ENHANCEMENT OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION AND ORGANIC REDUCTION OF SLUDGE BY USING MICROWAVE PROCESSES

Biogas produced from lignocellulosic biomass, e.g. animal manure, has the potential to be a promising renewable energy source. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the most common process for dealing with sludge. Residual biomass after conventional anaerobic digestion contains varying amounts of cellulose and lignin. To the enhancement of biogas production and organic reduction of sludge by using a microwave (MW), processes are currently, the second generation from anaerobic digestion by using a microwave technique. Microwave is one of the non-mechanical methods of cell disruption in the field of sludge treatment. In the present work, the microwave treatment method is investigated in the Tractor and Farm Machinery Test and Research Station, Alexandria governorate to find the microwave effect on biogas production and volatile solid removal efficiency during anaerobic digestion. Low solids systems with a total solid (TS) content of about 10 % were analyzed at 40o C and the pH value is 8 in chemical treating processes. Microwaving is used to disrupt connections within cell walls, as well as to denature proteins. The objectives of the present work may be summarized as follows: - Evaluate the effect of microwaves on all performance indicators of the anaerobic digestion unit. - Determine the optimum conditions affecting the performance of the developed prototype. - Compared the results of the preliminary investigation of microwave (MW) irradiation pretreatments on the anaerobic digestion with an untreated treatment (control treatment). Low solids systems with a total solids (TS) content is 10.0% were analyzed at 120 rpm rotational speed of mechanical stirring. The inoculum to the bulk mass of substrates with water ratio was 10% (mass basis). The experimental conditions for pretreatments were as follows: - Three runs with microwave irradiation times 10, 20 and 30 min. -Three microwave irradiation power (100 , 450 and 800 W). It gives the best results to increase the rate of biogas production to reach the maximum value of 8.27 liters/day in 16 days of hydraulic retention time using a 450 W microwave for 30 min.