Abstract
It is necessary to take thermal properties into account in designing a methane fermentor system. Therefore, the thermal properties of a two-phase anaerobic fermentor being used as a pilot scale fermentor were evaluated by heat balance analysis.
The results obtained are as follows; The apparent over-all heat transfer coefficients of the acid fermentor and the methane fermentor were 1.41 and 2.08kcal/(m2·h·°C), respectively. The film heat transfer coefficients of the inner walls of the fermentors were 29.83 and 28.75kcal/(m2·h·°C), respectively. The ratio of thermal loss to the supplied heat capacity of each fermentor was also evaluated. In winter, the thermal loss from the fermentors themselves was the greatest, 35.6%, and in summer the loss from the hot water piping was the greatest, 34.9%.
