A methane fermentation system for treating animal wastes was developed and substantiated successfully in a field test plant (0.5 m
3/d). The system is composed of a screw-press dehydrator, an acidification digester, a methanogenic digester, an anaerobic sludge separator, an oxidation ditch, and a composting equipment. Pretreatment of swine wastes to remove the solid impurities was carried out using the screw-press dehydrator without chemical grouting. TS and COD
Cr removal by the screw-press treatment was 38% and 22%, respectively. Properties of the screenings were as follows: water content 57%, ignition loss 93%, specific gravity 0.33. Main ingredients of the screenings were undigested organics and swine bristles. The pretreated strong slurry (COD
Cr 9.0%, BOD 3.0%, TS 5.5%, T-N 0.48%) was digested under mesophilic conditions; HRT of 15.4 d; volumetric organic loading rate of 4.4-4.8 kg COD
Cr/m
3-d. It was found that COD
Cr and BUD removal at 35°C was 64% and 78%, respectively; digestion gas production rate was 25 Nm
3/m
3-slurry; methane content of the digestion gas was 67%. The effluent from the methanogenic digester was separated into supernatant and thickened sludge in the anaerobic sludge separator and subsequently treated using the oxidation ditch and the screw-press dehydrator. The oxidation ditch for treating the supernatant was controlled by intermittent aeration for the purpose of nitrogen removal. The quality of effluent from the oxidation ditch (>20°C) was BOD 90 mg/L, COD
Cr 360 mg/L, SS 40 mg, /L, and T-N 220 mg/L. However, organic colored substances (dark-brown) remained in the effluent. The thickened sludge was dehydrated using the same screw-press dehydrator as mentioned above. Polymer feeding rate was 0.54% to TS. Water content of the dehydrated cake was 77.5%. Mixture of the screenings and the dehydrated cake was composted without bulking agents. It was confirmed that the present system is applicable to treatment of animal wastes.
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