[Digestion] Effect of Surface Area
David
david at h4c.org
Thu Nov 1 11:56:40 CDT 2012
Paul,
On 11/1/2012 1:32 AM, Paul Muthui wrote:
> Good Day All,
>
> I read in an article that increasing the surface area inside the
> biogas digester (e.g. by introducing vertical structures),
> increases the population bacteria population and consequently more
> gas production. By what percentage does this increase gas
> production? And what's the most effective way to do it?
Methanogens are part of a complex ecology that likes to sustain itself
by forming biofilms on any available surface. However, for most kinds
of digestion-- that is, at any percentage of solids that one might
"choose," rather than having it /imposed/ by the high water content of
the substrate-- there is plenty of surface for the biofilms to form.
Adding surface to the inside of a digester, then, is almost
exclusively done where the dilution of the incoming substrate is
considerable (1%-2% or less). What happens where such substrates are
digested with sufficient HRT is that floating consortia of microbes
develop. These a bit like sponges, and are often referred to as "flocs".
You may be able to learn more by searching for [biogas dilute flocs]
and adding any reference to the substrate you have in mind.
d.
--
David William House
"The Complete Biogas Handbook" |www.completebiogas.com|
/Vahid Biogas/, an alternative energy consultancy |www.vahidbiogas.com
|
|
"Make no search for water. But find thirst,
And water from the very ground will burst."
(Rumi, a Persian mystic poet, quoted in /Delight of Hearts/, p. 77)
http://bahai.us/
|
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