Biomassa, Biocombustibles i

Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biomasa:

Fuente renovable de carbn a partir de materia virgen o

residuos orgnicos.

Combustible con un almacenamiento de energa solar reciente:

no fsil.

Fuente: Energas Renovables. J. Gonzlez. Ed. Revert. 2009

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

6 CO2 ( g ) 6H 2O(l )

chlorophyll
sunlight

C6 H12O6 ( s ) 6 O2 ( g )

H o 2,8103 kJ

For each mole of carbon fixed (MC=12 gmol-1) is required 470 kJ (112 kcal)

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Fuente: ainia

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

How can we recover the energy contained in the biomass?
Thermal conversion
Combustion
Pyrolysis
Gasification (Syngas)

Biogs

Biological conversion
Anaerobic digestion (biogas)
Fermentation

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

HHV (Higher Heating Value). USA

LHV (Lower Heating Value). Europa

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biogas typically refers to a (biofuel) gas produced by the

anaerobic digestion or fermentation of organic matter including
manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, biodegradable
waste or any other biodegradable feedstock, under anaerobic
conditions. Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and carbon
dioxide.
The natural generation of biogas is an important part of the
biogeochemical carbon cycle. Methanogens (methane producing
bacteria) are the last link in a chain of micro-organisms which
degrade organic material and return the decomposition products
to the environment. In this process biogas is generated, a source
of renewable energy.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Fuente: ainia

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Fuente: Biogas from waste and renewable resources. D. Deublin & A. Steinhauser. Wiley-VCH. 2008

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

EurObservER 2008

Landfill gas
Urban sewage and industrial
effluents
Agricultural waste, MSW,
OFMSW, co-digestion plants

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Anaerobic digestion advantages

The main advantages of the AD technology are:
- Stabilize organic matter
- Feasible for a wide variety of waste and flow rates
- Reduce greenhouse gases emission global warming
- Low sludge production
- Positive energy balance
Energy from biogas
Low operational cost
- No or very little use of chemicals

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Which wastes can be anaerobically digested?

AD has long been used to stabilize organic wastes before its final
disposal.

Today, AD is a consolidated technology used to stabilize:

- Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants
- Municipal solid wastes (MSW)
- Industrial wastewaters
- Agricultural wastes
- animal manure
- crops waste
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Biogs

Biogas energy value

Biogas can be used in a combustion heat and power unit (CHP) to
produce electricity and another form of energy (steam or hot water).
> Methane lower heating value is 35,800 KJ/m 3
> Natural gas* heating value is 37,300 KJ/m 3

Biogas lower heating value range from 21,300 to

23,400 KJ/m3 as function of the % CH4
An estimation of the lower heating value of
biogas can be done by:

Biogas heating value (kJ/m3 )

35,800
% CH 4
100

* Natural gas is a mixture of methane, propane and butane.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs
6 CO2 ( g ) 6H 2O(l )

sunlight chlorophyll

C6 H12O6 ( s ) 6 O2 ( g )

Mean components of plants without N and S:

Carbohydrates: Starch, inulin, cellulose, sugar, pectin
Fat: Fat, fatty acids, oil, phophatides, waxes, carotene
Protein: Protein, nucleoproteid, phosphoproteid
Other: Vitamins, enzymes, resins, toxins, etc..

Average elementary composition of plants dry matter:

C38H60O26

Cc H hOo N n S s + yH 2O xCH 4 + (c - x)CO2 + nNH 3 + sH2 S

Where:
X = 0.125(4c+h-2o-3n+2s)
y = 0.250(4c-h-2o+3n+2s)
or, simplified

Cc H hOo (

c h o
- )CH 4
2 8 4

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Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogas C. Biolgica

Biogs

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

AD scheme*

Biogs

* Gujer and Zehnder, 1983

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

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Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

ADM1 scheme

Biogs

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Biogs

ADM1 scheme

A.

Desintegration

B. Hydrolysis

Sugar fermentation

Amino acids fermentation

LCFA degradation

Propionate degradation

Valeric/butiric degradation

Acetate Methanogesis

H2 Methanogesis

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Total and volatile solids

Biogs

Total solids (TS)

The material left in a crucible after drying a sample, overnight, in an oven at
103 105 C.
Fixed solid (FS)
The remaining solids after igniting a previously dried sample during 2 hours
at 550 C.
Volatile solid (VS or TVS)
The weight loss when the dried sample was ignited

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Biogs

Substrate
Also known as feedstock, waste, influent, input, food supply,
Substrate characterization:

ORGANIC MATTER:
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
- Solids (TS, FS, VS)
- Proteins
- Suspended solids (TSS, VSS)
- Lipids
- COD (total and soluble)
- Carbohydrates
- BOD
- Fibrers (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin)
- TOC and DOC
NUTRIENTS:
- TKN
- TAN
- Total Phosphorous

Acid-base properties:
- pH
- VFA
- Alkalinity

ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION:
- C, H, N, O, P and S

HEAVY METALS:
- Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo,
Ni, Zn,

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Total and volatile solids

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

% H20

gr
ai
n

e
ce
r in

Ba
rle
y

G
ly

sil
ag
e

ai
ze

Ba
rle
y

be
et

SW

% FS

Su
ga
r

O
FM

m
an
ur
e

Ra
pe

Ca
ttl
e

O
ra
ng
e

Pe
ar

Ap
pl
e

an
ur
e
Su
nf
lo
we
r

m
g

Pi

W
W

TP

slu
dg
e

0%

% VS

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Biogs

Hydraulic Retention Time

It is defined as the ratio of the reactor volume to the influent substrate

flow rate. Thus, it is a measure of the average time that the substrate
spends inside the digester:

HRT (days)

V
Q

Solid Retention Time

It is the average retention time which the sludge has remained in the
system:

SRT days

V X reactor
X
HRT reactor
Q X effluent
X effluent

Organic Loading Rate

Is the amount of substrate introduced into the digester volume in a given time:

kg SV Q S
S

OLR 3

HRT
m digesterday V

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biogas yield
Specific Gas Production (SGP)
It is the biogas produced per unit of substrate fed.

m3 biogas
SGP
kg SV

Q biogas

Q S

Gas Production Rate (GPR)

It is the biogas production per m3 of digester and day.

m3 biogas Q biogas

GPR 3
V
m digesterday

30

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Biogs

Chemical Oxygen Demand

The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is an indirect measure of the
organic matter.
It is defined as the amount of oxygen required to oxidize the matter
present in the sample, using a strong oxidizing agent under acid
conditions.

COD is expressed in terms of mg O2 L-1.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Biodegradability

Substrate removal yield

SMP (L methane / kg SV)

150
125
100

VS removal

75

B0 = 140 L / kg VS

50

VS 0 VS f
100
VS 0

25
0
0

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

days

CODremoval

COD0 CODf
100
COD0

Bo

VSo

Initial SV

Anaerobic

VSf

Digester

Final VS

Non biodegradable organic matter

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Biogs

Kinetic information from biodegradability test

SMP (L methane / kg SV)

150

Bo

125
100
75
50

Anaerobic

VSo

VSf

Digester

25
0
0

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

days

Considering first order kinetics:

The evolution of the VS concentration is obtained from:

S
kS
t

St Si e kt

However, the evolution of these parameters is difficult.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs
En el proceso de digestin anaerobia, el valor energtico de la biomasa se
mide con unidades de demanda qumica de oxigeno DQO (chemical oxygen
demand COD)
Cada unidad de COD digestado da como resultado 5.6 m3 de metano
Una digestin anaerobia efectiva generalmente convierte el 90% del COD
disponible en metano
Cada m3 de metano produce aproximadamente 1,000 BTU (British Thermal
Unit; 1 BTU 252,2 cal 1055 J) de energa.

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Biogs

Nutrientes
COD/N/P 600/7/1
C/N 25/1
Otros micronutrientes: Fe, Ni, Mg, Ca, Na, Ba, Mo, Se, Co,
vitaminas.

Substancias txicas
En baja concentracin: efectos beneficiosos
Alta concentracin: efectos inhibidores o txicos
VAF (cidos grasos voltiles) producidos en la primera fase
NH3/NH4+, H2S, SO42-, O2, metales pesados.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Factores que intervienen en el proceso

de digestin anaerobia
Nutrientes
Substancias txicas
Temperatura
pH
Potencial redox

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Temperature range
for anaerobic
digestion. Optima are
for mesophilic
around 30-35C and
for thermophilic
around 55-60C.

Installed capacity
on both industrial
ranges of
temperature
(mesophilic and
thermophilic) for
anaerobic
digestion of
OFMSW.

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Residuos
Biogs
Residuos Slidos Urbanos
4a b 2c 3d
4a b 2c 3d
4a b 2c 3d
Ca H bOc N d
H 2O
CH 4
CO2 d NH 3
4
8
8

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs
TRANSPORT
URBAN
COLLECTION

Bag of
organics
Heat
BIOGAS

CONDITIONING

Electricity
BIOMETHANIZATION
REACTOR

WASTEWATER
(Nutrient flow)

LIQUIDS
Filtration

SOLIDS

COMPOST

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

REACTOR CONFIGURATION
There are five basic reactors configurations:
- Expanded / Fluidized bed
- Anaerobic filter
Higher-rate AD

- UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket)

- Anaerobic contact
- Two-stage digester
- CSTR (Continious Stirred Tank Reactor)

40

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Expanded / Fluidized bed
- The microorg. are attached to mobile carrier particles (sand,) to

Biogs

form

granular sludge which have good settling characteristics.

Expanded bed are more easily operated

Bed expansion, which generates good contact

between biomass and waste is due to:
High liquid velocities
Lifting action of the biogas

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Anaerobic filter

Biogs

- The microorg. are attached to the packing material

- Used for liquid wastes
- HRT << SRT

Problems:
Clogging of the bed

Overcome with a primary settler

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Biogs

UASB Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket

In one of the most popular systems
- High SRT since biomass is aggregated (flocs or granules)
- Internal gas-liquid-solid separation system
- No mechanical mixing is needed

Treating agro-industrial wastewaters

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

UASB Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket

The UASB is based in:
- Good contact between the biomass and the waste
- The gas collection device acts as a three
phase separator.

Problems:
Good inlet distribution necessary
Overcome with uniformly feeding

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Biogs

Anaerobic contact
- The recycle of the clarified increase the biomass conc. in the AD

- Used for pasty industrial waste

Problems:
Settleability of the sludge
Vacuum

Overcome with intermittent mixing,

degasifier

which give enhance sludge

sedimentation properties

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

Two-stage AD

Acidognic

Methanogenic

- To keep an equilibrium between acidogenic and methanogenic phases

- Each phase has its own HRT and operating Temperature

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR)

Biogs

- Cheap and very extended

- Void volume equipped with heating and stirring systems
- SRT = HRT; HRT is between 10 30 dyas

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Mixes digesters

Biogs

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Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogas C. Biolgica
Biogs

Biomassa, Biocombustibles i Biogs

Biogs

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