Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is a well-known technology which has been extensively studied to improve its performance and yield biogas from substrates. The application of different types of pre-treatments has led to an increase in biogas production but also in global energy demand. However, in recent years the use of carbon conductive materials as supplement for this process has been studied resulting in an interesting way for improving the performance of anaerobic digestion without greatly affecting its energy demand. This review offers an introduction to this interesting approach and covers the different experiences performed on the use of carbon conductive materials proposing it as a feasible alternative for the production of energy from biomass, considering also the integration of anaerobic digestion and thermal valorisation.
Highlights
Fossil fuels have been the conventional sources of energy that keep running the modern world
Anaerobic digestion is capable of generating biogas which can either be used directly or converted into energy by the use of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit, the process produces stabilised organic material as a by-product which can be valorised as an organic amendment
This combined reactor was tested in the stabilisation of waste activated sludge reporting a significant improvement in the rate of methane production [109]
Summary
Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) have been the conventional sources of energy that keep running the modern world. Anaerobic digestion is capable of generating biogas which can either be used directly or converted into energy by the use of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit, the process produces stabilised organic material as a by-product which can be valorised as an organic amendment. This digested material is a nutrient-rich sludge which can serve as a fertiliser, if it is well handled by proper application operation and control of heavy metals in soils [2]. Biogas yields is presented, with special focus on the performance of the digestion when carbon conductive materials are used for favouring biomass proliferation and increasing degradation rates
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