The biogas production from mesophilic anaerobic digestion of vinasse

Abstract

Vinasse is a mixture of water, organic and inorganic compounds. This liquid residue after distillation of the alcohol, present a surcharge for the industry distillers, views its high pollution load, which can contaminate water and soil, causing a big environmental problem. The treatment by anaerobic digestion can be used to reduce the pollution of this type of waste, while producing biogas, which is a renewable energy. The objective of this study is to determination of the potential of biogas from the anaerobic digestion of vinasse in Morocco, and keeping the stability of physic-chemical parameters in the environment. The experiment test were realized in laboratory scale using the mesophilic digester at 35°C and with 0.5L capacity, and using as raw material the vinasse from the process of the production of ethyl alcohol. The results obtained in this study indicate that the anaerobic digestion under mesophilic conditions, presents a reliable solution for production of biogas by treatment of this type of waste, this is proved by the increase in the volume of biogas collected which could reach 370mL of biogas for a load of 0.5g VS added, with a yield coefficient in biogas 0.7L/g VS.