Summary

The research presented in this thesis describes evaluation of certain raw materials (sewage sludge in addition to plant residues such as wheat straw and palm fronds and reeds ) on the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion and anaerobic gas production. In addition to find ways to enhance the yield of methane from raw materials through the improvement of the properties of raw materials and provide optimal environmental conditions with the application of large-scale by using anaerobic bioreactor. Sewage sludge was used for the production of biogas by anaerobic digestion at a temperature of 35 C, and a retention time was 30 days; has been shown the possibility of producing biogas from primary sludge with daily production rate average of 52.27 cm3 biogas. day-1 , and the average of production yield amounted to 47.41 cm3 biogas per g volatile solids (VS) added . And that the results of the analysis of gas chromatography showed the presence of a low percentage of methane within the contents of biogas amounted to 37.116%, in addition to low removal rates recorded 16.34% for TS, 26.96% for VS, 28.05% for COD, 32.48% for BOD, and 42.13% for total organic carbon, with a very low removal rate for total nitrogen 3.4% , and 8.7% for phosphorus, as well as the removal rate of Coliforms about 94.68%. It has been noticed that is an increase of pH to 7.9 at the end of digestion. The process of anaerobic co-digestion of plant residues (wheat straw, reeds and fronds) with sludge at a temperature of 35 C, and 90 days of retention time led to production of biogas with range between 77.41 95.52 cm3. day-1, and the production yield ranged between 89.22 - 113.88 cm3 biogas per g VS. As well as the increase of methane concentration in the biogas to range between 52.6 - 59.2%. Also the studied environmental factors has been the clear impact on the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion and biogas production from wheat straw, it has been shown that an increase in temperature adversely affect the production of biogas, as it amounted to the cumulative volume of biogas product was 11.15 liters in the digesters that operated at 35 C with daily production rate 123.86 cm3.day-1, compared with the digesters that operated at 55 C of 5.52 liters and daily production rate was 61.38 cm3.day-1, while the production yield was 148.11 cm3.g-1 VS, and methane concentration 66.04% for mesophilic digesters, compared with 73.4 cm3.g-1 VS, and methane concentration 66.04%, for thermophilic digesters. pH (or buffer capacity) has shown a significant impact on the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion and biogas production, the buffer using led to increase in the cumulative volume of the gas product about 35%, the yield of biogas production amounted to 201.73 cm3.g-1 VS in
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the buffer digesters while reaching to 149.37 cm3.g-1 VS in control digesters. so the use of buffer cause a raise in methane content to 72.58% compared with 67.12% in control. Buffer digesters also showed better treatment efficiency and removal ratios significantly higher when compared to the control digesters. Stirring factor is another environmental factor, has been studied its effect on the production of biogas from wheat straw by anaerobic digestion, as it turned out to be a simple positive effect in the production of biogas. The yield production of biogas, which amounted to 225.15 cm3.g-1 VS, with methane ratio of 74.3% in stirring digesters, compared with the yield production reached to 204.28 cm3.g-1 VS and methane ratio of 73.52% in static Digesters. Anaerobic bioreactor has been locally designed and built with a maximum operating capacity of 20 liters, The reactor showed high efficiency in anaerobic digestion and the high productivity of biogas, the total biogas volume was 179.35 liters, and the average daily production of biogas was 1.99 L.day-1 within 90 days of digestion, and the average yield of biogas production was 237.27 cm3 biogas per g VS, ad a good percentage of methane was 77.06%. The results of the microbiological analysis showed high numbers of coliform bacteria during the early stages of digestion peaking by 3.02 106 Coliforms . ml-1 after day 30 of digestion, while the bacteria methane peak numbers in a digestion between 45 - 60 days for up to 1.1 107 Methanogens . ml-1. Also recorded good removal rate of chemical oxygen requirement of 82.39% and 78.06% for the total organic carbon in dry matter after digestion. The study found that the process of anaerobic digestion using batch bioreactor system efficient in the treatment of organic materials of the sewage sludge and lignocellulosic waste and biogas production and by high levels of methane.

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