Valorizing Waste Biomass via Hydrodynamic Cavitation and Anaerobic Digestion

Methane yield response to pretreatment is dependent on substrate chemical composition: a meta-analysis on anaerobic digestion systems

Proper pretreatment of organic residues prior to anaerobic digestion (AD) can maximize global biogas production from varying sources without increasing the amount of digestate, contributing to global decarbonization goals. However, the efficiency of pretreatments applied on varying organic streams is poorly assessed. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis on AD studies to evaluate the efficiencies of pretreatments with respect to biogas production measured as methane yield. Based on 1374 observations our analysis shows that pretreatment efficiency is dependent on substrate chemical dominance. Grouping substrates by chemical composition e.g., lignocellulosic-, protein- and lipid-rich dominance helps to highlight the appropriate choice of pretreatment that supports maximum substrate degradation and more efficient conversion to biogas. Methane yield can undergo an impactful increase compared to untreated controls if proper pretreatment of substrates of a given chemical dominance is applied. Non-significant or even adverse effects on AD are, however, observed when the substrate chemical dominance is disregarded.

A review of novel methods for Diuron removal from aqueous environments

Runoff from intensive agriculture, which contains many sources of pollutants, including herbicides, for instance, Diuron, has threatened the environment and human health. The intrusion of these toxins into water sources poses a serious challenge to human society, and the rising release of these toxins has always been of concern to water researchers. The consequences of the release of these toxins into water sources are destructive and debilitating to human life. Today, the contamination of surface water and wastewater by pesticide residues, especially from agricultural activities and pesticide factories, has grown significantly. One of the pesticides commonly applied around the world is Diuron. There are various techniques for removing Diuron, the most important of which are adsorption and advanced oxidation. This review presents the characteristics, mechanisms, and emerging methods of removing Diuron. The use of absorbents, such as sludge-derived modified biochar (SDMBC600) and bottom ash waste (BAW-200), is discussed in detail. Additionally, the main features, benefits, and limitations of new technologies like hydrodynamic cavitation are enumerated. The effectiveness of novel adsorbents in Diuron removal is also discussed.

Effect of the arrangement of cavitation generation unit on the performance of an advanced rotational hydrodynamic cavitation reactor

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is widely considered a promising process intensification technology. The novel advanced rotational hydrodynamic cavitation reactors (ARHCRs), with considerably higher performance compared with traditional devices, have gained increasing attention of academic and industrial communities. The cavitation generation unit (CGU), located on the rotor and/or stator of an ARHCR, is utilized to generate cavitation and consequently, its geometrical structure is vital for the performance. The present work studied, for the first time, the effect of the arrangement of CGU on the performance of a representative ARHCR by employing computational fluid dynamics based on the "simplified flow field" strategy. The effect of CGU arrangement, which was neglected in the past, was evaluated: radial offset distance (c), intersection angle (ω), number of rows (N), circumferential offset angle (γ), and radial spacing (r). The results indicate that the CGU, with an arrangement of a low ω and moderate c, N, γ, and r, performed the highest cavitation efficiency. The corresponding reasons were analyzed by combining the flow field and cavitation pattern. Moreover, the results also exposed a weakness of the "simplified flow field" strategy which may induce the unfavorable "sidewall effect" and cause false high-pressure region. The findings of this work may provide a reference value to the design of ARHCRs.

Enhancement of biomethane potential of brown sludge by pre-treatment using vortex based hydrodynamic cavitation

Novel, non-thermal and economically benign pre-treatment process was developed for enhancing valorisation potential of brown sludge generated by dairy industry wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Vortex-based hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) device was used to quantify influence of pretreatment by measuring biomethane potential (BMP) of untreated and treated brown sludge. Pre-treatment parameters, primarily, pressure drop and number of passes through the cavitation device were varied to quantify influence on BMP. BMP tests were performed at 39 °C containing 5% of total solids in each reactors using an automatic BMP measurement system containing 15 reactors with each volume of 500 mL fitted with overhead stirrer. HC treatment increased the soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) by more than 25% which increased the BMP. HC treatment was able to push the BMP of treated sludge to more than 80% of the theoretical BMP. Volatile solids (VS) removal was more than 65%. Highest methane yield was 376 mL/g-VS of sludge. The methodology and results presented here show significant potential to valorise brown dairy sludge via vortex based hydrodynamic cavitation.

Integrated biorefineries for repurposing of food wastes into value-added products

Food waste (FW) generated through various scenarios from farm to fork causes serious environmental problems when either incinerated or disposed inappropriately. The presence of significant amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids enable FW to serve as sustainable and renewable feedstock for the biorefineries. Implementation of multiple substrates and product biorefinery as a platform could pursue an immense potential of reducing costs for bio-based process and improving its commercial viability. The review focuses on conversion of surplus FW into range of value-added products including biosurfactants, biopolymers, diols, and bioenergy. The review includes in-depth description of various types of FW, their chemical and nutrient compositions, current valorization techniques and regulations. Further, it describes limitations of FW as feedstock for biorefineries. In the end, review discuss future scope to provide a clear path for sustainable and net-zero carbon biorefineries.

Methods for Intensifying Biogas Production from Waste: A Scientometric Review of Cavitation and Electrolysis Treatments

This article presents future trends in research using microbiological methods to intensify bioprocesses for biogas production. The pretreatment by combinations of physical and chemical methods, such as cavitation and electrolysis, is considered. The approach of the article involved reviewing the residual area on the intensification technologies of anaerobic digestion with current methods to improve the quality and quantity of biogas. The most valuable reported positive results of the pretreatment of biological raw materials in the cavitation process were reviewed and are presented here. A model of the effect of electrolysis on the species diversity of bacteria in anaerobic digestion was developed, and changes in the dominance of the ecological and trophic systems were revealed on the basis of previous studies. The stimulating effect on biogas yield, reduction in the stabilization period of the reactor, and inactivation of microorganisms at lower temperatures is associated with different pretreatment methods that intensify anaerobic digestion. More research is recommended to focus on the electrolysis treatment of different types of waste and their ratios with optimization of regime parameters, as well as in combination with other pretreatments to produce biomethane and biohydrogen in larger quantities and in better qualities.

Pretreatment of milled and unchopped sugarcane bagasse with vortex based hydrodynamic cavitation for enhanced biogas production

Anaerobic digestion can potentially valorise sugarcane bagasse to biogas and fertiliser. Pretreatment is however required to overcome recalcitrance and enhance the biogas yields. Literature reporting the investigation of various biomass pretreatments often use milled biomass as substrate rather than as-received fibrous biomass. This does not establish the true influence of the pretreatment type on biogas generation. Additionally, milling energy is also ignored when calculating net energy gains from enhanced biogas yields and are thus misleading. In this work, a vortex-based hydrodynamic cavitation device was used to enhance the biomethane yields from fibrous as-received biomass for the first time. Clear justification on why milled biomass must not be used as substrates for demonstrating the effect of pretreatment on biogas production is also discussed. The net energy gain from milled hydrodynamic cavitation pre-treated bagasse can be similar to as-received bagasse only when the specific milling energy is ≤700 kWh/ton.

Intensification of Acidogenic Fermentation for the Production of Biohydrogen and Volatile Fatty Acids—A Perspective

Utilising ‘wastes’ as ‘resources’ is key to a circular economy. While there are multiple routes to waste valorisation, anaerobic digestion (AD)—a biochemical means to breakdown organic wastes in the absence of oxygen—is favoured due to its capacity to handle a variety of feedstocks. Traditional AD focuses on the production of biogas and fertiliser as products; however, such low-value products combined with longer residence times and slow kinetics have paved the way to explore alternative product platforms. The intermediate steps in conventional AD—acidogenesis and acetogenesis—have the capability to produce biohydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFA) which are gaining increased attention due to the higher energy density (than biogas) and higher market value, respectively. This review hence focusses specifically on the production of biohydrogen and VFAs from organic wastes. With the revived interest in these products, a critical analysis of recent literature is needed to establish the current status. Therefore, intensification strategies in this area involving three main streams: substrate pre-treatment, digestion parameters and product recovery are discussed in detail based on literature reported in the last decade. The techno-economic aspects and future pointers are clearly highlighted to drive research forward in relevant areas.