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Anaerobic Digestion of Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in Two-Phase Dry Digestion System Versus Wet Digestion System

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Abstract

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a high yield tropical grass with great potential for anaerobic digestion. Two-phase anaerobic dry digestion (TADD), considered an alternative for anaerobic wet digestion system (AWD) with only front-end leach bed reactor (LBR), is added to existing liquid digester, was tested under different leachate circulations, and was compared with AWD. Leachate circulation frequency in LBR was found to highly influence hydrolysis rate and hence improved overall digestibility of the grass fiber. Additional methane yield of 32.5% was achieved when leachate circulation increased from 1 to 4 times per day and diminished to merely 13.7% more at continuous circulation. A shift in methane generation from leachate digester to LBR as digestion time progressed and important biochemical characteristics were discussed. In AWD, operation at an organic loading of 4 kgVS/m3 d gave the highest methane yield at 145.2 m3/tondry, which is 2.3 times higher than TADD due to an advantage in mass transfer in a total wet environment. This work had advanced our understandings on phase separation in anaerobic digestion system and the key methanation performance among dry and wet digestions of the prototypical lignocellulosic biomass.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Anaerobic digestion

ADD:

Anaerobic dry digestion

ALK:

Alkalinity

AWD:

Anaerobic wet digestion

BMP:

Biochemical methane potential

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

CSTR:

Continuously stirred tank reactor

HAc:

Acetic acid

HBr:

Butyric acid

HHV:

Higher heating value

HPr:

Propionic acid

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

LBR:

Leach bed reactor

LD:

Leachate digester

OLR:

Organic loading rate

R1:

Dry digestion system under leachate circulation one time/day

R4:

Dry digestion system under leachate circulation four times/day

Rcont:

Dry digestion system under continuous leachate circulation

SCOD:

Soluble chemical oxygen demand

TADD:

Two-phase anaerobic dry digestion

TMP:

Theoretical methane potential

TS:

Total solids

VFA:

Volatile fatty acid

VS:

Volatile solids

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Funding

Funding for this research was provided by Research and Researchers for Industries Program, the Thailand Research Fund (Grant No. PHD57I0032) for Dr. Sumate Chaiprapat, the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), Ministry of Energy, Thailand (Grant No. 063/2559) for Dr. Sumate Chaiprapat, and Graduate School of Prince of Songkla University. The authors would also like to thank Satun Animal Nutrition Development Station for Napier grass cultivation and harvesting and Liang Heng Lee Farm Co., Ltd. Songkhla, Thailand, for anaerobic inoculum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

    Amornpan Thaemngoen, Kanyarat Saritpongteeraka, Chettaphong Phuttaro & Sumate Chaiprapat

  2. Center of Excellence on Energy Technology and Environment, Postgraduate Education and Research Development Office (PERDO), Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

    Kanyarat Saritpongteeraka

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR

    Shao-Yuan Leu

  4. Asian Development College for Community Economy and Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai, 50300, Thailand

    Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat

  5. PSU Energy Systems Research Institute (PERIN), Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

    Sumate Chaiprapat

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  1. Amornpan Thaemngoen
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  2. Kanyarat Saritpongteeraka
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Correspondence to Sumate Chaiprapat.

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Thaemngoen, A., Saritpongteeraka, K., Leu, SY. et al. Anaerobic Digestion of Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in Two-Phase Dry Digestion System Versus Wet Digestion System. Bioenerg. Res. 13, 853–865 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-020-10110-1

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