Effect of Different Operating Temperatures on the Biological Hydrogen Methanation in Trickle Bed Reactors

To improve the reactor efficiency, this study investigated the influence of temperature on the biological hydrogen methanation (BHM) in trickle-bed reactors (TBR). Rising temperatures increase the metabolic activity of methanogenic microorganisms, thus leading to higher reactor specific methane formation rates (MFR). In order to quantify the potential for improved performance, experiments with four different operating temperatures ranging from 40 to 55 °C were carried out. Methane content increased from 88.29 ± 2.12 vol % at 40 °C to 94.99 ± 0.81 vol % at 55 °C with a stable biological process. Furthermore, a reactor specific methane formation rate (MFR) of up to 8.85 ± 0.45 m3 m−3 d−1 was achieved. It could be shown that the microorganisms were able to adapt to higher temperatures within hours. The tests showed that TBR performance with regard to BHM can be significantly increased by increasing the operating temperature.

[1]  Irini Angelidaki,et al.  Biogas Upgrading via Hydrogenotrophic Methanogenesis in Two-Stage Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors at Mesophilic and Thermophilic Conditions. , 2015, Environmental science & technology.

[2]  C. H. Bartholomew.  Mechanisms of catalyst deactivation , 2001 .

[3]  J. Belaich,et al.  Growth of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum on H2CO2: High CH4 productivities in continuous culture , 1990 .

[4]  F. Graf,et al.  Renewable Power-to-Gas: A technological and economic review , 2016 .

[5]  L. Manna,et al.  Experimental investigation of fast-mode liquid modulation in a trickle-bed reactor , 2004 .

[6]  J. V. van Lier,et al.  Growth media in anaerobic fermentative processes: The underestimated potential of thermophilic fermentation and anaerobic digestion. , 2017, Biotechnology advances.

[7]  Konrad Koch,et al.  High performance biological methanation in a thermophilic anaerobic trickle bed reactor. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[8]  S. Rittmann,et al.  Analysis of process related factors to increase volumetric productivity and quality of biomethane with Methanothermobacter marburgensis , 2014 .

[9]  P. Weiland.  Biogas production: current state and perspectives , 2009, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[10]  Modelling of trickle‐bed reactors in foaming regime , 2001 .

[11]  Largus T. Angenent,et al.  A Single-Culture Bioprocess of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus to Upgrade Digester Biogas by CO2-to-CH4 Conversion with H2 , 2013, Archaea.

[12]  M. I. Urseanu,et al.  Induced pulse operation of high-pressure trickle bed reactors with organic liquids: hydrodynamics and reaction study , 2004 .

[13]  Lianhua Li,et al.  Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste: The effects of source, concentration, and temperature , 2018, Biochemical Engineering Journal.

[14]  K. S. Creamer,et al.  Inhibition of anaerobic digestion process: a review. , 2008, Bioresource technology.

[15]  Chunmei Liu,et al.  Biogas production and microbial community properties during anaerobic digestion of corn stover at different temperatures. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[16]  T. Satake,et al.  Steady state characteristics of acclimated hydrogenotrophic methanogens on inorganic substrate in continuous chemostat reactors. , 2008, Bioresource technology.

[17]  Serge R. Guiot,et al.  Potential of wastewater-treating anaerobic granules for biomethanation of synthesis gas. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[18]  F. Graf,et al.  Influence of pressures up to 50bar on two-stage anaerobic digestion. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[19]  R Borja,et al.  A kinetic study of anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewater at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. , 1995, Environmental pollution.

[20]  D. Wise,et al.  Biomethanation: Anaerobic fermentation of CO2, H2 and CO to methane , 1978 .

[21]  M. Burkhardt,et al.  Biocatalytic methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in an anaerobic three-phase system. , 2015, Bioresource technology.

[22]  Irini Angelidaki,et al.  Integrated biogas upgrading and hydrogen utilization in an anaerobic reactor containing enriched hydrogenotrophic methanogenic culture , 2012, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[23]  Frank Graf,et al.  Influence of operating pressure on the biological hydrogen methanation in trickle-bed reactors. , 2018, Bioresource technology.

[24]  Stephen A Jackson,et al.  Study of the performance of a thermophilic biological methanation system. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[25]  D. Streitwieser.  Comparison of the anaerobic digestion at the mesophilic and thermophilic temperature regime of organic wastes from the agribusiness. , 2017 .

[26]  Werner Fuchs,et al.  Biological biogas upgrading capacity of a hydrogenotrophic community in a trickle-bed reactor , 2016 .

[27]  Christoph Herwig,et al.  Essential prerequisites for successful bioprocess development of biological CH4 production from CO2 and H2 , 2015, Critical reviews in biotechnology.

[28]  Hans Oechsner,et al.  Biological hydrogen methanation - A review. , 2017, Bioresource technology.

[29]  C. Schleper,et al.  Assessing the Ecophysiology of Methanogens in the Context of Recent Astrobiological and Planetological Studies , 2015, Life.

[30]  Y. Takahara,et al.  Cultivation of thermophilic methanogen KN-15 on H2-CO2 under pressurized conditions , 1992 .

[31]  M. Burkhardt,et al.  Methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide , 2013 .

[32]  R. Speece.  A survey of municipal anaerobic sludge digesters and diagnostic activity assays , 1988 .

[33]  J. Frouz,et al.  Temperature regulates deterministic processes and the succession of microbial interactions in anaerobic digestion process. , 2017, Water research.

[34]  Peter L. Silveston,et al.  Hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde under periodic flow interruption in a trickle bed , 1999 .