METHANE PRODUCTION IN A MESOPHILIC ANSBBR FOR GLYCERIN TREATMENT: OPERATIONAL LIMIT, KINETIC MODELING, SCALE-UP, AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

• Grant number: 25/02239-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Roberta Albanez Toreta
• Grantee: Karina Herreira Deffert
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia Mauá (EEM). Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia. São Caetano do Sul , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/10615-1 - Consolidation of the biorefinery concept applied to the biological treatment of wastewater and solid wastes, AP.TEM

Abstract

The production of methane from agro-industrial waste represents a sustainable alternative for bioenergy generation and effluent treatment. This process converts organic waste into biogas, which can be used for energy production or as a renewable fuel. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it helps mitigate the environmental impact of waste and contributes to nutrient recycling, as its byproduct, digestate, can be used for agricultural irrigation and fertilization.This project evaluates the use of a sequential batch-operated anaerobic reactor with immobilized biomass (AnSBBR) under mesophilic conditions for the treatment of glycerol, a byproduct of the biodiesel industry. The goal is to determine the operational limit of the reactor in response to increasing organic loading rates, analyzing its efficiency and stability.The experimental protocol includes the monitoring of physicochemical and microbiological variables, as well as kinetic modeling to understand the metabolic pathways of the process. Biogas productivity and methane yield will be correlated with operational conditions. The results will provide valuable insights for scale-up and economic assessment, contributing to the development of sustainable biorefineries that integrate renewable energy production and environmental impact mitigation.