Comparison of Temperature‐Phased and Two‐Phase Anaerobic Co‐Digestion of Primary Sludge and Municipal Solid Waste

Characterization of the similarities and differences between two-phase and temperature-phased systems treating primary wastewater sludge (PS) and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as substrate was performed by comparing the rates of key steps, including hydrolysis and methanogenesis. Aceticlastic methanogenic rates were determined using batch respirometric tests with inocula from operating two-phase and temperature-phased systems. The initial methane production rates ranged from 0.32 to 0.93 mL methane/g volatile solids (VS)h for all systems, with the greatest rates observed from the first stage of the temperature-phased system. Hydrolysis rates were determined from particulate chemical oxygen demand destruction. The first stage of the temperature-phased system had greater specific hydrolysis rates than the first stage of the two-phase system at each operating condition. The temperature-phased system outperformed the two-phase system in terms of methane production and VS destruction when treating a mixed OFMSW-PS stream at OFMSW-to-PS ratios of 0:100, 20:80, and 40:60. When the feed ratios were 60:40 and 80:20 OFMSW-PS, there was no significant difference in the performance of the two systems. The overall methane yield and VS destruction of the temperature-phased system ranged from 0.299 to 0.418 L/g VS fed and 47.5 to 71.6%, respectively. The overall methane yield and VS destruction of the two-phase system ranged from 0.281 to 0.332 L/g VS fed and 39.6 to 69.3%, respectively.

[1]  G. Tchobanoglous,et al.  Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues , 1993 .

[2]  P. Pavan,et al.  Kinetic study of the thermophilic anaerobic digestion of the fresh and precomposted, mechanically selected, organic fraction of municipal solid waste , 1997 .

[3]  D. Klass,et al.  Anaerobic acidogenesis of wastewater sludge. , 1975, Journal - Water Pollution Control Federation.

[4]  S. Pavlostathis,et al.  Kinetics of anaerobic treatment: A critical review , 1991 .

[5]  Christopher Gerald Schmit,et al.  The temperature phased anaerobic biofilter-ASBR process , 1997 .

[6]  A. E. Greenberg,et al.  Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater : supplement to the sixteenth edition , 1988 .

[7]  J. A. Robinson,et al.  Determining microbial kinetic parameters using nonlinear regression analysis. Advantages and limitations in microbial ecology , 1985 .

[8]  Yue Han,et al.  Laboratory studies on the temperature-phased anaerobic digestion of mixtures of primary and waste activated sludge , 1997 .

[9]  P. Pipyn,et al.  Methane production from industrial wastes by two-phase anaerobic digestion , 1985 .

[10]  J. Ferguson,et al.  Solubilization of particulate organic carbon during the acid phase of anaerobic digestion , 1981 .

[11]  M. Stenstrom,et al.  Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste , 1983 .

[12]  Teresa G. Miller,et al.  Pilot- and full-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion of municipal sludge , 1995 .

[13]  M. Kayhanian,et al.  Innovative Two-Stage Process for the Recovery of Energy and Compost from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) , 1993 .