‐Valero MA. Enhancing bioenergy production from food waste by in situ biomethanation: Effect of the hydrogen injection point. Food Energy Secur 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Kusin Okoro‐Shekwaga
- BioResource Systems Research Group School of Civil Engineering University of Leeds Leeds UK
- Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering Federal University of Technology Minna Nigeria
| | - Andrew Ross
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Miller Alonso Camargo‐Valero
- BioResource Systems Research Group School of Civil Engineering University of Leeds Leeds UK
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Campus La Nubia Manizales Colombia
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26
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Pratofiorito G, Hackbarth M, Mandel C, Madlanga S, West S, Horn H, Hille-Reichel A. A membrane biofilm reactor for hydrogenotrophic methanation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 321:124444. [PMID: 33285505 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biomethanation of CO2 has been proven to be a feasible way to produce methane with the employment of H2 as electron source. Subject of the present study is a custom-made membrane biofilm reactor for hydrogenotrophic methanation by archaeal biofilms cultivated on membrane surfaces. Reactor layout was adapted to allow for in situ biofilm analysis via optical coherence tomography. At a feeding ratio of H2/CO2 of 3.6, and despite the low membrane surface to reactor volume ratio of 57.9 m2 m-3, the maximum methane production per reactor volume reached up to 1.17 Nm3 m-3 d-1 at a methane content of the produced gas above 97% (v/v). These results demonstrate that the concept of membrane bound biofilms enables improved mass transfer by delivering substrate gases directly to the biofilm, thus, rendering the bottleneck of low solubility of hydrogen in water less drastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Pratofiorito
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Max Hackbarth
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; DVGW Research Centre at Engler-Bunte-Institut of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Water Chemistry, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Carmen Mandel
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Siyavuya Madlanga
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; DVGW Research Centre at Engler-Bunte-Institut of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Water Chemistry, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Stephanie West
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Harald Horn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; DVGW Research Centre at Engler-Bunte-Institut of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Water Chemistry, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Andrea Hille-Reichel
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9a, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
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27
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Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Second Cheese Whey: Microbial Community Response to H2 Addition in a Partially Immobilized Anaerobic Hybrid Reactor. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated thermophilic (55 °C) anaerobic digestion (AD) performance and microbial community structure, before and after hydrogen addition, in a novel hybrid gas-stirred tank reactor (GSTR) implemented with a partial immobilization of the microbial community and fed with second cheese whey (SCW). The results showed that H2 addition led to a 25% increase in the methane production rate and to a decrease of 13% in the CH4 concentration as compared with the control. The recovery of methane content (56%) was reached by decreasing the H2 flow rate. The microbial community investigations were performed on effluent (EF) and on interstitial matrix (IM) inside the immobilized area. Before H2 addition, the Anaerobaculaceae (42%) and Lachnospiraceae (27%) families dominated among bacteria in the effluent, and the Thermodesulfobiaceae (32%) and Lachnospiraceae (30%) families dominated in the interstitial matrix. After H2 addition, microbial abundance showed an increase in the bacteria and archaea communities in the interstitial matrix. The Thermodesulfobiaceae family (29%)remained dominant in the interstitial matrix, suggesting its crucial role in the immobilized community and the SHA-31 family was enriched in both the effluent (36%) and the interstitial matrix (15%). The predominance of archaea Methanothermobacter thermoautrophicus indicated that CH4 was produced almost exclusively by the hydrogenotrophic pathway.
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Dahl Jønson B, Ujarak Sieborg M, Tahir Ashraf M, Yde L, Shin J, Shin SG, Mi Triolo J. Direct inoculation of a biotrickling filter for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 318:124098. [PMID: 32947139 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogenotrophic biomethanation in a biotrickling filter has been reported to be a proven technology for biological biogas upgrading in recent studies. However, the preparation of enriched hydrogenotrophic methanogens in a separate reactor prior to biomethanation in a trickled bed is a lengthy procedure and therefore hard to apply on an industrial scale. This study explored the direct inoculation of anaerobic biogas digestate for simultaneous enrichment of hydrogenotrophic methanogens and biofilm immobilisation in a trickled bed system. The direct inoculation and formation of hydrogenotrophic biofilm was successful and resulted in a stable H2 loading rate of 11 [Formula: see text] , with the highest specific methane productivity recorded at 3.03 Nm3mR-3d-1 and a purity of 98% CH4 in thermophilic conditions. The DNA analysis confirmed that hydrogenotrophic methanogens dominated the archaeal consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dahl Jønson
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DK-5230, Denmark; Nature Energy A/S, Odense DK-5220, Denmark
| | - Mads Ujarak Sieborg
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DK-5230, Denmark
| | - Muhammad Tahir Ashraf
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DK-5230, Denmark
| | - Lars Yde
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DK-5230, Denmark
| | - Juhee Shin
- Department of Energy Engineering, Future Convergence Technology Research Institute, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju, Gyeongnam 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Gu Shin
- Department of Energy Engineering, Future Convergence Technology Research Institute, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju, Gyeongnam 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Mi Triolo
- Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense DK-5230, Denmark.
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Temperature and Inoculum Origin Influence the Performance of Ex-Situ Biological Hydrogen Methanation. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25235665. [PMID: 33271799 PMCID: PMC7730501 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion of H2 into methane can be carried out by microorganisms in a process so-called biomethanation. In ex-situ biomethanation H2 and CO2 gas are exogenous to the system. One of the main limitations of the biomethanation process is the low gas-liquid transfer rate and solubility of H2 which are strongly influenced by the temperature. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens that are responsible for the biomethanation reaction are also very sensitive to temperature variations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of temperature on batch biomethanation process in mixed culture. The performances of mesophilic and thermophilic inocula were assessed at 4 temperatures (24, 35, 55 and 65 °C). A negative impact of the low temperature (24 °C) was observed on microbial kinetics. Although methane production rate was higher at 55 and 65 °C (respectively 290 ± 55 and 309 ± 109 mL CH4/L.day for the mesophilic inoculum) than at 24 and 35 °C (respectively 156 ± 41 and 253 ± 51 mL CH4/L.day), the instability of the system substantially increased, likely because of a strong dominance of only Methanothermobacter species. Considering the maximal methane production rates and their stability all along the experiments, an optimal temperature range of 35 °C or 55 °C is recommended to operate ex-situ biomethanation process.
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Cheng J, Dong H, Zhang H, Yuan L, Li H, Yue L, Hua J, Zhou J. Improving CH 4 production and energy conversion from CO 2 and H 2 feedstock gases with mixed methanogenic community over Fe nanoparticles. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 314:123799. [PMID: 32673781 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To achieve methanogenic community optimization and improve the conversion efficiency of CO2 to CH4, Fe nanoparticles were used to promote the Methanothermobacter abundance in methanogens, which significantly increased the conversion efficiency of CO2 and H2 feedstock gases to CH4 product. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that Methanothermobacter abundance markedly increased from 7 to 16% when the Fe nanoparticles concentration increased from 0 to 1.5 g/LR (the working volume in the bioreactor). Therefore, the CH4 yield significantly promoted from 0.105 to 0.186 L/LR. However, when the Fe nanoparticles concentration was further increased to 2 g/LR, methanogenesis was inhibited due to toxic effects. The electron transfer constant kapp of anaerobic sludge increased by 32.8-fold to 5.77 × 10-2 s-1 when the Fe nanoparticles concentration increased from 0 to 1.5 g/LR, which significantly promoted carbon conversion efficiency from 52.9 to 92.9% and energy conversion efficiency from 46.3 to 76.9%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Haiquan Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Haihua Zhang
- Hangzhou Environmental Group Company Limited, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Luyun Yuan
- Hangzhou Environmental Group Company Limited, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Liangchen Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Junjie Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Junhu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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Fu S, Angelidaki I, Zhang Y. In situ Biogas Upgrading by CO 2-to-CH 4 Bioconversion. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:336-347. [PMID: 32917407 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Biogas produced by anaerobic digestion is an important renewable energy carrier. Nevertheless, the high CO2 content in biogas limits its utilization to mainly heat and electricity generation. Upgrading biogas into biomethane broadens its potential as a vehicle fuel or substitute for natural gas. CO2-to-CH4 bioconversion represents one cutting-edge solution for biogas upgrading. In situ bioconversion can capture endogenous CO2 directly from the biogas reactor, is easy to operate, and provides an infrastructure for renewable electricity storage. Despite these advantages, several challenges need to be addressed to move in situ upgrading technologies closer to applications at scale. This opinion article reviews the state of the art of this technology and identifies some obstacles and opportunities of biological in-situ upgrading technologies for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanfei Fu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
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32
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Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus strain ΔH as a potential microorganism for bioconversion of CO2 to methane. J CO2 UTIL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2020.101210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Sekoai PT, Engelbrecht N, du Preez SP, Bessarabov D. Thermophilic Biogas Upgrading via ex Situ Addition of H 2 and CO 2 Using Codigested Feedstocks of Cow Manure and the Organic Fraction of Solid Municipal Waste. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:17367-17376. [PMID: 32715221 PMCID: PMC7377068 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioconversion of renewable H2 and waste CO2 using methanogenic archaea is a promising technology for obtaining high-purity CH4, which can serve as an alternative for natural gas. This process is known as ex situ biogas upgrading. This work highlights the pathway toward the bioconversion of renewable H2 and CO2 into high-purity biomethane by exploiting highly accessible agro-municipal residues: cow manure (CM) and the organic fraction of solid municipal waste (OFSMW), which used to be called "waste materials". More specifically, an ex situ thermophilic (55 °C) biogas upgrading process was conducted by CM and OFSMW codigestion at different mass proportions: 100:0, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50. Maximum CH4 concentrations of 92-97 vol % and biogas volumetric production rates of 4954-6605 NmL/L.d were obtained from a batch reactor of 3 L working volume. Feedstock characterization, pH monitoring, and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio were critical parameters to evaluate during biogas upgrading experiments. In this work, the usefulness of agro-municipal substrates is highlighted by producing high-purity biomethane-an energetic chemical to facilitate renewable energy conversion, which supports various end-use applications. This process therefore provides a solution to renewable energy storage challenges and future sustainable and green energy supply.
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Lessons Learned from an Experimental Campaign on Promoting Energy Content of Renewable Biogas by Injecting H2 during Anaerobic Digestion. ENERGIES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/en13143542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Direct injection of H2 to an anaerobic reactor enables biological fixation of CO2 into CH4 (biomethanation) and consequently boosts methane content in the produced biogas. However, there has been only a small amount of literature reporting results on this technique in a continuous reactor framework to date. To fill this gap, the present study devoted an experimental work to direct H2 addition to a fed-batch semi-continuous reactor, where the injected H2 concentration increased gradually (~3–30 mmol), spanning a moderate operational period of about 70 days. As the results revealed, the reactor continued anaerobic operation for each level of H2 dosing and produced an average methane content in the biogas ranging between 65% and 72%. The exhibited biogas upgrading trend appeared to be under-developed, and thereby suggests the need for further research.
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35
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Jafari SA, Osfouri S, Azin R. Modelling of batch biomethanation process for maximizing income based on values of consumed and produced gases. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-020-0501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Logroño W, Popp D, Kleinsteuber S, Sträuber H, Harms H, Nikolausz M. Microbial Resource Management for Ex Situ Biomethanation of Hydrogen at Alkaline pH. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8040614. [PMID: 32344539 PMCID: PMC7232305 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomethanation is a promising solution to convert H2 (produced from surplus electricity) and CO2 to CH4 by using hydrogenotrophic methanogens. In ex situ biomethanation with mixed cultures, homoacetogens and methanogens compete for H2/CO2. We enriched a hydrogenotrophic microbiota on CO2 and H2 as sole carbon and energy sources, respectively, to investigate these competing reactions. The microbial community structure and dynamics of bacteria and methanogenic archaea were evaluated through 16S rRNA and mcrA gene amplicon sequencing, respectively. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens and homoacetogens were enriched, as acetate was concomitantly produced alongside CH4. By controlling the media composition, especially changing the reducing agent, the formation of acetate was lowered and grid quality CH4 (≥97%) was obtained. Formate was identified as an intermediate that was produced and consumed during the bioprocess. Stirring intensities ≥ 1000 rpm were detrimental, probably due to shear force stress. The predominating methanogens belonged to the genera Methanobacterium and Methanoculleus. The bacterial community was dominated by Lutispora. The methanogenic community was stable, whereas the bacterial community was more dynamic. Our results suggest that hydrogenotrophic communities can be steered towards the selective production of CH4 from H2/CO2 by adapting the media composition, the reducing agent and the stirring intensity.
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Yang HJ, Yang ZM, Xu XH, Guo RB. Increasing the methane production rate of hydrogenotrophic methanogens using biochar as a biocarrier. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 302:122829. [PMID: 32028147 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The existence of CO2 in biogas will affect its practicality, so the methanation of CO2 is of great significance. Carrier materials play a key role in bioconversion of CO2 to methane during biogas upgrading. Herein, different materials were used to evaluate the bioconversion process of CO2 to methane, which consisted of black ceramsite (BC) and biochars prepared from corn straw and digestate. The results showed that after adding the carrier materials, the methane production rate increased by more than 20%, and the corn straw biochar (CSB) group even increased by more than 70%. This may be attributed to the large specific surface area and more functional groups in corn straw biochar which was suitable for the immobilization of hydrogenotrophic methanogens (HMs). Therefore, corn straw biochar is a good carrier material for the accelerated bioconversion of CO2 to methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Jie Yang
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Zhi-Man Yang
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266101, PR China
| | - Xiao-Hui Xu
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266101, PR China
| | - Rong-Bo Guo
- Shandong Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Biogas Production and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266101, PR China; Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian 116023, PR China.
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38
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Baransi-Karkaby K, Hassanin M, Muhsein S, Massalha N, Sabbah I. Innovative ex-situ biological biogas upgrading using immobilized biomethanation bioreactor (IBBR). WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 81:1319-1328. [PMID: 32597417 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Biogas, which typically consists of about 50-70% of methane gas, is produced by anaerobic digestion of organic waste and wastewater. Biogas is considered an important energy resource with much potential; however, its application is low due to its low quality. In this regard, upgrading it to natural gas quality (above 90% methane) will broaden its application. In this research, a novel ex-situ immobilized biomethanation bioreactor (IBBR) was developed for biologically upgrading biogas by reducing CO2 to CH4 using hydrogen gas as an electron donor. The developed process is based on immobilized microorganisms within a polymeric matrix enabling the application of high recirculation to increase the hydrogen bioavailability. This generates an increase in the consumption rate of hydrogen and the production rate of methane. This process was successfully demonstrated at laboratory-scale system, where the developed process led to a production of 80-89% methane with consumption of more than 93% of the fed hydrogen. However, a lower methane content was achieved in the bench-scale system, likely as a result of lower hydrogen consumption (63-90%). To conclude, the IBBRs show promising results with a potential for simple and effective biogas upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Baransi-Karkaby
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, P.O.Box 437, Shefa-Amr, Israel E-mail: ; Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Mahdi Hassanin
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, P.O.Box 437, Shefa-Amr, Israel E-mail:
| | - Sharihan Muhsein
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, P.O.Box 437, Shefa-Amr, Israel E-mail:
| | - Nedal Massalha
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, P.O.Box 437, Shefa-Amr, Israel E-mail: ; Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Isam Sabbah
- The Institute of Applied Research, The Galilee Society, P.O.Box 437, Shefa-Amr, Israel E-mail: ; Prof. Ephraim Katzir Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Braude College, Karmiel 2161002, Israel
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Bakonyi P, Peter J, Koter S, Mateos R, Kumar G, Koók L, Rózsenberszki T, Pientka Z, Kujawski W, Kim SH, Nemestóthy N, Bélafi-Bakó K, Pant D. Possibilities for the biologically-assisted utilization of CO2-rich gaseous waste streams generated during membrane technological separation of biohydrogen. J CO2 UTIL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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40
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Rusmanis D, O’Shea R, Wall DM, Murphy JD. Biological hydrogen methanation systems - an overview of design and efficiency. Bioengineered 2019; 10:604-634. [PMID: 31679461 PMCID: PMC6844437 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2019.1684607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The rise in intermittent renewable electricity production presents a global requirement for energy storage. Biological hydrogen methanation (BHM) facilitates wind and solar energy through the storage of otherwise curtailed or constrained electricity in the form of the gaseous energy vector biomethane. Biological methanation in the circular economy involves the reaction of hydrogen - produced during electrolysis - with carbon dioxide in biogas to produce methane (4H2 + CO2 = CH4 + 2H2), typically increasing the methane output of the biogas system by 70%. In this paper, several BHM systems were researched and a compilation of such systems was synthesized, facilitating comparison of key parameters such as methane evolution rate (MER) and retention time. Increased retention times were suggested to be related to less efficient systems with long travel paths for gases through reactors. A significant lack of information on gas-liquid transfer co-efficient was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davis Rusmanis
- MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute (ERI), University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland
- School of Engineering, UCC, Cork, Ireland
| | - Richard O’Shea
- MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute (ERI), University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland
- School of Engineering, UCC, Cork, Ireland
| | - David M. Wall
- MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute (ERI), University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland
- School of Engineering, UCC, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jerry D. Murphy
- MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute (ERI), University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland
- School of Engineering, UCC, Cork, Ireland
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41
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Dupnock TL, Deshusses MA. Detailed investigations of dissolved hydrogen and hydrogen mass transfer in a biotrickling filter for upgrading biogas. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 290:121780. [PMID: 31325841 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the hydrogen mass transfer limitations in a biotrickling filter inoculated with hydrogenotrophic methanogens for biogas upgrading. A highly sensitive dissolved hydrogen probe allowed measuring concentrations in real-time. Experiments were conducted to test the mass transfer resistance in the gas and liquid films. Results demonstrated that the main resistance resides in the trickling liquid film and that promoting direct gas-biofilm mass transfer could improve upgrading performance by about 20%. Increasing the gas velocity (keeping a constant gas contact time) lowered the upgrading capacity. This was explained by the lowering of the concentration to the average concentration throughout the bed, which resulted a lower reaction rate. At extended gas contact times, the bioreactor shifted from microbial to diffusion limitation, causing lower upgrading capacities. Methane-containing biogas mimics (H2/CH4/CO2) were successfully upgraded to natural gas pipeline standards (>97% methane) with only minor performance reduction compared to upgrading just a H2/CO2 mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha L Dupnock
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 127C, Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708-0287, USA
| | - Marc A Deshusses
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 127C, Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708-0287, USA.
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42
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Lamb JJ, Bernard O, Sarker S, Lien KM, Hjelme DR. Perspectives of surface plasmon resonance sensors for optimized biogas methanation. Eng Life Sci 2019; 19:759-769. [PMID: 32624969 PMCID: PMC6999232 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201900063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biogas production is becoming significantly viable as an energy source for replacing fossil‐based fuels. The further development of the biogas production process could lead to significant improvements in its potential. Wastewater treatment currently accounts for 3% of the electrical energy load in developed countries, while it could be developed to provide a source of nitrogen and phosphorus, in addition to energy. The improvement of anaerobic digestion (AD) detection technologies is the cornerstone to reach higher methane productivities and develop fully automatized processes to decrease operational costs. New sensors are requested to automatically obtain a better interpretation of the complex and dynamical internal reactor environment. This will require detailed systematic detection in order to realize a near‐optimal production process. In this review, optical fiber‐based sensors will be discussed to assess their potential for use in AD. There is currently a disparity between the complexity of AD, and online detection. By improving the durability, sensitivity, and cost of dissolved H2 (as well as H2S, acetic acid, ammonia, and methane) sensor technology, further understanding of the AD process may allow the prevention of process failure. The emergence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing with optical fibers coupled with the H2‐sensitive metal palladium, allows detection of dissolved hydrogen in liquid. By implementing these SPR sensors into AD, improvements to the biogas production process, even at small scales, may be achieved by guiding the process in the optimum direction, avoiding the collapse of the biological process. This review intends to assess the feasibility of online, cost‐effective, rapid, and efficient detection of dissolved H2, as well as briefly assessing H2S, acetic acid, ammonia, and methane in AD by SPR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Lamb
- Department of Electronic Systems & ENERSENSE NTNU Trondheim Norway.,Department of Energy and Process Engineering & ENERSENSE NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | - Olivier Bernard
- BIOCORE, Biological control of artificial ecosystems Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, INRA Sophia-Antipolis France
| | - Shiplu Sarker
- Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering NTNU Gjøvik Norway
| | - Kristian M Lien
- Department of Energy and Process Engineering & ENERSENSE NTNU Trondheim Norway
| | - Dag Roar Hjelme
- Department of Electronic Systems & ENERSENSE NTNU Trondheim Norway
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Maegaard K, Garcia-Robledo E, Kofoed MVW, Agneessens LM, de Jonge N, Nielsen JL, Ottosen LDM, Nielsen LP, Revsbech NP. Biogas upgrading with hydrogenotrophic methanogenic biofilms. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 287:121422. [PMID: 31085427 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen produced from periodic excess of electrical energy may be added to biogas reactors where it is converted to CH4 that can be utilized in the existing energy grid. The major challenge with this technology is gas-to-liquid mass transfer limitation. The microbial conversions in reactors designed for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis were studied with microsensors for H2, pH, and CO2. The H2 consumption potential was dependent on the CO2 concentration, but could partially recover after CO2 depletion. Reactors with 3-dimensional biofilm carrier material and a large gas headspace allowed for a methanogenic biofilm in direct contact with the gas phase. A high density of Methanoculleus sp. in the biofilm mediated a high rate of CH4 production, and it was calculated that a reactor filled with 75% carrier material could mediate a biogas upgrading from 50 to 95% CH4 within 24 h when an equivalent amount of H2 was added.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Maegaard
- WATEC, Section of Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Emilio Garcia-Robledo
- WATEC, Section of Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Biology, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Michael V W Kofoed
- Biological and Chemical Engineering, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Laura M Agneessens
- Biological and Chemical Engineering, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadieh de Jonge
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jeppe L Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Lars D M Ottosen
- Biological and Chemical Engineering, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Peter Nielsen
- WATEC, Section of Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Niels Peter Revsbech
- WATEC, Section of Microbiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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44
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Karabey B, Daglioglu ST, Azbar N, Ozdemir G. Bacterial and archeal dynamics of a labscale HYBRID gas fermentation bioreactor fed with CO 2 and H 2. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2019; 54:1348-1355. [PMID: 31446840 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2019.1649589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
16s rDNA-based methods were used in order to identify the dynamics of microbial profiles in a HYBRID gas fermentation bio-methanization reactor. The effects of various H2 and CO2 ratios on microbial community were investigated. The HYBRID gas fermentation reactor was composed of granular anaerobic seed and the system fed with only H2 and CO2 gases. No additional organic material and trace element was fed during the throughout the experiments; thus, the microbial diversity was directly related to production of methane. The dynamics of the microbial communities were investigated with DGGE and real-time PCR analysis. The results showed that Methanobacteriales members were more dominated than Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales members in the system. DGGE results indicated that Methanosaeta concilii, Methanoculleus sp., Methanosphaerula palustris, Methanofollis formosanus, Methanolinea sp., and Methanobacterium palustre were the most prominent methanogens depending on different H2/CO2 ratios. DGGE profiles suggested that hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic species were responsible for the production of methane. The survival of syntrophic bacteria and acetoclastic methanogens was attributed to their utilization of organic materials provided by lysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first microbial profile detection study in a hybrid bioreactor system operated with only pure hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcin Karabey
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Science, Ordu University , Ordu , Turkey
| | | | - Nuri Azbar
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
| | - Guven Ozdemir
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
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Lebranchu A, Blanchard F, Fick M, Pacaud S, Olmos E, Delaunay S. Pilot-scale biomethanation of cattle manure using dense membranes. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 284:430-436. [PMID: 30978646 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at studying the biomethanation process using a 100 L pilot-scale digester equipped with a dense membrane for hydrogen injection. Hydrogen mass transfer was characterized and the impact of hydrogen flowrate, agitation rate and of the co-injection of CO2, on biogas production and composition, was precisely studied. A linear relationship between H2 flowrate and the CO2 and CH4 rates in biogas was found but no impact on biogas flowrate was shown. It was also noticed that, without exogenous CO2 injection, and for high H2 injection flowrates, residual H2 could be found at the digester outlet due to local CO2 limitation. Thus, this study suggested that biogas production in biomethanation process at the pilot scale was probably rather limited by the dissolved CO2 transport within the liquid phase than by the hydrogen mass transfer itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Lebranchu
- CNRS, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France; Université de Lorraine, LRGP, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France
| | - Fabrice Blanchard
- CNRS, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France; Université de Lorraine, LRGP, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France
| | - Michel Fick
- CNRS, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France; Université de Lorraine, LRGP, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France
| | - Stéphane Pacaud
- ENSAIA, Université de Lorraine, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France
| | - Eric Olmos
- CNRS, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France; Université de Lorraine, LRGP, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France.
| | - Stéphane Delaunay
- CNRS, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France; Université de Lorraine, LRGP, UMR 7274, 2 avenue de la forêt de Haye, TSA 40602, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy F-54518, France
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Alfaro N, Fdz-Polanco M, Fdz-Polanco F, Díaz I. H 2 addition through a submerged membrane for in-situ biogas upgrading in the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 280:1-8. [PMID: 30743054 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.01.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In-situ upgrading of biogas in a mesophilic anaerobic digester of sewage sludge by sparging H2 through a membrane was studied. Large gas recirculation rates were required to facilitate H2 transfer to the bulk liquid phase; at ∼200 L Lreactor-1 d-1, H2 utilization efficiency averaged 94% and the specific CH4 production increased from 0.38 L Lreactor-1 d-1, during conventional digestion, to 0.54 L Lreactor-1 d-1. Sludge digestion was not compromised by elevated H2 partial pressure nor by the associated rise in the pH (8.1) because of CO2 removal. In this regard, VFA accumulation was not detected and the performance of VS removal was similar to the observed without H2 supply. Microbial analysis revealed that homoacetogens were outcompeted by hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Methanoculleus sp., Methanospirillum sp., Methanolinea sp. and Methanobacterium sp. were the hydrogenotrophic archaea present over the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Alfaro
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - María Fdz-Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Fernando Fdz-Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Israel Díaz
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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47
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Wahid R, Mulat DG, Gaby JC, Horn SJ. Effects of H 2:CO 2 ratio and H 2 supply fluctuation on methane content and microbial community composition during in-situ biological biogas upgrading. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:104. [PMID: 31164923 PMCID: PMC6489297 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1443-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Commercial biogas upgrading facilities are expensive and consume energy. Biological biogas upgrading may serve as a low-cost approach because it can be easily integrated with existing facilities at biogas plants. The microbial communities found in anaerobic digesters typically contain hydrogenotrophic methanogens, which can use hydrogen (H2) as a reducing agent for conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into methane (CH4). Thus, biological biogas upgrading through the exogenous addition of H2 into biogas digesters for the conversion of CO2 into CH4 can increase CH4 yield and lower CO2 emission. RESULTS The addition of 4 mol of H2 per mol of CO2 was optimal for batch biogas reactors and increased the CH4 content of the biogas from 67 to 94%. The CO2 content of the biogas was reduced from 33 to 3% and the average residual H2 content was 3%. At molar H2:CO2 ratios > 4:1, all CO2 was converted into CH4, but the pH increased above 8 due to depletion of CO2, which negatively influenced the process stability. Additionally, high residual H2 content in these reactors was unfavourable, causing volatile fatty acid accumulation and reduced CH4 yields. The reactor microbial communities shifted in composition over time, which corresponded to changes in the reactor variables. Numerous taxa responded to the H2 inputs, and in particular the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanobacterium increased in abundance with addition of H2. In addition, the apparent rapid response of hydrogenotrophic methanogens to intermittent H2 feeding indicates the suitability of biological methanation for variable H2 inputs, aligning well with fluctuations in renewable electricity production that may be used to produce H2. CONCLUSIONS Our research demonstrates that the H2:CO2 ratio has a significant effect on reactor performance during in situ biological methanation. Consequently, the H2:CO2 molar ratio should be kept at 4:1 to avoid process instability. A shift toward hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was indicated by an increase in the abundance of the obligate hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanobacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radziah Wahid
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Daniel Girma Mulat
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - John Christian Gaby
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Svein Jarle Horn
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
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48
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Porté H, Kougias PG, Alfaro N, Treu L, Campanaro S, Angelidaki I. Process performance and microbial community structure in thermophilic trickling biofilter reactors for biogas upgrading. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 655:529-538. [PMID: 30476832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the process performance and determined the microbial community structure of two lab-scale thermophilic trickling biofilter reactors used for biological methanation of hydrogen and carbon-dioxide for a total period of 94 days. Stable and robust operation was achieved by means of a single-pass gas flow. The quality of the output gas (>97%) was comparable to the methane purity achieved by commercial biogas upgrading systems fulfilling the specifications to be used as substitute to natural gas. The reactors' methane productivity reached >1.7 LCH4/(LR·d) at hydrogen loading rate of 7.2 LH2/(LR·d). The spatial distribution of the microbial consortia localized in the liquid media and biofilm enabled us to gain a deeper understanding on how the microbiome is structured inside the trickling biofilter. Sequencing results revealed a significant predominance of Methanothermobacter sp. in the biofilm. Unknown members of the class Clostridia were highly abundant in biofilm and liquid media, while acetate utilising bacteria predominated in liquid samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Porté
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Panagiotis G Kougias
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Natalia Alfaro
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark; Institute of Sustainable Processes, Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, Sede Dr. Mergelina, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Laura Treu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | | | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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49
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Daglioglu ST, Karabey B, Ozdemir G, Azbar N. CO 2 utilization via a novel anaerobic bioprocess configuration with simulated gas mixture and real stack gas samples. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2019; 40:742-748. [PMID: 29141502 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2017.1406537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
CO2, which is considered to be one of the major causes of climate change, has reached to critical levels in the atmosphere due to tremendous consumption of fossil fuels all over the world. In this study, anaerobic bioconversion of CO2 into bio-methane using a novel bioprocess configuration (HYBRID bioreactor) was studied under mesophilic conditions. Varying ratios of H2/CO2 gas mixture and volumetric feeding rates were investigated and no additional organic matter and trace element were needed throughout the study. The maximum methane production of 19 m3 CH4/m3 reactor/d was achieved at a H2/CO2 ratio of 4:1 and feeding rate of 24 m3 gas/m3 reactor/d. It was determined that H2 conversion rate is about 96%. For demonstration purpose, real stack gas sample from a petrochemical industry was also tested under optimized operational conditions. No inhibitory effect from stack gas mixture was observed. This study provided an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution for industries such as petrochemical industry in order to produce extra energy while capturing their waste CO2. Thereby, a sustainable and environmentally friendly model solution was presented for industries with high CO2 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tugce Daglioglu
- a Center for Environmental Studies , Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
| | - Burcin Karabey
- b Faculty of Science, Biology Department , Ege University , Izmir Turkey
| | - Guven Ozdemir
- b Faculty of Science, Biology Department , Ege University , Izmir Turkey
| | - Nuri Azbar
- a Center for Environmental Studies , Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
- c Faculty of Engineering, Bioengineering Department , Ege University , Izmir , Turkey
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50
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Functional annotation of operome from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus ΔH: An insight to metabolic gap filling. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 123:350-362. [PMID: 30445075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.11.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus ΔH (MTH) is a potential methanogen known to reduce CO2 with H2 for producing methane biofuel in thermophilic digesters. The genome of this organism contains ~50.5% conserved hypothetical proteins (HPs; operome) whose function is still not determined precisely. Here, we employed a combined bioinformatics approach to annotate a precise function to HPs and categorize them as enzymes, binding proteins, and transport proteins. Results of our study show that 315 (35.6%) HPs have exhibited well-defined functions contributing imperative roles in diverse cellular metabolism. Some of them are responsible for stress-response mechanisms and cell cycle, membrane transport, and regulatory processes. The genome-neighborhood analysis found five important gene clusters (dsr, ehb, kaiC, cmr, and gas) involving in the energetic metabolism and defense systems. MTH operome contains 223 enzymes with 15 metabolic subsystems, 15 cell cycle proteins, 17 transcriptional regulators and 33 binding proteins. Functional annotation of its operome is thus more fundamental to a profound understanding of the molecular and cellular machinery at systems-level.
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