Comparative Determination of Cofermentation Using Residual Waters for Biogas Production at Small Scale

The present paper underlines the necessity of valorification for residual waters in the context of using them as source for biogas production inside anaerobic fermentation processes. Relative to this aspect, there will be presented a comparative approach for two types of residual waters from Timisoara city (residual water from the treatment plant and from beer factory), both in combination with residual dehydrated sludge and cow whey. Conclusions will be traced relative to the used materials in terms of general properties (physical and chemical), anaerobic fermentation process and quantity and quality for the produced biogas

Case Studies in Biogas Production from Different Substrates

The present paper involves applicative research in the field of biogas production with the accent on small laboratory scale installations built for biogas production, preliminary testing of substrate for biogas production and combustion applications for biogas-like mixtures. The interconnected aspect of the presented material involves cumulative expertise in multidisciplinary fields of interest and continuous development of possibilities to determine the energetic potential of substrates subjected to biodegradable fermentation conversion for further applications. The research analyzed the combustion behavior of biogas with different methane/carbon dioxide ratio without and in the presence of specific catalysts. Also, laboratory analysis on biomass substrates for determining their physical and chemical potential for different applications was performed. The main conclusions are drawn revolve around the untapped potential of the different types of biomasses that are not commonly used in the production of renewable energy carriers, like biogas, and also the potential use of residual biomass in combustion processes for an enclosed life cycle from cradle to the grave. The study involving the use of catalysts in biogas combustion processes present possible solutions which can be developed and implemented for increasing the combustion quality by using relatively cost-effective materials for the production of catalytic materials

Experimental Analysis for Determining Potential of Wastewater Sludge Mixed with Degraded Biomass as Substrates for Biogas Production

In the context of increased energy demands and finding solutions for energetic autonomy, the use of waste base materials has increased in recent years in all areas of research. In this context, waste waters, sludge or slurry, biodegradable materials, second generation effluents, and their byproducts are some of the key substrates of interest to obtain biogas through AD (anaerobe digestion). The goal is to utilize these materials as a base for the generation of renewable energy and thereby make it the main source of energy for households or industries. This paper aims to characterize, from a physical and chemical point of view, wastewater from Timis county as a base substrate material in the co-fermentation process with cereal residual biomass. We aimed to determine the energetic potential of the wastewater and perform preliminary testing at a small and pilot-sized experimental installation for biogas production with Timis wastewater as the main energy carrier. The novelty of the paper stems from the use of a patented pilot installation as our experimental approach, as well as the use of a different comparative scale co-fermentation process for biogas production. The conclusions will be traced relative to the obtained results, and preliminary solutions will be proposed for further avenues on this topic

Sustainable development of Romanian cities through biogas production from municipal wastes and application in co-combustion processes

Today municipal wastes represent a general problem from multiple points of view: necessary space for depositing, odor, possible soil contamination. In the same time, a large quantity of organic residual material remains unused in terms of energy conversion by potentially producing a biofuel which, in its term, can be used for covering at least partially, the human demand for energy. In this context, the present paper underlines the possible applications of anaerobic fermentation for biogas production by using as main substrate solid municipal waste from city of Timisoara, Romania, inside a pilot installation for determining its potential for further usage at larger scale in firing or co-firing processes; in this context, conclusions will be traced, based on the resulted experiments

Analysis of Surface Water Quality and Sediments Content on Danube Basin in Djerdap-Iron Gate Protected Areas

As water is essential to life and is an indispensable resource for ecosystems and their services and for nearly all human activities, the goal of this research was to evaluate the surface water quality of the Danube as it passes through the Romania–Serbia border in the nature reservations Djerdap and Iron Gate. The study aimed to assess the oxygen regime, nutrients and heavy metals contamination of the surface waters of the Danube on a length of about 240 km, between Bazias and Iron Gate II. Reference sampling and analytical methods (UV-VIS and AAS) were deployed to reach this goal. In addition, sediments were analyzed through back scattered SEM-EDAX for the elemental analysis of the sediment surface. Results obtained show a low environmental impact of heavy metals, while the Danube’s oxygen regime is under stress due to nutrients’ (nitrites and orthophosphates) significant concentration in the Danube surface water in the analyzed sector. Our approach can be applied to other water bodies in the area, to increase available scientific data together with societal awareness of the Danube’s environmental risks