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Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy
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Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 April 2024 | Viewed by 3678

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Benedikt Hülsemann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University of Hohenheim, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Interests: biogas; anaerobic digestion; bioeconomy; efficiency; pretreatment
Dr. Hans Oechsner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University of Hohenheim, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Interests: bioenergy; biogas process; trace elements for biogas; pretreatment of substrates; drying of digestate; efficiency of biogas processes; BMP test methods; energy crops; AD of organic waste; platform chemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to various crises, material and energy costs are rising worldwide, while at the same time global warming continues to advance. For these reasons, the efficient use of regionally available materials is increasingly in the focus of public interest. Anaerobic digestion, e.g., in the form of biogas plants, can help to use organic residues as efficiently as possible in bioeconomy concepts.

Thereby, various organic residual materials accumulate in agriculture, as well as in industry or in the municipality as biowaste, which are often only composted or even combusted today. The use of these materials in anaerobic digestion or within a bioeconomy concept can significantly increase the economic efficiency of anaerobic digestion and resource efficiency and can also reduce the rate of CO2 emission significantly. The products of such bioeconomy concepts are very broadly diversified. Thus, both the energetic use in the form of biogas (electricity, heat or fuel) and the material utilization in the form of fibers, bioplastics, or platform chemicals are conceivable. In the same way, the implementation of possible optimization ranges from targeted substrate preparation to optimization of the process conditions of anaerobic digestion to complete ecological and economic evaluation of entire bioeconomic models.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of articles that deal with the mentioned topic both theoretically in modeling and practically in the form of laboratory or full-scale trials.

The products of such bioeconomy concepts are very broadly diversified. Thus, both the energetic use in the form of biogas (electricity, heat or fuel) and the material utilization in the form of fibers, bioplastics, or platform chemicals are conceivable. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

  • Potential analysis of residual materials
  • Pre-treatment of the substrate
  • New concepts of anaerobic digestion
  • Design of anaerobic digestion
  • Process condition of anaerobic digestion
  • Ecological evaluation
  • Economic evaluation
  • New bioeconomic concepts including anaerobic digestion
  • Treatment and use of digestate
  • Evaluation of products of the bioeconomic model
  • Modelling of the processes

Dr. Benedikt Hülsemann
Dr. Hans Oechsner
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biogas production
  • bioeconomic
  • agricultural waste
  • industrial waste
  • anaerobic digestion
  • fibre production
  • platform chemicals
  • efficiency
  • renewable energy
 

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2463 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Methane Yield of Salicornia spp. via Organosolv Fractionation as Part of a Halophyte Biorefinery Concept
by Aadila Cayenne, Maxwel Monção, Leonidas Matsakas, Ulrika Rova, Paul Christakopoulos, Mette H. Thomsen and Hinrich Uellendahl
Energies 2024, 17(5), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17051074 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 433
Abstract
The present research investigated the effect of organosolv pretreatment on two species of salt-tolerant Salicornia spp. biomass, Salicornia dolichostachya and Salicornia ramosissima, for increasing biomethane production through anaerobic digestion. The final biomethane yield of de-juiced green fibers of Salicornia spp. from wet [...] Read more.
The present research investigated the effect of organosolv pretreatment on two species of salt-tolerant Salicornia spp. biomass, Salicornia dolichostachya and Salicornia ramosissima, for increasing biomethane production through anaerobic digestion. The final biomethane yield of de-juiced green fibers of Salicornia spp. from wet fractionation increased by 23–28% after organosolv treatment. The highest methane yield of about 300 mL-CH4/gVS was found after organosolv treatment with 60% v/v ethanol solution at 200 °C for 30 min, or at 180 °C for 30 or 60 min treatment time. Furthermore, the methane production rate increased significantly, reducing the time until 95% of the final methane yield was reached from 20 days to 6–10 days for the organosolv-treated biomass. This research shows that the process of anaerobic digestion of halophyte biomass benefits from cascade processing of Salicornia fibers in a biorefinery framework by sequential wet and organosolv fractionation for full utilization of halophytic biomass. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy)
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26 pages, 4476 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Different Mechanical Pretreatment Methods for the Anaerobic Digestion of Landscape Management Grass
by René Heller, Christina Brandhorst, Benedikt Hülsemann, Andreas Lemmer and Hans Oechsner
Energies 2023, 16(24), 8091; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16248091 - 15 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 794
Abstract
The aim of this study was to use landscape grass from species-rich orchards for biogas production, thus preserving these very valuable areas for future generations. Since these grass clippings have high lignocellulose content, the substrate has to be pretreated before being fed into [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to use landscape grass from species-rich orchards for biogas production, thus preserving these very valuable areas for future generations. Since these grass clippings have high lignocellulose content, the substrate has to be pretreated before being fed into the biogas digester. In this study, three different mechanical treatment processes (cross-flow grinder, ball mill and a mounted mower) were investigated and compared with untreated grass clippings. Chemical composition, specific methane yield, degradation kinetics and microscopic images were analyzed. In order to derive recommendations, the harvesting and pretreatment processes were examined in terms of energy demand, additional methane yield, and suitability of the substrate for use in biogas plants, taking into account conservation aspects. Within the pretreatment process, ball milling leads to the highest significant increase in specific methane yield of up to 5.8% and the fastest gas formation kinetics (lag time λBM: 0.01 ± 0.0 d; duration to reach half of total gas production ½M(x)BM: 5.4 ± 0.2 d) compared to the untreated variant (λUT: 1.02 ± 0.2 d; ½M(x)UT: 6.5 ± 0.2 d). A comparison of the energy required for the mechanical disintegration of the substrates with the increased yield of methane during the digestion process shows that the mechanical processing of these substrates appears to be useful. A positive energy balance was achieved for the cross-flow grinder (12.3 kWh tVS−1) and the ball mill (21.4 kWh tVS−1), while the Amazone Grasshopper left a negative balance (−18.3 kWh tVS−1), requiring more energy for substrate pretreatment than was generated as methane surplus. In summary, the pretreatment of landscape management grass is a suitable approach for utilizing agricultural residues efficiently in a biogas plant and thus contributing to sustainable energy production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy)
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13 pages, 3055 KiB  
Article
Mono-Digestion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Process-Wastewater in Continuously Operated Anaerobic Filters: A Cascade Utilization Approach
by Muhammad Tahir Khan, Johannes Krümpel, Dominik Wüst and Andreas Lemmer
Energies 2023, 16(22), 7576; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227576 - 14 Nov 2023
Viewed by 682
Abstract
A proper remedy for the overexploitation of biomass and biobased materials in the bioeconomy is the valorization of biorefineries’ side streams into meaningful products. Hence, in pursuit of a cascade utilization of renewables, a unique biorefinery byproduct was investigated for its biogas potential, [...] Read more.
A proper remedy for the overexploitation of biomass and biobased materials in the bioeconomy is the valorization of biorefineries’ side streams into meaningful products. Hence, in pursuit of a cascade utilization of renewables, a unique biorefinery byproduct was investigated for its biogas potential, specifically methane, in continuously operated anaerobic filters. For this purpose, 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural process-wastewater, after supplementation of necessary nutrients, was diluted down to 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 gCOD/L concentrations and thereafter tested individually at 43 °C and 55 °C. Maximum methane conversion efficiency at either temperature was observed for test substrates with 10 gCOD/L and 20 gCOD/L concentrations. At 43 °C, the anaerobic filters exhibited their highest biogas yields when supplied with the 30 gCOD/L feedstock. Further exposure of the mesophilic and thermophilic consortia to the ensuing 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural process-wastewater dilutions compromised the stability of the anaerobic process due to the soaring concentrations of short-chained volatile fatty acids. The supplementation of necessary nutrients to unlock the methane potential of the given recalcitrant substrate appears insufficient. Techniques like micro aeration, photolysis, or the use of activated carbon in the fixed bed might have the ability to enhance the biochemical methane conversion of such feedstock; otherwise, the introduction of trace elements alone may be adequate if aiming for platforms (volatile fatty acids) via anaerobic technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy)
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13 pages, 4617 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Thermodynamic Parameters of the Biological Hydrogen Methanation in a Trickle-Bed Reactor for the Conditioning of Biogas to Biomethane
by Elena Holl, Anastasia Oskina, Urs Baier and Andreas Lemmer
Energies 2023, 16(12), 4720; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16124720 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 826
Abstract
The increased demand for resources and energy that is developing with rising global consumption represents a key challenge for our generation. Biogas production can contribute to sustainable energy production and closing nutrient cycles using organic residues or as part of a utilization cascade [...] Read more.
The increased demand for resources and energy that is developing with rising global consumption represents a key challenge for our generation. Biogas production can contribute to sustainable energy production and closing nutrient cycles using organic residues or as part of a utilization cascade in the case of energy crops. Compared to hydrogen (H2), biogas with a high methane (CH4) content can be fed into the gas grid without restrictions. For this purpose, the CH4 content of the biogas must be increased from 52 to 60% after anaerobic digestion to more than 96%. In this study, biological hydrogen methanation (BHM) in trickling-bed reactors (TBR) is used to upgrade biogas. Design of experiments (DoE) is used to determine the optimal process parameters. The performance of the reactors is stable under all given conditions, reaching a “low” gas grid quality of over 90%. The highest CH4 content of 95.626 ± 0.563% is achieved at 55 °C and 4 bar, with a methane formation rate (MFR) of 5.111 ± 0.167 m3/(m3·d). The process performance is highly dependent on the H2:CO2 ratio in the educts, which should be as close as possible to the stochiometric ratio of 4. In conclusion, BHM is a viable approach to upgrade biogas to biomethane quality and can contribute to a sustainable energy grid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anaerobic Digestion in the Bioeconomy)
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