Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to investigate the biofermentation process in small-volume fermenters. Dark serum bottles with a volume of 100–120 mL, tightly sealed with a rubber septum, were used as bioreactors. The optimum measurement conditions in this type of bioreactor comprise: (i) filling two-thirds of the maximum volume with a suspension; (ii) a 2% bioreactor loading (on a dry basis) and; (iii) the daily equalization of pressure by removing the biogas through the septum pierced with a syringe needle and the intensive mixing of the remaining suspension. The methane yield (quantity and dynamics) obtained in this type of bioreactor is analogous to that of industrial bioreactors or large-scale laboratory bioreactors. The use of small-volume bioreactors that can be incubated will facilitate the preliminary selection of analysed systems and provide an indication of those that should be investigated in large-scale bioreactors.
Highlights
Renewable energy is derived from a constantly increasing range of raw materials [1,2,3] that can be of plant [4,5,6] or animal [7,8] origin
Irrespective of the direction of research related to the development of biogas production technologies, three areas of research activity can be distinguished: (i) laboratory-scale experiments [1,8,14], (ii) semi-industrial scale experiments [15] and (iii) pilot experiments in industrial installations [16,17,18]
The highest biogas yield was found in the highest bioreactor loading, i.e., 13% (Figure 1)
Summary
Renewable energy is derived from a constantly increasing range of raw materials [1,2,3] that can be of plant [4,5,6] or animal [7,8] origin. The technologies developed in this field have already been widely applied in industry [9,10,11]. The practical application of biogas production installations does not exclude on-going development and improvement, which is evidenced by the latest reports [6,12,13]. Irrespective of the direction of research related to the development of biogas production technologies, three areas of research activity can be distinguished: (i) laboratory-scale experiments [1,8,14],. Since scientific research is inherently associated with a large number of experiments (multifarious aspects investigated in many repetitions), the technical possibilities of conducting such investigations in large-scale installations pose a problem. The larger the bioreactor, the more similar the research conditions are to industrial-scale bioreactors and the more difficult it is to perform multiple repetitions
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