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Hydrothermal but Not Mechanical Pretreatment of Wastewater Algae Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion Energy Balance due to Improved Biomass Disintegration and Methane Production Kinetics

Author

Listed:
  • Pavlo Bohutskyi

    (Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, Richland, WA 99354, USA
    Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • Duc Phan

    (US Salinity Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 450 W. Big Springs Rd., Riverside, CA 92507, USA
    Department of Environmental Science, University of California, Riverside, CA 92507, USA)

  • Ruth E. Spierling

    (Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
    MicroBio Engineering Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA 93406, USA
    Current address: Technical Services Department, Wastewater Research, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, 24501 South Figueroa St., Carson, CA 90745, USA.)

  • Trygve J. Lundquist

    (Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
    MicroBio Engineering Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA 93406, USA)

Abstract

This study used pilot-scale high-rate algae ponds to assess algal–bacteria biomass productivity and wastewater nutrient removal as well as the impact of mechanical and hydrothermal pretreatments on biomass disintegration, methane production kinetics, and anaerobic digestion (AD) energy balance. Mechanical pretreatment had a minor effect on biomass disintegration and methane production. By contrast, hydrothermal pretreatment significantly reduced particle size and increased the solubilized organic matter content by 3.5 times. The methane yield and production rate increased by 20–55% and 20–85%, respectively, with the highest values achieved after pretreatment at 121 °C for 60 min. While the 1st-order and pseudo-1st-order reaction equation models fitted methane production from untreated biomass best (R 2 > 0.993), the modified Gompertz sigmoidal-type model provided a superior fit for hydrothermally pretreated algae (R 2 ≥ 0.99). The AD energy balance revealed that hydrothermal pretreatment improved the total energy output by 25–40%, with the highest values for volume-specific and mass-specific total energy outputs reaching 0.23 kW per digester m 3 and 2.3 MW per ton of biomass volatile solids. Additionally, net energy recovery (energy output per biomass HHV) increased from 20% for untreated algae to 32–34% for hydrothermally pretreated algae, resulting in net energy ratio and net energy efficiency of 2.14 and 68%, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Pavlo Bohutskyi & Duc Phan & Ruth E. Spierling & Trygve J. Lundquist, 2023. "Hydrothermal but Not Mechanical Pretreatment of Wastewater Algae Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion Energy Balance due to Improved Biomass Disintegration and Methane Production Kinetics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:20:p:7146-:d:1262865
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mendez, Lara & Mahdy, Ahmed & Ballesteros, Mercedes & González-Fernández, Cristina, 2014. "Methane production of thermally pretreated Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. biomass at increasing biomass loads," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 238-242.
    2. Passos, Fabiana & Solé, Maria & García, Joan & Ferrer, Ivet, 2013. "Biogas production from microalgae grown in wastewater: Effect of microwave pretreatment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 168-175.
    3. Sydney, E.B. & da Silva, T.E. & Tokarski, A. & Novak, A.C. & de Carvalho, J.C. & Woiciecohwski, A.L. & Larroche, C. & Soccol, C.R., 2011. "Screening of microalgae with potential for biodiesel production and nutrient removal from treated domestic sewage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(10), pages 3291-3294.
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