Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization

Niemiec, Marcin; Suder, Marcin; Okręglicka, Małgorzata; Komorowska, Monika; Syromiatnykov, Yurii; Sikora, Jakub; Jakóbik, Karolina

doi:10.3390/en19112732

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Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization

by

Marcin Niemiec

¹,

Marcin Suder

²

,

Małgorzata Okręglicka

^3,*

,

Monika Komorowska

¹,

Yurii Syromiatnykov

^4,5,6

,

Jakub Sikora

⁷ and

Karolina Jakóbik

²

¹

Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Krakow, Poland

²

Faculty of Management, AGH University of Krakow, 30-059 Kraków, Poland

³

Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland

⁴

Institute of Soil and Plant Sciences, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, 3001 Jelgava, Latvia

⁵

Department of Fruit and Vegetable Growing and Viticulture, Institute of Agrobiotechnologies and Food Safety, Samarkand State University Named after Sharof Rashidov, Samarkand 140104, Uzbekistan

⁶

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Mechatronics and Engineering, State Biotechnological University, 61000 Kharkiv, Ukraine

⁷

Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Power Engineering and Automation, Faculty of Production and Power Engineering, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 116B, 30-149 Krakow, Poland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Energies 2026, 19(11), 2732; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19112732 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 14 April 2026 / Revised: 22 May 2026 / Accepted: 29 May 2026 / Published: 5 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges of Anaerobic Digestion for Bioproducts and Bioenergy Production)

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Abstract

The sustainable management of agri-food waste is a key challenge in the context of the circular economy and energy transition. Anaerobic digestion is an effective method for converting organic waste into renewable energy; however, its efficiency is often limited by substrate properties, such as high lignin content, low biodegradability, and unfavorable C: N ratios. This study evaluates a low-energy pretreatment method based on a Vortex Layer Reactor (VLR, equivalent to the AVS-100 system) applied to slaughterhouse waste, swine manure, and spent mushroom substrate. The analysis included biogas yield, methane production, carbon conversion, process kinetics, and net energy efficiency. The results showed that pretreatment effectiveness depends on substrate type. No improvement was observed in slaughterhouse waste, with net energy efficiency decreasing by approximately 9%. In contrast, biogas yield increased by 14% for swine manure and 18% for spent mushroom substrate, with a maximum net energy gain of 17.6%. The process required only 2.16–3.6 kWh·Mg⁻¹ (about 9 kWh·Mg⁻¹ TS), significantly less than conventional methods. The findings indicate that pretreatment should be applied selectively, depending on substrate characteristics. This study supports decision-making in biogas plant management by integrating technological efficiency with energy and operational criteria.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion; biogas production; biomass pretreatment; vortex layer reactor; energy efficiency; carbon conversion; process optimization; decision-making

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MDPI and ACS Style

Niemiec, M.; Suder, M.; Okręglicka, M.; Komorowska, M.; Syromiatnykov, Y.; Sikora, J.; Jakóbik, K. Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization. Energies 2026, 19, 2732. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19112732

AMA Style

Niemiec M, Suder M, Okręglicka M, Komorowska M, Syromiatnykov Y, Sikora J, Jakóbik K. Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization. Energies. 2026; 19(11):2732. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19112732

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niemiec, Marcin, Marcin Suder, Małgorzata Okręglicka, Monika Komorowska, Yurii Syromiatnykov, Jakub Sikora, and Karolina Jakóbik. 2026. "Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization" Energies 19, no. 11: 2732. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19112732

APA Style

Niemiec, M., Suder, M., Okręglicka, M., Komorowska, M., Syromiatnykov, Y., Sikora, J., & Jakóbik, K. (2026). Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization. Energies, 19(11), 2732. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19112732

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Low-Energy Pretreatment of Organic Waste Using a Vortex Layer Reactor: Effects on Biogas Production, Carbon Conversion, and Process Optimization

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