Anaerobic serial reactor (ASR) applied in the processing sugarcane stillage

Author(s)

Vinicius Masquetti da Conceição

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2016-12-09

Examining board members

Eduardo Cleto Pires; Márcia Helena Rissato Zamariolli Damianovic; Eugenio Foresti; Flávio Bentes Freire; Ariovaldo José da Silva

• Advisor: Eduardo Cleto Pires

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the application of an anaerobic serial reactor (ASR) in the sugarcane stillage processing for the removal of organic matter and biogas production, submitted to the gradual increase in organic loading rate. ASR reactor consisted of four reactors operated in series (C1, C2, C3 and C4), each with a reaction volume of 5 L (total volume of 20 L). The first step (Step 1) consisted of reactor operation and monitoring; organic loading rate was gradually increased from 0.5 kg COD m-3d-1 up to 2.5 kg COD m-3 d-1. In the second step (Step 2), sequential batch reactors were operated, simulating the continuous ASR reactor operation, aiming to study the effect of the increase of organic load applied to sludge (OLS). The ASR reactor operated under low values of COVglobal and COALglobal applied in Step 1, obtaining a maximum 2.50 kg COD m-3d-1 and 0.167 kg TVS/m-3d-1, respectively. The results obtained from Step 1 indicated satisfactory removal of the global average organic matter in the form of COD more than 90 %, caused by adaptation of the biomass along the sequential reactors. Methane appeared to be the predominant gas in biogas composition, with values above 75%, which confirmed the establishment of the full methanogenic system. In all compartments of the sequential reactors, there was a higher relative abundance for the domains Archaea and Bacteria of the genera Methanosaeta, methane producers, and T78, which is responsible for degradation of sugars, respectively. Especially for the reactors C3 and C4, the adaptation of some populations for both domains Bacteria and Archaea indicated was observed by the lower diversity index and increase in dominance. The increase of the organic loading rates applied to the sludge, as established in the batch tests, increased the organic load values applied to all reactors. With the increase of organic loading applied, an increase in the accumulation of organic acids, mainly acetic, for all stages and the batch tests. Methane production was significant in the operation of batch reactors, mainly in the C1. In general, the results obtained showed good performance of the processing of the sugarcane stillage in serial reactor (ASR) for the removal of organic matter and biogas production. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/19561-5 - Application of anaerobic baffled reactor in the processing of stillage of sugar cane for the production of methane
• Grantee: Vinicius Masquetti da Conceição
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate