INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC LOADING OF BIOREACTOR ON ENERGY INDICATORS OF BIOGAS POWER PLANT

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of organic load on biogas yield and biogas composition in a reactor for the anaerobic processing of a mixture of milk runoff  and urban sewage sludge. During the experimental study, organic loadings of 2.419 t to 3.387 t were applied, which were achieved by increasing the amount of milk runoff in the raw material mixture. The experimental study was carried out in a reactor with a capacity of 2100 m³, into which city sewage sludge is fed daily. To control the organic load, milk runoff and sewage sludge were mixed together. The temperature of 36.6±0.5 ºC is maintained in the bioreactor. During the experimental study, it was found that by increasing the organic load of the bioreactor from 2.419 to 3.387 t/day, the average yield of biogas from city sewage sludge and milk runoff increased by 52 % (from 20.5 m³/h to 31.2 m³/h). During the increase of the organic load of the bioreactor, the average concentration of methane in the biogas decreased from 63.2% (at 2.419 t/day organic load) to 62.7% (at 3.399 t/day organic load).