Dry Anaerobic Digestion of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: Biogas Production Optimization by Reducing Ammonia Inhibition

The aim of this work is to optimize biogas production from thermophilic dry anaerobic digestion (AD) the organic fraction municipal solid waste (OFMSW) by comparing various operational strategies reduce ammonia inhibition. A pilot-scale plug flow reactor (PFR) operated semi-continuously for 170 days. Three scenarios with different feedstock, namely solely OFMSW, OFMSW supplemented structural material, and altered have an optimal carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio, were tested. Specific (SGP), specific methane (SMP), rate (GPR), bioenergy recovery evaluated assess process performance. In addition, stability was monitored highlight problems, digestate characterized utilization as fertilizer. material revealed unbalanced content C N. concentration decreased when C/N ratio tested reduced 72% if compared feeding OFMSW. such conditions, obtained, operating loading (OLR) equal 12.7 gVS/(L d). particular, SGP result 361.27 ± 30.52 NLbiogas/kgVS, GPR 5.11 NLbiogas/(Lr d), potential energy 8.21 0.9 MJ/kgVS. Nevertheless, showed accumulation heavy metals low aerobic stability.