Biodesulfurization technologies applied to high-strength H2S streams evolved from sugarcane vinasse dark fermentation

• Grant number: 23/04885-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Márcia Helena Rissato Zamariolli Damianovic
• Grantee: André do Vale Borges
• Supervisor: Raul Muñoz Torre
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad de Valladolid (UVa), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/15245-5 - Sugarcane vinasse processing in combined systems: two-phase anaerobic digestion and evaporation, BP.DR

Abstract

The presence of high sulfate concentrations in organic matrices comprises one of the main bottlenecks in performing single-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) systems toward enhanced methane production. Recent studies on two-phase AD systems processing sugarcane vinasse, the main by-product generated from sugar-alcohol plants, have demonstrated the feasibility of reducing sulfate in the acidogenic stage, thus generating sulfide-rich biogas (up to 10%). Hydrogen sulfide is a highly flammable and toxic gas that harshly impacts human health, the environment, and biogas applications. Biotrickling filters (BTFs) and combined microalgal-bacterial (CMB) systems have conventionally been applied to desulfurize biogas generated from methanogenic reactors, which typically contains trace levels of hydrogen sulfide (100 - 4000 ppm). Thereby, this proposal aims to investigate and compare the performance process of BTF and CMB aerobic systems on sulfide-rich synthetic gas mixtures (CO2, CH4, and H2S), simulating the biogas evolved from vinasse fermentation. The BEPE proposal envisions mitigating sulfur emissions from sugarcane vinasse fermentation and preventing technical operating issues in biorefineries. (AU)