Parameters and Process Optimisation for Biogas

The metabolic activity involved in microbiological methanation is dependent on the following factors:

• Substrate temperature
• Available nutrients
• Retention time (flow-through time)
• pH level
• Nitrogen inhibition and C/N ratio
• Substrat solid content and agitation
• Inhibitory factors

Each of the various types of bacteria responsible for the three stages of the methanogenesis is affected differently by the above parameters. Since interactive effects between the various determining factors exist, no precise quantitative data on gas production as a function of the above factors are available. Thus, discussion of the various factors is limited to their qualitative effects on the process of fermentation.

Substrate temperature

Temperature range of anaerobic fermentation

Anaerobic fermentation is in principle possible between 3°C and approximately 70°C. Differentiation is generally made between three temperature ranges:

• The psychrophilic temperature range lies below 20°C,
• the mesophilic temperature range between 20°C and 40°C and
• the thermophilic temperature range above 40°C.

Minimal average temperature

The rate of bacteriological methane production increases with temperature. Since, however, the amount of free ammonia also increases with temperature, the bio-digestive performance could be inhibited or even reduced as a result. In general, unheated biogas plants perform satisfactory only where mean annual temperatures are around 20°C or above or where the average daily temperature is at least 18°C. Within the range of 20-28°C mean temperature, gas production increases over-proportionally. If the temperature of the bio-mass is below 15°C, gas production will be so low that the biogas plant is no longer economically feasible.

Changes in temperature

The process of bio-methanation is very sensitive to changes in temperature. The degree of sensitivity, in turn, is dependent on the temperature range. Brief fluctuations not exceeding the following limits may be regarded as still un-inhibitory with respect to the process of fermentation:

• psychrophilic range: ± 2°C/h
• mesophilic range: ± 1°C/h
• thermophilic range: ± 0,5°C/h

The temperature fluctuations between day and night are no great problem for plants built underground, since the temperature of the earth below a depth of one meter is practically constant.

Available nutrient

In order to grow, bacteria need more than just a supply of organic substances as a source of carbon and energy. They also require certain mineral nutrients. In addition to carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, the generation of bio-mass requires an adequate supply of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and a number of trace elements such as iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, cobalt, selenium, tungsten, nickel etc. "Normal" substrates such as agricultural residues or municipal sewage usually contain adequate amounts of the mentioned elements. Higher concentration of any individual substance usually has an inhibitory effect, so that analyses are recommended on a case-to-case basis to determine which amount of which nutrients, if any, still needs to be added.

Retention time

Batch-type and continuous plants

The retention time can only be accurately defined in batch-type facilities. For continuous systems, the mean retention time is approximated by dividing the digester volume by the daily influent rate. Depending on the vessel geometry, the means of mixing, etc., the effective retention time may vary widely for the individual substrate constituents. Selection of a suitable retention time thus depends not only on the process temperature, but also on the type of substrate used.

Cost efficiency

Optimizing the process parameters retention time - process temperature - substrate quality - volumetric load determine, among others, the cost efficiency of the biological processes. But as each m³ digester volume has its price, heating equipment can be costly and high quality substrates may have alternative uses, the cost-benefit optimum in biogas production is almost always below the biological optimum.

Substrate

For liquid manure undergoing fermentation in the mesophilic temperature range, the following approximate values apply:

• liquid cow manure: 20-30 days
• liquid pig manure: 15-25 days
• liquid chicken manure: 20-40 days
• animal manure mixed with plant material: 50-80 days

If the retention time is too short, the bacteria in the digester are "washed out" faster than they can reproduce, so that the fermentation practically comes to a standstill. This problem rarely occurs in agricultural biogas systems.

PH value

The methane-producing bacteria live best under neutral to slightly alkaline conditions. Once the process of fermentation has stabilized under anaerobic conditions, the pH will normally take on a value of between 7 and 8.5. Due to the buffer effect of carbon dioxide-bicarbonate (CO₂ - HCO₃^-) and ammonia-ammonium (NH₃ - NH₄⁺), the pH level is rarely taken as a measure of substrate acids and/or potential biogas yield. A digester containing a high volatile-acid concentration requires a somewhat higher-than-normal pH value. If the pH value drops below 6.2, the medium will have a toxic effect on the methanogenic bacteria.

Nitrogen inhibition and C/N ratio

Nitrogen inhibition

All substrates contain nitrogen. Table B2 lists the nitrogen content of various organic substances and the C/N ratio. For higher pH values, even a relatively low nitrogen concentration may inhibit the process of fermentation. Noticeable inhibition occurs at a nitrogen concentration of roughly 1700 mg ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄-N) per liter substrate. Nonetheless, given enough time, the methanogens are capable of adapting to NH₄-N concentrations in the range of 5000-7000 mg/l substrate, the main prerequisite being that the ammonia level (NH₃) does not exceed 200-300 mg NH₃-N per liter substrate. The rate of ammonia dissociation in water depends on the process temperature and ph value of the substrate slurry.

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C/N ratio

Microorganisms need both nitrogen and carbon for assimilation into their cell structures. Various experiments have shown that the metabolic activity of methanogenic bacteria can be optimized at a C/N ratio of approximately 8-20, whereby the optimum point varies from case to case, depending on the nature of the substrate.

Substrate solids content and agitation

Substrate solids content

The mobility of the methanogens within the substrate is gradually impaired by an increasing solids content, and the biogas yield may suffer as a result. However, reports of relatively high biogas yields from landfill material with a high solids content may be found in recent literature. No generally valid guidelines can be offered with regard to specific biogas production for any particular solids percentage.

Agitation

Many substrates and various modes of fermentation require some sort of substrate agitation or mixing in order to maintain process stability within the digester. The most important objectives of agitation are:

• removal of the metabolites produced by the methanogens (gas)
• mixing of fresh substrate and bacterial population (inoculation)
• preclusion of scum formation and sedimentation
• avoidance of pronounced temperature gradients within the digester
• provision of a uniform bacterial population density
• prevention of the formation of dead spaces that would reduce the effective digester volume.

In selecting or designing a suitable means of agitation, the following points should be considered:

1. The process involves a symbiotic relationship between various strains of bacteria, i.e. the metabolite from one species can serve as nutrient for the next species, etc. Whenever the bacterial community is disrupted, the process of fermentation will remain more or less unproductive until an equivalent new community is formed. Consequently, excessive or too frequent mixing is usually detrimental to the process. Slow stirring is better than rapid agitation.
2. A thin layer of scum must not necessarily have an adverse effect on the process. For systems in which the digester is completely filled with substrate, so that any scum always remains sufficiently wet, there is little or no danger that the extraction of gas could be impeded by the scum.
3. Some types of biogas systems can function well without any mechanical agitation at all. Such systems are usually operated either on substrates with such a high solid content, that no stratification occurs, or on substrates consisting primarily of solute substances.

Since the results of agitation and mixing are highly dependent on the substrate in use, it is not possible to achieve a sufficiently uniform comparative evaluation of various mixing systems and/or intensity levels. Thus, each such system can only be designed on the basis of empirical data.

Inhibitory factors

The presence of heavy metals, antibiotics (Bacitracin, Flavomycin, Lasalocid, Monensin, Spiramycin, etc.) and detergents used in livestock husbandry can have an inhibitory effect on the process of bio-methanation. The following table lists the limit concentrations (mg/l) for various inhibitors.

Table B3: Limiting concentrations for various inhibitors of biomethanation

Substance	[mg/l]
Copper:	10-250
Calcium:	8000
Sodium:	8000
Magnesium:	3000
Nickel:	100-1000
Zinc:	350-1000
Chromium:	200-2000
Sulfide (as Sulfur):	200
Cyanide:	2

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