Biogas process improvements

Process monitoring and control is very crucial to evaluate the biogas process, to identify upcoming instabilities in AD before a failure, to have a successful start-up or re-start of a plant, and to secure or even improve the digestion performance. In order to develop a control scheme the following steps should be considered ... 

In contrast, high temperature fuel eells like SOFCs provide efficient power generation with power to heat ratios > 1 even at small scale. In addition, they are able to process lean biogases and fluctuating gas composition. If the remaining development tasks will be addressed with sufficient resources, this technology can considerably improve electrical power production from biogas in the near future. 

The methane-rich biogas from lignocellulosic materials comes mostly from hemicelluloses and cellulose [45]. The production of biogas from lignocellulosic materials was dependent on the performance, cost effectiveness, and product generation of pretreatment process. Hence, the methane yield per wastes volume can be further improved. 

Bougrier C, Delgenes JP, Carrere H (2006) Combination of thermal treatments and anaerobic digestion to reduce sewage sludge quantity and improve biogas yield. Process Saf Environ Prot 84 280-284... 

To identify the mechanisms underlying the extraordinarily effective hydrolysis of recalcitrant substrates such as crystalline cellulose will help to monitor the state of commercial biogas plants and to improve the yield of the process by adjusting to optimized conditions for biomass utilization. Moreover, it will give hints to improve the activity of commercially produced cellulase preparations and thus a crucial leap forward to the biotechnology of the second and third generation which intends to use ceUulosic biomass as substrate. 

Downstream processes in the biogas formation will have to be improved to take up the increased carbon flow from substrate hydrolysis. This could lead to improved biogas production efficiency and thus a better eco footprint as well as an improved process economy. 

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