Biogas Reactor Nutrient Recycling via Sludge Hygienisation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biogas production systems require continuous supplementation with expensive chemical nutrients like cobalt, selenium, tungsten, and nickel, which are costly and have environmental restrictions, especially when processing organic materials with low nutrient concentrations.
Innovation Solution
The system reuses digested sludge from an anaerobic digestion process, treating it with hygienization and dewatering to create a nutrient additive that is fed back into the biogas reactor, reducing the need for external chemical nutrients and enhancing biogas production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If chemical nutrients (cobalt, selenium, tungsten, nickel) are added to support biogas production, then microorganism efficiency is improved, but production costs increase and environmental restrictions are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers nutrients from digested sludge that would otherwise be discarded, extracting cobalt, selenium, tungsten, nickel and other essential nutrients. This recovered nutrient stream is then reused in the biogas production process, eliminating the need for continuous chemical nutrient addition while maintaining microorganism efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where digested sludge is processed to extract nutrients, which are then fed back into the biogas reactor. This closed-loop nutrient recycling ensures continuous supply of essential elements without external chemical inputs, resolving the contradiction between productivity and substance consumption
2Productivity
If digested sludge is treated and transported to remote facilities for nutrient reuse, then nutrient utilization efficiency improves, but transportation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hygienisation treatment to digested sludge, which fundamentally changes its physical and biological parameters (sterilization, stabilization). This treatment transforms the sludge into a transportable nutrient concentrate that can be efficiently moved to remote facilities without posing biological risks, thereby enabling nutrient reuse across distributed biogas facilities
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases biogas production efficiency while minimizing the use of expensive chemical nutrients, allowing for the effective reuse of nutrients across different biogas production facilities, even at remote locations, and reduces transportation costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
feeding organic matter into a first tank reactor containing biogas producing microorganisms for digestion under anaerobic conditions in order to produce biogas
Implementation Method 2
Pre-treatment, e.g. hygienisation by thermal treatment, will increase the methane potential in biological sludge since the pre-treated organic matter is more accessible to the microorganisms
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing biogas by anaerobic digestion of organic matter. The method comprises: feeding organic matter suitable for biogas production to a first tank reactor 41, and in the first tank reactor, contacting the organic matter with biogas producing microorganisms for digestion under anaerobic conditions; and digesting the organic matter in the first tank reactor 41 while producing biogas. The method further comprises: providing digested sludge from an anaerobic digestion process in a second tank reactor 31; 46, which differs from the first tank reactor 41, said digested sludge containing a desired composition of nutriments; and feeding said nutriments into said first tank reactor 41. The invention also relates to a biogas producing system.