Abstract
Experimental studies of a two-phase methane fermentation combined with a membrane separation unit were conducted to upgrade efficiency of gas production and treated water quality. The test was carried out on a pilot plant basis. The plant was constructed in a soybean processing factory and used on a continuous run basis.
The purpose of this experimental research was to obtain comparison performances of three different methane fermentation processes, 1) acidification bioreactor-methane bioreactor without a membrane separation unit, 2) acidification bioreactor-methane bioreactor-membrane unit, 3) acidification bioreactor-membrane unit-methane bioreactor.
The comparison results have demonstrated the superiority of the third process in gas production as well as in treated water quality. The experimental data on ammonium production have also clarified the degree of two-phase methane fermentation in each process. The third process has been substantiated as a two-phase methane fermentation process in the terms of solid substrate decomposition by the ammonium production analysis.
