Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research

Experimental Investigation of Biogas Yielding Rate from Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Multiple Organic Feedstocks Using a Bio-digester

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Aniekan Essienubong Ikpe 1
Kufre Richard Ekanem 2
Michael Okon Bassey 3
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Nigeria, PMB 1200
2 Department of Science Technology, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Nigeria, PMB 1200
3 Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Nigeria, PMB 1200
10.34172/jaehr.1354
Abstract
Background: The high cost of fossil fuels has driven the exploration of renewable energy alternatives. This study investigates the anaerobic co-digestion of waterleaf, cow dung, and food waste to optimize biogas production.
Methods: Four co-digestion experiments were performed using a prototype plastic bio-digester over 50 days. The combinations tested were: waterleaf with cow dung, waterleaf with food waste, food waste with cow dung, and a mix of all three feedstocks.
Results: Co-digestion of waterleaf and food waste yielded an average biogas output of 25%, with a pH of 7.2 and a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 28. Combining waterleaf and cow dung produced a 31% yield, a pH of 7.2, and a C/N ratio of 29. The mixture of food waste and cow dung resulted in a 34% biogas yield, with a pH of 7.1 and a C/N ratio of 30. The highest yield, 46%, was achieved by co-digesting waterleaf, cow dung, and food waste, with a pH of 7 and a C/N ratio of 32. All feedstock combinations maintained neutral pH levels, benefiting from the unique properties of each component: waterleaf provided vitamins A and C, food waste supplied carbohydrates and proteins, and cow dung contributed anaerobic microbes essential for digestion. Additionally, temperature was a significant factor influencing biogas production.
Conclusion: Co-digesting waterleaf, cow dung, and food waste maximized biogas production, demonstrating the potential for enhanced renewable energy generation through optimized anaerobic digestion processes.
Keywords
Biogas
Anaerobic digestion
Energy
Organic feedstock
Co-digestion

Subjects

  1. Sendaaza C. Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Waste: A Kitchen Waste Case Study [thesis]. AUC Knowledge Fountain; 2018.
  2. Aniekan I, Ikechukwu O. Review of municipal solid waste management technologies and its practices in China and Germany. International Journal of Technology Enhancements and Emerging Engineering Research. 2016;4(5):1-7.
  3. Ikpe AE, Ndon AI, Etim PJ. Assessment of the waste management system and its implication in Benin City metropolis, Nigeria. J Appl Res Ind Eng. 2020;7(1):79-91. doi: 22105/jarie.2020.215049.1121.
  4. Mo R, Guo W, Batstone D, Makinia J, Li Y. Modifications to the anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1) for enhanced understanding and application of the anaerobic treatment processes - A comprehensive review. Water Res 2023;244:120504. doi: 1016/j.watres.2023.120504.
  5. Jha AK, Li J, Nies L, Zhang L. Research advances in dry anaerobic digestion process of solid organic wastes. Afr J Biotechnol. 2011;10(65):14242-53. doi: 5897/ajb11.1277.
  6. Li J, Jha AK, He J, Ban Q, Chang S, Wang P. Assessment of the effects of dry anaerobic co-digestion of cow dung with waste water sludge on biogas yield and biodegradability. Int J Phys Sci. 2011;6(15):3723-32.
  7. Chen S, Liao W, Liu C, Wen Z, Kincaid RL, Harrison JH, et al. Value-Added Chemicals from Animal Manure-Final Technical Report-Contract DE-AC06-76RL0 1830. US Department of Energy; 2012.
  8. Gaida D, Wolf C, Meyer C, Stuhlsatz A, Lippel J, Bäck T, et al. State estimation for anaerobic digesters using the ADM1. Water Sci Technol. 2012;66(5):1088-95. doi: 2166/wst.2012.286.
  9. Ge X, Matsumoto T, Keith L, Li Y. Biogas energy production from tropical biomass wastes by anaerobic digestion. Bioresour Technol. 2014;169:38-44. doi: 1016/j.biortech.2014.06.067.
  10. Esposito G, Frunzo L, Giordano A, Liotta F, Panico A, Pirozzi F. Anaerobic co-digestion of organic wastes. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol. 2012;11(4):325-41. doi: 1007/s11157-012-9277-8.
  11. Sawyerr N, Trois C, Workneh T, Okudoh V. An overview of biogas production: fundamentals, applications and future research. Int J Energy Econ Policy. 2019;9(2):105-16.
  12. Ikpe A, Ebunilo P, Okovido J. Investigation of the energy (biogas) production from co-digestion of organic waste materials. International Journal of Energy Applications and Technologies. 2018;5(2):68-75. doi: 31593/ijeat.417498.
  13. Pathak H, Jain N, Bhatia A, Mohanty S, Gupta N. Global warming mitigation potential of biogas plants in India. Environ Monit Assess. 2009;157(1-4):407-18. doi: 1007/s10661-008-0545-6.
  14. Tanimu MI, Mohd Ghazi TI, Harun RM, Idris A. Effect of carbon to nitrogen ratio of food waste on biogas methane production in a batch mesophilic anaerobic digester. International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology. 2014 Apr 1;5(2):116-9. doi: 7763/ijimt.2014.v5.497.
  15. Hamawand I, Baillie C. Anaerobic digestion and biogas potential: simulation of lab and industrial-scale processes. Energies. 2015;8(1):454-74. doi: 3390/en8010454.
  16. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Landfill Recovery and Use in Nigeria (Pre-Feasibility Studies of Using LFGE), Grant No: XA83367801. Ibadan: Centre for People and Environment (CPE); 2011.
  17. Kuo J, Dow J. Biogas production from anaerobic digestion of food waste and relevant air quality implications. J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2017;67(9):1000-11. doi: 1080/10962247.2017.1316326.
  18. Deepanraj B, Sivasubramanian V, Jayaraj S. Experimental and kinetic study on anaerobic co-digestion of poultry manure and food waste. Desalin Water Treat. 2017;59:72-6. doi: 5004/dwt.2016.0162.
  19. Ukpabi C, Ndukwe O, Okoro O, John I, Eti P. The production of biogas using cow dung and food waste. Int J Mater Chem. 2017;7(2):21-4. doi: 5923/j.ijmc.20170702.01.
  20. Phetyim N, Wanthong T, Kannika P, Supngam A. Biogas production from vegetable waste by using dog and cattle manure. Energy Procedia. 2015;79:436-41. doi: 1016/j.egypro.2015.11.515.
  21. Gashaw A, Libsu S. Biodiesel, Bio-Ethanol and Biogas as an Alternative Fuels. Utah: American Academic Press; 2016.
  22. Hallaji SM, Kuroshkarim M, Moussavi SP. Enhancing methane production using anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge with combined fruit waste and cheese whey. BMC Biotechnol. 2019;19(1):19. doi: 1186/s12896-019-0513-y.
  23. Fitamo T, Boldrin A, Boe K, Angelidaki I, Scheutz C. Co-digestion of food and garden waste with mixed sludge from wastewater treatment in continuously stirred tank reactors. Bioresour Technol. 2016;206:245-54. doi: 1016/j.biortech.2016.01.085.
  24. Zamanzadeh M, Hagen LH, Svensson K, Linjordet R, Horn SJ. Biogas production from food waste via co-digestion and digestion-effects on performance and microbial ecology. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):17664. doi: 1038/s41598-017-15784-w.
  25. Ziemiński K, Frąc M. Methane fermentation process as anaerobic digestion of biomass: transformations, stages and microorganisms. Afr J Biotechnol. 2012;11(18):4127-39. doi: 5897/ajbx11.054.
  26. Yu Z, Schanbacher FL. Production of methane biogas as fuel through anaerobic digestion. In: Singh OV, Harvey SP, eds. Sustainable Biotechnology: Sources of Renewable Energy. Dordrecht: Springer; 2010. p. 105-27. doi: 1007/978-90-481-3295-9_6.
  27. De Vrieze J, Hennebel T, Boon N, Verstraete W. Methanosarcina: the rediscovered methanogen for heavy duty biomethanation. Bioresour Technol. 2012;112:1-9. doi: 1016/j.biortech.2012.02.079.
  28. Deepanraj B, Sivasubramanian V, Jayaraj S. Biogas generation through anaerobic digestion process-an overview. Res J Chem Environ. 2014;18(5):80-93.
  29. Ikpe AE, Imonitie DI, Ndon AE. Investigation of biogas energy derivation from anaerobic digestion of different local food wastes in Nigeria. Academic Platform Journal of Engineering and Science. 2019;7(2):332-40.
  30. Atandi E, Rahman S. Prospect of anaerobic co-digestion of dairy manure: a review. Environ Technol Rev. 2012;1(1):127-35. doi: 1080/09593330.2012.698654.
  31. Ikpe A, Akhihiero T, Esekhaigbe P. Comparative study of the kinetics of biogas yield from the co-digestion of poultry droppings with waterleaf and poultry droppings with elephant grass. Eng Sci. 2020;15(3):139-50.
  32. Griffin ME, McMahon KD, Mackie RI, Raskin L. Methanogenic population dynamics during start-up of anaerobic digesters treating municipal solid waste and biosolids. Biotechnol Bioeng. 1998;57(3):342-55. doi: 1002/(sici)1097-0290(19980205)57:3 < 342::aid-bit11 > 3.0.co;2-i.
  33. Wang S, Ma F, Ma W, Wang P, Zhao G, Lu X. Influence of temperature on biogas production efficiency and microbial community in a two-phase anaerobic digestion system. Water. 2019;11(1):133. doi: 3390/w11010133.
  34. Ebunilo PO, Okovido J, Ikpe AE. Anaerobic digestion of food substrates for biogas production. Niger Res J Eng Environ Sci. 2018;3(1):236-45.
  35. Baky MAH, Nazmul M, Khan H, Kader MF, Amin H. Production of biogas by anaerobic digestion of food waste and process simulation. In ASME 2014 8th International Conference on Energy Sustainability collocated with the ASME 2014 12th, International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; 2014. p. V002T04A018.
  36. Orhorhoro EK, Ebunilo PO, Ikpe AE. Effect of pH on anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic municipal solid waste in Benin City, Nigeria. Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics. 2016;36(1):369-74.
  37. Ikpe AE, Akpan NE, Bassey MO. Design and construction of an energy specific landfill gas production system for use in Nigeria. Adv Eng Des Technol. 2023;5(1):13-28.
  38. Bharathiraja B, Sudharsana T, Jayamuthunagai J, Praveenkumar R, Chozhavendhan S, Iyyappan J. Biogas production–a review on composition, fuel properties, feed stock and principles of anaerobic digestion. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2018;90:570-82.
  39. Zeshan, Karthikeyan OP, Visvanathan C. Effect of C/N ratio and ammonia-N accumulation in a pilot-scale thermophilic dry anaerobic digester. Bioresour Technol. 2012;113:294-302. doi: 1016/j.biortech.2012.02.028.
  40. Mital KM. Biogas Systems: Policies, Progress and Prospects. New Age International Pvt Ltd Publishers; 2007.
  41. Kasinath A, Fudala-Ksiazek S, Szopinska M, Bylinski H, Artichowicz W, Remiszewska-Skwarek A, et al. Biomass in biogas production: pretreatment and co-digestion. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2021;150:111509. doi: 1016/j.rser.2021.111509.
  42. Sibiya NT, Muzenda E, Tesfagiorgis HB. Effect of temperature and pH on the anaerobic digestion of grass silage. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Green Technology, Renewable Energy and Environmental Engineering; Cape Town, SA; 2014. p. 15-6.
  43. Ikpe A, Ndon AI, Etim P. Fuzzy modelling and optimization of anaerobic co-digestion process parameters for effective biogas yield from bio-wastes. The International Journal of Energy and Engineering Sciences. 2020;5(2):43-61.
  44. Angelidaki I, Ellegaard L, Ahring BK. Applications of the anaerobic digestion process. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2003;82:1-33. doi: 1007/3-540-45838-7_1.
  45. Raposo F, Borja R, Martín MA, Martín A, de la Rubia MA, Rincón B. Influence of inoculum–substrate ratio on the anaerobic digestion of sunflower oil cake in batch mode: process stability and kinetic evaluation. Chem Eng J. 2009;149(1-3):70-7. doi: 1016/j.cej.2008.10.001.
  46. Mata-Alvarez J, Macé S, Llabrés P. Anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes. An overview of research achievements and perspectives. Bioresour Technol. 2000;74(1):3-16. doi: 1016/s0960-8524(00)00023-7.
  47. Sun L, Müller B, Schnürer A. Biogas production from wheat straw: community structure of cellulose-degrading bacteria. Energy Sustain Soc. 2013;3(1):15. doi: 1186/2192-0567-3-15.
Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research
Volume 12, Issue 4
Autumn 2024
Pages 228-239