Kinetic modelling of continuous-mix anaerobic reactors operating under diurnally cyclic temperature environment

Abstract

A two-culture dynamic model which incorporated the effects of diurnally cyclic temperature was developed and used to predict the dynamic response of anaerobic reactors operated on dairy manure under two diurnally cyclic temperature ranges of 20-40°C and 15-25°C which represent the summer and winter in Nigeria. The digesters were operated at various hydraulic retention times and solid concentrations and some useful kinetic parameters were determined. The model predicted biogas production, volatile solid reduction, methane yield and treatment efficiency with reasonable accuracy (R2 = 0.70 to 0.90). The model, however, under-predicted the cell mass concentration in the reactor probably because the Volatile Suspended Solid (VSS), which was used as the estimator of the actual cell mass concentration in the reactor, was not a good indicator of the active cell mass concentration in anaerobic reactors operating on dairy manure.