Process enhancement for maximization of methane production in codigestion biogas plants

The main objective of this study is to develop improvements in the efficiency of the codigestion process. Two pilot plants, fed by different compositions of manure and industrial organic waste, generating biogas by mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic fermentation respectively, were analyzed. It was observed that these processes do not commonly operate at maximum theoretical efficiency. The limiting factor in the process was found to be the hydrolysis of the digested material. Consequently, a technical solution had been suggested: implementing a secondary (after) storage phase which has the purpose of exploiting, by promoting enhanced hydrolysis, the substrate potential that remains undigested after the traditional process.