Clostridium sartagoformum for High-Loading Biogas Fermentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biogas production methods face challenges in achieving high volumetric loading of fermentation reactors without destabilizing the biological processes, leading to inefficient methane production and substrate utilization.
Innovation Solution
The method involves adding microorganisms of the species Clostridium sartagoformum to the fermentation substrate, which significantly increases the volumetric loading and biogas production by enhancing the degradation of organic dry substances, thereby improving substrate utilization and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the volumetric loading of the fermenter is increased to improve biogas production efficiency, then the amount of biogas generated increases, but the biological processes of fermentation become increasingly destabilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specific microorganism (Clostridium sartagoformum) as an intermediary agent that mediates between the substrate and the existing microbial community. This added microorganism enhances degradation efficiency and maintains process stability even at high volumetric loadings, acting as a buffer that prevents destabilization while enabling increased productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the biological parameter of the fermentation system by introducing a specific species (Clostridium sartagoformum) with optimized characteristics for high-loading conditions. This parameter change enables the system to operate at higher volumetric loadings without losing stability, as the introduced microorganism adapts to and thrives under these conditions while maintaining process balance.
2Productivity
If the volumetric loading is increased to improve economic viability, then more substrate can be processed, but the fermentation process becomes increasingly destabilized
Solution Approach 1:
The introduced Clostridium sartagoformum acts as a stabilizing intermediary that enables the system to handle increased substrate loads. It facilitates efficient breakdown of organic matter at high concentrations while preventing accumulation of intermediate products that would otherwise destabilize the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adapting the Clostridium sartagoformum culture to high-loading conditions before introducing it to the fermenter. This pre-adaptation ensures the microorganism is ready to immediately handle high substrate loads and maintain stability from the start of operation.
3Productivity
If more substrate is fed into the fermenter to increase biogas volume, then the economic viability improves, but the residence time of fermentation substrate must be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the reliance on extended residence time (temporal processing) with enhanced biological degradation capacity (biological efficiency). The introduced Clostridium sartagoformum accelerates substrate breakdown kinetics, allowing complete degradation to occur in shorter time frames, thus enabling reduced residence time while maintaining high output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the kinetic parameters of the fermentation process by introducing a microorganism with optimized degradation rates. This parameter change allows the system to process substrate more rapidly, reducing the required residence time while maintaining complete conversion and high biogas production.
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
The addition of Clostridium sartagoformum microorganisms allows for a more than 50% increase in volumetric loading and doubles the biogas production, resulting in a higher specific gas yield and improved substrate utilization without destabilizing the fermentation process.
Implementation Method 1
Biogas plants produce methane through a microbial decomposition process of organic substances. The biogas is created in a multi-stage process of fermentation or digestion through the activity of anaerobic microorganisms
Implementation Method 2
In the hydrolysis, high-molecular, often particulate, organic compounds are converted into soluble cleavage products by exoenzymes
Implementation Method 3
The biogas is created in a multi-stage process of fermentation or digestion through the activity of anaerobic microorganisms, i.e. with the exclusion of air
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for generating biogas from biomass in a fermentation reactor is disclosed, wherein the biomass is treated with a microorganism of the type Clostridium sartagoformum.