Evaluation of Potential Substrates for Biogas Production in Colombia using Anaerobic Digestion Systems

2. Production of Biogas by Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process in which bacteria convert organic materials into biogas. It occurs in marshes and wetlands, and in the digestive tract of ruminants. The bacteria are also active in landfills where they are the principal process degrading landfilled food wastes and other biomass. Biogas can be collected and used as a potential energy resource. The process occurs in an an...

Potential errors in the quantitative evaluation of biogas production in anaerobic digestion processes.

Errors that are commonly made in the quantification of biogas from anaerobic digestion experiments were investigated. For liquid displacement gasometers where a barrier solution separates the biogas and the atmosphere, inaccuracy due to gas diffusion was examined experimentally. Acidified saturated saline solution was the most suitable barrier solution, as biogas characteristics changed least w...

Modeling of Anaerobic Digestion of Complex Substrates

A structured mathematical model of anaerobic conversion of complex organic materials in non-ideally cyclic-batch reactors for biogas production has been developed. The  model is based on multiple-reaction stoichiometry (enzymatic hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis), microbial growth kinetics, conventional material balances in the liquid and gas phases for a cyclic-bat...

Evaluation of biogas production potential by dry anaerobic digestion of switchgrass--animal manure mixtures.

Anaerobic digestion is a biological method used to convert organic wastes into a stable product for land application with reduced environmental impacts. The biogas produced can be used as an alternative renewable energy source. Dry anaerobic digestion [>15% total solid (TS)] has an advantage over wet digestion (<10% TS) because it allows for the use of a smaller volume of reactor and because it...

Biogas production from food-processing industrial wastes by anaerobic digestion Biogas production from food-processing industrial wastes by anaerobic digestion