Biogas production by solid anaerobic digesters from agroindustrial waste

• Grant number: 16/20865-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: September 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Claudio Augusto Oller do Nascimento
• Grantee: Franciele Lamaison Fossaluza
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/50684-9 - Sustainable gas pathways for Brazil: from microcosm to macrocosm, AP.TEM

Abstract

The search for renewable fuels emerged as a solution to mitigate the effects caused by fossil fuels that generate pollutants from combustion, being the most responsible for global climate change. Biogas is considered a renewable energy source and can be produced naturally by bacteria in organic material. The main purpose is to develop a solid anaerobic digester to produce biogas with proper configuration and no need to perform chemical or enzymatic pretreatment of bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse will be used as substrate and sewage from USP or provided by SABESP (São Paulo) as inoculum. Most existing anaerobic digesters to produce biogas in Brazil have operating technical limitations presenting malfunctions and inadequate construction, design and size. Studies report the need to develop efficient bioprocesses able to improve methane yield, maximize bioconversion of organic matter and at the same time be stable. In Brazil, solid anaerobic digesters are not being used yet. These systems generally reduce more than 60% of the volatile solids during anaerobic solid fermentation. This work will develop two configurations of solid anaerobic digester: a) LBR (Leach Bed Reactor) biodigester and b) LBR biodigester coupled to MFBR (Metanogenic Fix Bed Reactor. The efficiency of the process will mainly depend on the conversion of organic matter to biogas and the biogas productivity. With the adjustment of process parameters it is expected to obtain the optimal conditions of solid anaerobic digester, process stability, as well as to produce a gas with high biomethane content. (AU)