Improved energy utilization efficiency via adding solar radiant heating mode for traditional bioreactor to dispose straw: Experimental and numerical evaluation

Abstract

Energy utilization efficiency of heating for the operation process of biogas reactor is an important factor limiting its development and popularization. A novel mode of solar radiant heating combined with the conventional heating mode was proposed to reduce the power loss and improve the utilization cycle of heat exchanger. In present work, experimental and numerical researches about the anaerobic fermentation process under two heating modes were made to investigate the effect of temperature fluctuation on non-isothermal fermentation process under solar radiant heating. The results show that the methane production capacity of non-isothermal process under solar radiant heating reduces by up to 14% compared with the constant temperature condition in three seasons; increasing the total solid concentration of bioreactor is helpful for improving the effect of solar radiant heating; the effects of temperature fluctuation coefficient on acid and methane productions are bigger than the one on pH of slurry.