Biogasification of Green and Food Wastes Using Anaerobic-Phased Solids Digester System

The performance of a laboratory-scale anaerobic-phased solid (APS) digester system treating food and green wastes was evaluated at thermophilic condition. The APS system comprised of four hydrolysis digesters and one biogasification reactor. The hydrolysis reactors were operated batchwised at a 12-day retention time, while the biogasification reactor was continuously operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRT). The biogas and methane yields from green waste were determined to be 0.438 and 0.252 L/g volatile solid (VS), respectively, with VS removal of 78%. The biogas and methane yields from food waste were 0.596 and 0.379 L/g VS, respectively, with VS removal of 85%. Hydrogen was produced from hydrolysis reactors during the digestion of food waste. Its content was 30.1% and 8.5% of the biogas produced on the first and second day of digestion, respectively. Hydrogen yield from the whole system was determined to be 0.029 L/g VS representing about 4.9% of the total biogas production from the system. The ratio between the volumes of biogasification and hydrolysis reactors (BR/HR) was found to be a factor that affects the process performance and stability.