Search Results (2)

The integrated production of bioethanol and biogas makes it possible to optimise the production of carriers from renewable raw materials. The installation analysed in this experimental paper was a hybrid system, in which waste from the production of bioethanol was used in a biogas plant with a capacity of 1 MW_e. The main objective of this study was to determine the energy potential of biomass used for the production of bioethanol and biogas. Based on the results obtained, the conversion rate of the biomass—maize, in this case—into bioethanol was determined as the efficiency of the process of bioethanol production. A biomass conversion study was conducted for 12 months, during which both maize grains and stillage were sampled once per quarter (QU-I, QU-II, QU-III, QU-IV; QU—quarter) for testing. Between 342 L (QU-II) and 370 L (QU-I) of ethanol was obtained from the organic matter subjected to alcoholic fermentation. The mass that did not undergo conversion to bioethanol ranged from 269.04 kg to 309.50 kg, which represented 32.07% to 36.95% of the organic matter that was subjected to the process of bioethanol production. On that basis, it was concluded that only two-thirds of the organic matter was converted into bioethanol. The remaining part—post-production waste in the form of stillage—became a valuable raw material for the production of biogas, containing one-third of the biodegradable fraction. Under laboratory conditions, between 30.5 m³ (QU-I) and 35.6 m³ (QU-II) of biogas per 1 Mg of FM (FM—fresh matter) was obtained, while under operating conditions, between 29.2 m³ (QU-I) and 33.2 m³ (QU-II) of biogas was acquired from 1 Mg of FM. The Biochemical Methane Potential Correction Coefficient (BMPCC), which was calculated based on the authors’ formula, ranged from 3.2% to 7.4% in the analysed biogas installation. Full article

This study is an elaboration on the conference article written by the same authors, which presented the results of laboratory tests on the biogas efficiency of the following substrates: maize silage (MS), pig manure (PM), potato waste (PW), and sugar beet pulp (SB). This article presents methane yields from the same substrates, but also on a technical scale. Apart from that, it presents an original methodology of defining the Biochemical Methane Potential Correction Coefficient (BMPCC) based on the calculation of biomass conversion on an industrial scale and on a laboratory scale. The BMPCC was introduced as a tool to enable uncomplicated verification of the operation of a biogas plant to increase its efficiency and prevent undesirable losses. The estimated BMPCC values showed that the volume of methane produced in the laboratory was overestimated in comparison to the amount of methane obtained under technical conditions. There were differences observed for each substrate. They ranged from 4.7% to 17.19% for MS, from 1.14% to 23.58% for PM, from 9.5% to 13.69% for PW, and from 9.06% to 14.31% for SB. The BMPCC enables estimation of biomass under fermentation on an industrial scale, as compared with laboratory conditions. Full article