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Ale Enriquez F, Ahring BK. Ex-situ single-culture biomethanation operated in trickle-bed configuration: Microbial H 2 kinetics and stoichiometry for biogas conversion into renewable natural gas. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 411:131330. [PMID: 39182797 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131330] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Biomethanation converts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into renewable natural gas (RNG) using mixed microbial cultures enriched with hydrogenotrophic archaea. This study examines the performance of a single methanogenic archaeon converting biogas with added hydrogen (H2) into methane (CH4) using a trickle-bed bioreactor with enhanced gas-liquid mass transport. The process in continuous operation followed the theoretical reaction of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis (CO2 + 4 H2 → CH4 + 2 H2O), producing RNG with over 99 % CH4 and more than 0.9 H2 conversion efficiency. The Monod constants of H2 uptake were experimentally determined using kinetic modelling. Also, a dimensionless parameter was used to quantify the ratio between the H2 mass transfer rate and the maximum attainable H2 consumption rate. Single-culture biomethanation averts the formation of secondary metabolites and bicarbonate buffer interferences, resulting in lower demands for H2 than mixed-culture biomethanation.
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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 Engineering 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 Engineering 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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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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Chatzis A, Orellana E, Gaspari M, Kontogiannopoulos K, Treu L, Zouboulis A, Kougias PG. Comparative study on packing materials for improved biological methanation in trickle Bed reactors. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 385:129456. [PMID: 37406828 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Packing materials improve biological methanation efficiency in Trickle Bed Reactors. The present study, which lies in the field of energy production and biotechnology, entailed the evaluation of commercial pelletized activated carbon and Raschig rings as packing materials. The evaluation focused on monitoring process indicators and examining the composition of the microbial community. Activated carbon resulted in enhanced methane purity, achieving a two-fold higher methane percentage than Raschig rings, maintaining a stable pH level within a range of 7-8 and reducing gas retention time from 6 h to 90 min. Additionally, the digestate derived from biogas plant was found to be a sufficient nutrient source for the process. Fermentative species with genes for β-oxidation, such as Amaricoccus sp. and Caloramator australicus could explain the production of hexanoic and valerate acids during reactor operation. Based on the physical properties of packing materials, the efficiency of biological methanation could be maximized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Chatzis
- Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece; Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Dimitra, Thermi-Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Esteban Orellana
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Maria Gaspari
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Dimitra, Thermi-Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | | | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Anastasios Zouboulis
- Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece
| | - Panagiotis G Kougias
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Dimitra, Thermi-Thessaloniki 57001, Greece.
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6
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Feickert Fenske C, Strübing D, Koch K. Biological methanation in trickle bed reactors - a critical review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023:129383. [PMID: 37355141 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Biological methanation of H2 and CO2 in trickle bed reactors is a promising energy conversion and storage approach that can support the energy transition towards a renewable-based system. Research in trickle bed reactor design and operation has significantly increased in recent years, but most studies were performed at laboratory scale and conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the trickle bed reactor concept and current developments to support the decision-making process for future projects. In particular, the key design and operational parameters, such as trickling or nutrient provision, are presented, introducing the most recent advances. Furthermore, reactor operation, including the inoculation, long-term and dynamic operation, is described. To better assess the reactor upscaling, several parameters that enable reactor comparison are discussed. On the basis of this review, suitable operational strategies and further research needs were identified that will improve the overall trickle bed reactor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Feickert Fenske
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Dietmar Strübing
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Konrad Koch
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
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7
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Sieborg MU, Ottosen LDM, Kofoed MVW. Enhanced process control of trickle-bed reactors for biomethanation by vertical profiling directed by hydrogen microsensor monitoring. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023:129242. [PMID: 37263445 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Biomethanation is an emerging Power-to-X technology enabling CO2 valorisation to produce biomethane using renewable H2. A promising reactor for facilitating biomethanation is the trickle bed reactor (TBR), however, these bioreactors are conventionally operated with a black-box approach, where the system is solely described by the input and output characteristics. This study employed a novel approach for process surveillance of internal dynamics in TBRs by installing multiple H2 microsensors along its vertical axis. The H2 microsensor monitoring was demonstrated for 135 days in a TBR integrated into a full-scale biogas plant. Despite achieving an overall CH4 productivity of 12.6 L L-1 d-1, the vertical positioning of microsensors revealed a clear zonation with CH4 productivity zones reaching 54.8 L L-1 d-1 and enabled early warning detection of deteriorating process performance days before detecting it in the product gas. Thus, vertically positioned microsensors present a promising solution for securing process stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Ujarak Sieborg
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangøvej 2, DK-8200 Aarhus N., Denmark
| | - Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangøvej 2, DK-8200 Aarhus N., Denmark; The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, DK-8000, Denmark
| | - Michael Vedel Wegener Kofoed
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangøvej 2, DK-8200 Aarhus N., Denmark; The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, DK-8000, Denmark.
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8
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Feickert Fenske C, Md Y, Strübing D, Koch K. Preliminary gas flow experiments identify improved gas flow conditions in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor for H 2 and CO 2 biological methanation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 371:128648. [PMID: 36681350 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biological methanation of H2 and CO2 is a potential energy conversion technology that can support the energy transition based on renewable sources. The methanation performance in trickle bed reactors can be improved by approaching the gas flow through the reactor towards plug flow. Through preliminary gas flow experiments without biological conversion, this study investigated operational and constructional conditions that enhance plug flow in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor with 1 m3 gas volume. An improved gas flow was observed when the feed gas was applied in a top-to-bottom direction and when the process liquid was not trickled through the packing bed. Furthermore, the gas flow experiments identified reactor-specific properties, such as unused or dead volumes. Applying gas flow experiments prior to reactor start-up is recommended as a simple and convenient method to identify individual reactor properties and optimization potentials for higher methanation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Feickert Fenske
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Yasin Md
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Dietmar Strübing
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Konrad Koch
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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9
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Kadam R, Khanthong K, Park B, Jun H, Park J. Realizable wastewater treatment process for carbon neutrality and energy sustainability: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 328:116927. [PMID: 36473349 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite a quick shift of global goals toward carbon-neutral infrastructure, activated sludge based conventional systems inhibit the Green New Deal. Here, a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP) for carbon neutrality and energy sustainability is suggested and discussed based on realizable technical aspects. Organics have been recovered using variously enhanced primary treatment techniques, thereby reducing oxygen demand for the oxidation of organics and maximizing biogas production in biological processes. Meanwhile, ammonium in organic-separated wastewater is bio-electrochemically oxidized to N2 and reduced to H2 under completely anaerobic conditions, resulting in the minimization of energy requirements and waste sludge production, which are the main problems in activated sludge based conventional processes. The anaerobic digestion process converts concentrated primary sludge to biomethane, and H2 gas recovered from nitrogen upgrades the biomethane quality by reducing carbon dioxide in biogas. Based on these results, MWWTPs can be simplified and improved with high process and energy efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kadam
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Kamonwan Khanthong
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeongchang Park
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Hangbae Jun
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungyu Park
- Department of Advanced Energy Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Republic of Korea.
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Kamravamanesh D, Rinta Kanto JM, Ali-Loytty H, Myllärinen A, Saalasti M, Rintala J, Kokko M. Ex-situ biological hydrogen methanation in trickle bed reactors: Integration into biogas production facilities. Chem Eng Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2023.118498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Ebrahimian F, De Bernardini N, Tsapekos P, Treu L, Zhu X, Campanaro S, Karimi K, Angelidaki I. Effect of pressure on biomethanation process and spatial stratification of microbial communities in trickle bed reactors under decreasing gas retention time. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 361:127701. [PMID: 35905873 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127701] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigated the effect of elevating gas pressure on biomethanation in trickle-bed reactors (TBRs). The increased pressure led to successful biomethanation (CH4 > 90 %) at a gas retention time (GRT) of 21 min, due to the improved transfer rates of H2 and CO2. On the contrary, the non-pressurized TBR performance was reduced at GRTs shorter than 40 min. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the microbial populations collected from the lower and middle parts of the reactor under the same GRT were more homogeneous compared with those developed in the upper layer. Comparison with previous experiments suggest that microbial stratification is mainly driven by the nutrient provision strategy. Methanobacterium species was the most dominant methanogen and it was mainly associated with the bottom and middle parts of TBRs. Overall, the increased pressure did not affect markedly the microbial composition, while the GRT was the most important parameter shaping the microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farinaz Ebrahimian
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark; Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Nicola De Bernardini
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Panagiotis Tsapekos
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Xinyu Zhu
- School of Engineering, Westlake University, No.18, Shilongshan Road, Cloud Town, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Stefano Campanaro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Keikhosro Karimi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran; Department of Chemical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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12
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Paniagua S, Lebrero R, Muñoz R. Syngas biomethanation: Current state and future perspectives. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 358:127436. [PMID: 35680093 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127436] [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: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In regions highly dependent on fossil fuels imports, biomethane represents a promising biofuel for the transition to a bio-based circular economy. While biomethane is typically produced via anaerobic digestion and upgrading, biomethanation of the synthesis gas (syngas) derived from the gasification of recalcitrant solid waste has emerged as a promising alternative. This work presents a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the state-of-the-art and most recent advances in the field, compiling the potential of this technology along with the bottlenecks requiring further research. The key design and operational parameters governing syngas production and biomethanation (e.g. organic feedstock, gasifier design, microbiology, bioreactor configuration, etc.) are critically analysed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Paniagua
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Engineering, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Raquel Lebrero
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Engineering, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Raúl Muñoz
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Engineering, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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13
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Microbial community development during syngas methanation in a trickle bed reactor with various nutrient sources. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:5317-5333. [PMID: 35799068 PMCID: PMC9329420 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Microbial community development within an anaerobic trickle bed reactor (TBR) during methanation of syngas (56% H2, 30% CO, 14% CO2) was investigated using three different nutrient media: defined nutrient medium (241 days), diluted digestate from a thermophilic co-digestion plant operating with food waste (200 days) and reject water from dewatered digested sewage sludge at a wastewater treatment plant (220 days). Different TBR operating periods showed slightly different performance that was not clearly linked to the nutrient medium, as all proved suitable for the methanation process. During operation, maximum syngas load was 5.33 L per L packed bed volume (pbv) & day and methane (CH4) production was 1.26 L CH4/Lpbv/d. Microbial community analysis with Illumina Miseq targeting 16S rDNA revealed high relative abundance (20-40%) of several potential syngas and acetate consumers within the genera Sporomusa, Spirochaetaceae, Rikenellaceae and Acetobacterium during the process. These were the dominant taxa except in a period with high flow rate of digestate from the food waste plant. The dominant methanogen in all periods was a member of the genus Methanobacterium, while Methanosarcina was also observed in the carrier community. As in reactor effluent, the dominant bacterial genus in the carrier was Sporomusa. These results show that syngas methanation in TBR can proceed well with different nutrient sources, including undefined medium of different origins. Moreover, the dominant syngas community remained the same over time even when non-sterilised digestates were used as nutrient medium. KEY POINTS: • Independent of nutrient source, syngas methanation above 1 L/Lpbv/D was achieved. • Methanobacterium and Sporomusa were dominant genera throughout the process. • Acetate conversion proceeded via both methanogenesis and syntrophic acetate oxidation.
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14
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Lecharlier A, Carrier H, Le Hécho I. Characterization of biogas and biomethane trace compounds: A critical review of advances in in situ sampling and preconcentration techniques. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1229:340174. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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15
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Dong YN, Chen WC, Zhang LL, Sun BC, Chu GW, Chen JF. Sulfur recycle in biogas production: Novel Higee desulfurization process using natural amino acid salts. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 297:134215. [PMID: 35248597 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134215] [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: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a desulfurization method using natural amino acid salts (AAS), which can be green prepared by biological fermentation, is proposed to remove H2S from raw biogas. Biogas purification and fertilizer production can be simultaneously achieved to close sulfur recycle. The reaction kinetic characteristics of H2S absorption with three kinds of AAS, including potassium β-alaninate (PA), potassium sarcosinate (PS) and potassium l-prolinate (PP) are first studied. Kinetic parameters including orders of reaction, rate constants, pre-exponential factors and activation energies are given. AAS absorbent exhibits good potential for biogas desulfurization. Higee (high gravity) technology is utilized to intensify H2S removal. The effects of operating conditions on H2S removal efficiency are investigated and PP shows the best desulfurization performance. The phytotoxicity of AAS and amino acid salt sulfide (AASS) is assessed by the germination index of mungbean seeds. PP and its salt sulfide (PPS) show relatively low phytotoxicity and their allowable agricultural feeding concentrations are below 0.08 M and 0.04 M, respectively. The desulfurization method demonstrates a green route for biogas purification to achieve sulfur recycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ning Dong
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Wen-Cong Chen
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Liang-Liang Zhang
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
| | - Bao-Chang Sun
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Guang-Wen Chu
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Jian-Feng Chen
- Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
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16
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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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17
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Effects of Stepwise Temperature Shifts in Anaerobic Digestion for Treating Municipal Wastewater Sludge: A Genomic Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095728. [PMID: 35565123 PMCID: PMC9099789 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), anaerobic digester (AD) units are commonly operated under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. In some cases, during the dry season, maintaining a stable temperature in the digester requires additional power to operate a conditioning system. Without proper conditioning systems, methanogens are vulnerable to temperature shifts. This study investigated the effects of temperature shifts on CH4 gas production and microbial diversity during anaerobic digestion of anaerobic sewage sludge using a metagenomic approach. The research was conducted in lab-scale AD under stepwise upshifted temperature from 42 to 48 °C. The results showed that significant methanogen population reduction during the temperature shift affected the CH4 production. With 70 days of incubation each, CH4 production decreased from 4.55 L·g−1-chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 42 °C with methanogen/total population (M·TP−1) ratio of 0.041 to 1.52 L·g−1 COD (M·TP−1 ratio 0.027) and then to 0.94 L·g−1 COD ( M·TP−1 ratio 0.026) after the temperature was shifted to 45 °C and 48 °C, respectively. Methanosaeta was the most prevalent methanogen during the thermal change. This finding suggests that the Methanosaeta genus was a thermotolerant archaea. Anaerobaculum, Fervidobacterium, and Tepidanaerobacter were bacterial genera and grew well in shifted-up temperatures, implying heat-resistant characteristics.
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18
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Kaul A, Böllmann A, Thema M, Kalb L, Stöckl R, Huber H, Sterner M, Bellack A. Combining a robust thermophilic methanogen and packing material with high liquid hold-up to optimize biological methanation in trickle-bed reactors. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 345:126524. [PMID: 34896529 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126524] [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: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The hydrogen gas-to-liquid mass transfer is the limiting factor in biological methanation. In trickle-bed reactors, mass transfer can be increased by high flow velocities in the liquid phase, by adding a packing material with high liquid hold-up or by using methanogenic archaea with a high methane productivity. This study developed a polyphasic approach to address all methods at once. Various methanogenic strains and packings were investigated from a microbial and hydrodynamic perspective. Analyzing the ability to produce high-quality methane and to form biofilms, pure cultures of Methanothermobacter performed better than those of the genus Methanothermococcus. Liquid and static hold-up of a packing material and its capability to facilitate attachment was not attributable to a single property. Consequently, it is recommended to carefully match organism and packing for optimized performance of trickle-bed reactors. The ideal combination for the ORBIT-system was identified as Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus IM5 and DuraTop®.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Kaul
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Andrea Böllmann
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martin Thema
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Larissa Kalb
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Richard Stöckl
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Harald Huber
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Sterner
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Annett Bellack
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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19
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Enhanced ex-situ biomethanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in a trickling filter bed reactor. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.108311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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20
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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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21
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Techno-Economic Assessment of Biological Biogas Upgrading Based on Danish Biogas Plants. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14248252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Biological biogas upgrading with H2 derived from excess renewable electricity was modeled and simulated in PROII® (AVEVA Group plc, Cambridge, UK). An economic analysis was performed for a biogas plant processing 100,000 tons of biomass (substrate) per year. The biogas and biomethane production simulation results were validated with laboratory experimental data, as well as full-scale data obtained from biogas plants. A biomethane production cost of 0.47 €/Nm3 was calculated, while the minimum biomethane selling price for NPV = 0 was equal to 0.66 €/Nm3, considering a H2 price of 1.0 €/kg. The feasibility analysis indicated that the H2-related costs were the major contributor to the capital and operation costs due to high expenses associated with the in-situ H2 storage facility and the purchasing of H2, respectively. Compared to conventional upgrading methods, biological biogas upgrading has a higher capital and production cost, which can be reduced by increasing the plant capacity. The sensitivity analysis showed that the profitability is very sensitive to biomethane prices, capital investment, and the H2 price.
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22
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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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23
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Jiang H, Wu F, Wang Y, Feng L, Zhou H, Li Y. Characteristics of in-situ hydrogen biomethanation at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 337:125455. [PMID: 34320739 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In-situ hydrogen biomethanation is a promising technology to upgrade biogas. The efficiency of biomethanation relies on various parameters, e.g. gas supplement, temperature and hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Therefore, it is important to investigate the characteristics of in-situ hydrogen biomethanation under different conditions. In this study, two experiments (lasted for 91 days and 105 days) were carried out to investigate the impacts of feeding gas and operating conditions on performances of reactors and microorganisms. During the whole experiment, no obvious fluctuation of pH and limitation of gas-liquid mass transfer were found. Results showed that the hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis performed better at thermophilic condition, while the dominant archaea genera at mesophilic and thermophilic temperature was determined to be Methanobacterium and Methanothermobacter, respectively. The highest CH4 content (greater than 90%) was obtained when H2 and CO2 was feeding at ratio of 4:1 and Methanothermobacter was dominant. These findings can provide useful information for promoting hydrogen biomethanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Jiang
- School of Materials Science&Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Fan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Biogas Upgrading Utilization, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB), Beijing 102249, PR China
| | - Yuchang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Biogas Upgrading Utilization, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB), Beijing 102249, PR China
| | - Lu Feng
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Hongjun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Biogas Upgrading Utilization, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB), Beijing 102249, PR China
| | - Yeqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Biogas Upgrading Utilization, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB), Beijing 102249, PR China.
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24
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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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25
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Jensen MB, Poulsen S, Jensen B, Feilberg A, Kofoed MVW. Selecting carrier material for efficient biomethanation of industrial biogas-CO2 in a trickle-bed reactor. J CO2 UTIL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2021.101611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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26
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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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27
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Thema M, Weidlich T, Kaul A, Böllmann A, Huber H, Bellack A, Karl J, Sterner M. Optimized biological CO 2-methanation with a pure culture of thermophilic methanogenic archaea in a trickle-bed reactor. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 333:125135. [PMID: 33892429 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125135] [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: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a fully automated process converting hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane in a high temperature trickle-bed reactor was developed from lab scale to field test level. The reactor design and system performance was optimized to yield high methane content in the product gas for direct feed-in to the gas grid. The reaction was catalyzed by a pure culture of Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus IM5, which formed a biofilm on ceramic packing elements. During 600 h in continuous and semi-continuous operation in countercurrent flow, the 0.05 m3 reactor produced up to95.3 % of methane at a methane production rate of 0.35 [Formula: see text] . Adding nitrogen as carrier gas during startup, foam control and dosing of ammonium and sodium sulfide as nitrogen and sulfur source were important factors for process automation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Thema
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstrasse 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Tobias Weidlich
- Chair of Energy Process Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fuerther Strasse 244f, 90429 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Anja Kaul
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstrasse 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Böllmann
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Harald Huber
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Annett Bellack
- Institute of Microbiology and Archaea Centre Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Karl
- Chair of Energy Process Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fuerther Strasse 244f, 90429 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Michael Sterner
- Research Center on Energy Transmission and Energy Storage, OTH Regensburg, Seybothstrasse 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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28
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Biogas from Anaerobic Digestion as an Energy Vector: Current Upgrading Development. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14102742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The present work reviews the role of biogas as advanced biofuel in the renewable energy system, summarizing the main raw materials used for biogas production and the most common technologies for biogas upgrading and delving into emerging biological methanation processes. In addition, it provides a description of current European legislative framework and the potential biomethane business models as well as the main biogas production issues to be addressed to fully deploy these upgrading technologies. Biomethane could be competitive due to negative or zero waste feedstock prices, and competitive to fossil fuels in the transport sector and power generation if upgrading technologies become cheaper and environmentally sustainable.
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29
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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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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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Tsapekos P, Zhu X, Pallis E, Angelidaki I. Proteinaceous methanotrophs for feed additive using biowaste as carbon and nutrients source. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 313:123646. [PMID: 32535520 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To achieve a sustainable production of food and feed production, inexpensive carbon and nutrient sources are needed. In the present study, biologically upgraded biogas is coupled with electrochemically extracted nitrogen from digested biowaste to cultivate mixed methanotrophs as protein source. Results showed that an increase from less than 5 μgCu2+/L to 100 μgCu2+/L increased the biomass production by 41%. Microbial analysis revealed that the dominated Methylomonas spp. followed by Methylophilus spp. created a specialized community for high CH4 assimilation. Moreover, duplicate semi-continuous fermenters run for 120 days validating the efficiency of alternative carbon and nitrogen feedstocks at long-term operation. As for dry cell weight (DCW) production, more than 2.5 g-DCW/L were produced using biologically upgraded biogas and electrochemically extracted nitrogen. Furthermore, the protein content and amino acid profile (>50% of DCW) demonstrated that the microbial biomass pose the characteristics to be used as animal feed additive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Tsapekos
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Xinyu Zhu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Evangelos Pallis
- 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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33
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Biological CO2 fixation in up-flow reactors via exogenous H2 addition. J Biotechnol 2020; 319:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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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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35
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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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36
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Jensen MB, Strübing D, de Jonge N, Nielsen JL, Ottosen LDM, Koch K, Kofoed MVW. Stick or leave - Pushing methanogens to biofilm formation for ex situ biomethanation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 291:121784. [PMID: 31344638 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biomethanation exploits the ability of methanogenic archaea to convert CO2 and renewable H2 from electrolysis to biomethane. Biofilm reactors are promising for biomethanation scale-up due to high CH4 productivity and low energy input for H2 gas-liquid mass transfer. Effects of operational conditions on biofilm dynamics remain largely uncharacterized but may increase reactor potentials further. This study investigated the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on methanogenic biofilm activity and composition. Commercial carriers floating in liquid were exposed to H2/CO2 for 87 days with the liquid phase being subject to either 18 hours, 10 days, or 20 days HRT. Methanogenic biofilms were dominated by hydrogenotrophic methanogens, but biofilm CH4 productivity was enhanced at 18 hours HRT due to wash-out of competing planktonic species, which otherwise hampered proliferation of biofilm biomass at long HRT. It is suggested that high-rate biofilm reactors can increase methanogenic biofilm activity by minimizing the liquid's H2 exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Borgbjerg Jensen
- Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Hangøvej 2, DK-8200 Aarhus N., Denmark
| | - Dietmar Strübing
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coloumbwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Nadieh de Jonge
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Konrad Koch
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coloumbwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Shin SG, Han G, Lee J, Shin J, Hwang S. A snapshot of microbial community structures in 20 different field-scale anaerobic bioreactors treating food waste. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 248:109297. [PMID: 31376610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to identify significant factors shaping the microbial populations in biogas plants treating food waste (FW). Twenty full-scale anaerobic acidogenic/methanogenic bioreactors, located at 11 FW treatment facilities, were compared to find patterns in their microbial community structures and potential interactions with the process parameters. Temperature, hydraulic retention time, and organic loading rate were design parameters that systematically influenced the microbial communities. The latter two clearly separated the acidogenic and methanogenic bioreactors. Lactobacillus was the dominant (69.7 ± 19.8%) bacteria in the acidogenic reactors, while hydrogen-utilizing methanogens, such as Methanoculleus (65.1 ± 33.5%), were the dominant archaea in most methanogenic digesters. Defluiviitoga was the dominant (82.7 ± 1.4%) bacteria in the thermophilic digesters, but was also the most abundant (33.1-33.6%) bacteria in dry mesophilic digesters. The two bioreactor categories had lower bacterial diversities, and also higher propionate concentrations (>5 g/L in 4 out of 5 cases), which may impose potential risks for the management of such digesters. The current 'snapshot' of the microbial communities suggests several bacterial and archaeal taxa as potential indicators of bioreactor categories and/or process variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Gu Shin
- Department of Energy Engineering, Future Convergence Technology Research Institute, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju, Gyeongnam, South Korea
| | - Gyuseong Han
- Research & Development Institute, Lotte Engineering & Construction, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joonyeob Lee
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
| | - Juhee Shin
- Department of Energy Engineering, Future Convergence Technology Research Institute, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju, Gyeongnam, South Korea
| | - Seokhwan Hwang
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
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38
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Strübing D, Moeller AB, Mößnang B, Lebuhn M, Drewes JE, Koch K. Load change capability of an anaerobic thermophilic trickle bed reactor for dynamic H 2/CO 2 biomethanation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 289:121735. [PMID: 31300304 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Increasing shares of energy production originating from fluctuating renewable sources require measures that are able to balance power production for a stable electricity grid. H2/CO2 biomethanation is a suitable approach to convert fluctuating excess renewable energy into the storable substitute natural gas. This study investigated the rapid load change capability of an anaerobic thermophilic trickle bed reactor while maintaining a high methane content. The return to full load (62.1 m3H2/m3trickle bed/d) after a 30-min operational off-cycle was possible almost immediately, while 24-h interruptions required a 60-min stepwise load increase. To accelerate this delayed microbial conversion activity, non-steady state substrate gas conversion can be controlled via substrate and product gas flow rates, allowing to reactivate the entire microbial community and produce high quality product gas. Reactor design might be further improved to avoid short-circuiting and use the entire trickle bed gas phase as high quality gas buffer during initial load increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Strübing
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Andreas B Moeller
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Bettina Mößnang
- Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Central Department for Quality Assurance and Analytics, Lange Point 6, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Lebuhn
- Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Central Department for Quality Assurance and Analytics, Lange Point 6, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg E Drewes
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Konrad Koch
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Zhou M, Yan B, Lang Q, Zhang Y. Elevated volatile fatty acids production through reuse of acidogenic off-gases during electro-fermentation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 668:295-302. [PMID: 30852206 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Electro-fermentation is gaining attention for its advantage in promoting product recovery and valorization of organic wastes. However, emission of by-product gases during acidogenic fermentation is one of the key reasons for reduced product recovery whereas high gas pressure in the acidogenic headspace could pose an inhibitory effect on the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). This study presents a novel electro-fermentation (EF) system for enhancing VFAs production by in situ reuse of anodic off-gases (mainly CO2 and H2) in the cathode. A total VFAs production of 0.57 g-VFAs/g-VS was achieved through reuse of acidogenic off-gases in EF system, corresponding to 48.70% increase in comparison with the treatment without off-gases reuse. Consequently, the conversion efficiency of carbon to VFAs was improved significantly by 13.92%. Acidogenic metabolic pathway in the anode shifted to mixed -acid fermentation with the succession of dominant microbes from genus of Escherichia in the seeding inocula to Bacteroides and Desulfovibrio in the anode and cathode chambers, respectively. This would provide a way to enhance VFAs recovery from organic wastes, which also contributes to reduced carbon footprint and increased environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Zhou
- Lab of Waste Valorization and Water Reuse, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China; State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Pollution Control, Beijing 102206, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Binghua Yan
- Lab of Waste Valorization and Water Reuse, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
| | - Qiaolin Lang
- Lab of Waste Valorization and Water Reuse, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Lab of Waste Valorization and Water Reuse, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
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40
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Abstract
Power-to-Methane as one part of Power-to-Gas has been recognized globally as one of the key elements for the transition towards a sustainable energy system. While plants that produce methane catalytically have been in operation for a long time, biological methanation has just reached industrial pilot scale and near-term commercial application. The growing importance of the biological method is reflected by an increasing number of scientific articles describing novel approaches to improve this technology. However, these studies are difficult to compare because they lack a coherent nomenclature. In this article, we present a comprehensive set of parameters allowing the characterization and comparison of various biological methanation processes. To identify relevant parameters needed for a proper description of this technology, we summarized existing literature and defined system boundaries for Power-to-Methane process steps. On this basis, we derive system parameters providing information on the methanation system, its performance, the biology and cost aspects. As a result, three different standards are provided as a blueprint matrix for use in academia and industry applicable to both, biological and catalytic methanation. Hence, this review attempts to set the standards for a comprehensive description of biological and chemical methanation processes.
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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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