Use of a lab-scale CSTR-type anaerobic digester for the design of a pilot-

scale digester producing biomethane from a Food Residue Biomass

Product using ADM1

G.M. Lytras1*, D. Mathioudakis1, K. Papadopoulou1, T. Dimitriou1, D. Kenanidis1, G. Lyberatos1,2

1 School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens Iroon Polytechneiou 9, Zografou 157 80, Athens, Greece
2School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens Iroon Polytechneiou 9, Zografou 157 80, Athens, Greece

*contact e-mail: glytras@chemeng.ntua.gr

Introduction
During the last decades, a dramatic increase in the Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW) generation has been observed1 The biodegradable MSW corresponds
to around 30-50% of the total MSW. In the municipality of Halandri, in Attica,
Greece an innovative food waste valorization approach was developed and
implemented at pilot-scale within the framework of the Horizon 2020 project
WASTE4think3.

Figure 2. Measured and predicted biogas and methane productivity of lab-scale CSTR
during its operation at HRT of 20, 15 and 10 days.
• Scale up
Biogas must be upgraded and compressed to 207 bars for transport fuel use.
Therefore, almost 3.1L of compressed biomethane are produced from 1 m3 of
raw biogas. Το produce enough biogas for the transportation of the garbage
truck, we constructed a 4 m3 bioreactor that, according to the prediction of the
model, is capable of producing 1 m3 of biogas/day. The developed model was
validated using the pilot-scale experimental results (Figure 3).

FORBI, a biomass product produced through drying and shredding of food

waste, has a variety of benefits compared to the raw food waste:
✓ Homogeneity
✓ Up to 80% of reduction in volume and weight
✓ Odors are removed and can be stored for prolonged periods without
deterioration
Scope of the study Figure 3. Measured and predicted biogas and methane productivity of pilot-scale CSTR
during its operation at HRT of 30 and 20 days.
The scope of this work is to develop a model for the anaerobic digestion (AD)
• Biogas upgrade and compression
of FORBI that can be used for the scale-up of the procedure. Moreover, this
A pilot- scale unit (Figure 4) consisting of an amine scrubber and a stripper
research work targets at the design of a pilot-scale unit for the upgrade and
was designed and constructed for the biogas upgrade. A 30% aquatic solution
compression of biogas in order to be used as transport fuel.
of monoethanolamine (MEA) was used in the amine scrubber. The upgraded
Materials & Methods biogas contained almost 99% CH4 and <4ppm H2S.
• AD of FORBI was conducted into two CSTRs made from stainless steel. A CO2
lab scale one with working volume of 103L (H:0.75m x D: 0.6 m) and a pilot
scale one with working volume of 4m3 (H:2.60m x D:1.40m). Both CSTRs
operated under mesophilic conditions with different Hydraulic Retention
Times (HRTs).

Raw biogas
Figure 4. Biogas upgrade and compression unit.

Figure 1. Schemes of the lab (left) and the pilot scale (right) CSTRs.
• Based on the experimental results of the lab scale CSTR an ADM-1 based
model4 was developed using Aquasim 2.0 software5 .
• A pilot-scale unit for the production of biomethane through upgrade and
compression of the produced biogas was designed and constructed. This
unit consists of:
• A floating gasholder with 2 m3 working volume.
• An amine scrubber (H: 3 m x D: 0.12 m) made of plexi-glass.
• A stripper (H: 3 m x D: 0.12 m) made of stainless steel AISI 316.
• A Fuel maker FMQ 2.5 natural gas compressor.
• A buffer tank for the temporary storage of compressed upgraded biogas.
Results
• Modelling
The developed model adequately predicted the observed biogas and methane
productivity during the operation of the lab scale at Hydraulic Retention Timed
(HRTs) of 20 and 15 days, where a steady state condition is achieved.
Nevertheless, the model fails to predict the operation of the bioreactor when
the HRT is shifted to 10 days (Figure 2).
Conclusion
✓The developed model predicts adequately the operation of the lab- scale
bioreactor at HRTs of 20 and 15 days but fails to predict the operation of the
bioreactor when kinetic limitation appears (HRT=10 days)
✓The ADM1-based model could sufficiently predict the pilot-scale bioreactor
operation.
✓The biogas generation of the pilot-scale bioreactor reached the model-
estimated level.
✓Biomethane containing 99% methane was produced through the operation
of the developed biogas upgrade and compression unit.
References
1.Hoornweg, D. et al., Urban Dev. Ser. Knowl. Pap. no.15, World Bank 116 (2012).
doi:10.1111/febs.13058
2.Hall, K. et al., PLoS One 4, 9–14 (2009).
3.WASTE4Think. Moving towards Life cycle Thinking by integrating Advanced Waste
Management Systems. (2015).
4. Batstone, D. J., et al., Water Sci. Technol. 45, 65–73 (2002).
5. Reichert, P. AQUASIM—A tool for simulation and data analysis of aquatic systems. Water
Science and Technology 30, (1994).
Acknowledgments
This work is produced under research project Horizon 2020, Grant Agreement
No 688995. Moving towards Life Cycle Thinking by integrating Advanced
Waste Management Systems- [WASTE4THINK]