The impact of plastic bag residues on anaerobic digestion performance

Aim of the research: To test the suitability of a plastic bag material for separate collection of food waste prior to AD. Toxicity, biodegradability and biogas production of the polymer was assessed by comparison with other feedstocks as controls. 10 litre digesters were used with and without pretreatment of the plastic. Short summary: In this work we used 10 litre digesters to investigate the suitability of a polymer material for food waste collection plastic bags. The material needed to be robust, but also biodegradable. Digestion of the synthetic polymer was compared to natural polymers from maize and rice. Two controls were also used: cellulose (known for its high biodegradability) and sewage sludge (the most commonly used AD substrate). Parameters checked daily, included gas production and composition, CST and total and volatile solids of the digestate. Stability was assessed by Ripley’s ratio, VFA, ammonia and pH. Digester loading was 1.36 g VS/l/day at 60 day HRT. The experiment was in two halves with sewage sludge feed in the middle, as an internal control to check activity. In a second experiment the material was pre-treated according to the Animal By-product Regulations (Regulation, 2011) heating to 70oC for 1hr. The results show the material was completely inert

Providing energy for rural Indian communities: anaerobic digestion at Loughborough University

Rural Hybrid Energy Enterprise Systems (RHEES) is a research partnership between 6 UK and 7 Indian Universities. The aim of this project is to develop best practise at a smaller community scale which makes use of hybrid and combinations of biofuels. The idea is to improve rural energy availability, equity of cost and to generate an economic stimulus from the desire to provide greater energy security and reduced environmental impact. The Loughborough University part of the project is on how to apply village scale anaerobic digestion. This will be achieved by: Development of small-medium scale systems Combining solar/ thermal heat integration for pre-treatment of feedstock and pasteurisation of digestate Designing prefabricated systems Development of remote monitoring of digesters Working with partners and stakeholders throughout

Anaerobic digestion at Loughborough University

Bioenergy for Sustainable Rural Living (BURD) is a research partnership between 6 UK and 7 Indian Universities. The aim of this project is to develop best practise at a smaller community scale which makes use of hybrid and combinations of biofuels. The idea is to improve rural energy availability, equity of cost and to generate an economic stimulus from the desire to provide greater energy security and reduced environmental impact

Anaerobic digestion of brewery waste

Marmite Unilever-introduction/site history. — Vital statistics. — Waste water treatment plant (WWTP). — Biogas production. — Benefits of WWTP for Unilever. — Issues with stability. — Conclusions

Renewable energy research at Loughborough University

Renewable energy research at Loughborough Universit

Anaerobic digestion at Loughborough University

Bioenergy for Sustainable Rural Living (BURD) is research partnership between 6 UK and 7 Indian Universities. The aim of this project is to develop best practise at a smaller community scale which makes use of hybrid and combinations of biofuels. The idea is to improve rural energy availability, equity of cost and to generate an economic stimulus from the desire to provide greater energy security and reduced environmental impact. Loughborough University part of the project is on how to apply village scale anaerobic digestion. Maize is one of the most commonly grown crops in the world. Here, we examine the effect of particle size and pre-treatment of maize (whole plant) on the anaerobic digestion process

Towards digestible plastics: The impact of plastic bin liners on anaerobic digestion performance

Towards digestible plastics: The impact of plastic bin liners on anaerobic digestion performanc

Hydrothermal treatment of human biowastes as an alternative sanitation strategy

One of the evolving approaches to mitigating the challenges of poor sanitation involves the exploration of new, sustainable and affordable solutions. These need to be capable of effectively treating faecal and other related wastes without any health, or environmental damage and competitive with existing strategies. This paper presents results from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of human biowastes; treated at >130°C under pressure. Analysis shows the process is autothermic and could generate valuable end-products. These were a carbonaceous solid material i.e. char with a high calorific value which can be used as a fuel or soil conditioner, and liquid ammonia concentrate for fertilizer. The results of this study provide useful information essential for the design and operation of a HTC system (for faecal sludge treatment) which will be integrated into a self-sustainable sanitation facility planned for protoype development

The impact of bad sensors on the water industry and possible alternatives

Advanced monitoring of water quality in order to perform a real-time hazard analysis prior to Water Treatment Works (WTW) is more important nowadays, both to give warning of contamination and also to avoid downtime of the WTW. Downtimes could be a major contributor to risk. Any serious accident will cause a significant loss in customer and investor confidence. In this paper, two treatment plants (case studies) were examined. One was a groundwater WTW and the other a river WTW. The results showed that good correlations existed between the controlling parameters measured at the river WTW, but not at the Groundwater Treatment Works (GWTW), where there was a lack of good correlation between warning parameters. Results emphasised the value of backup monitoring and self-adjusting automation processes that are needed to counteract the rise in power costs. The study showed that a relationship between the different types of sensors and/or measured parameters can be deduced in order to cross-check the sensors performance and be used as a guide to when maintenance is really needed. Operating hierarchal procedures within the WTWs could also be used to cut costs, by improving condition monitoring. Both of the case studies highlighted the need for new non-invasive/remote sensors and some new investment in information technology infrastructure

Real-time autonomous remote monitoring of AD

Real-time autonomous remote monitoring of A