Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 109, Issue 5
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion of classified municipal solid waste is a proposed disposal method for the mushrooming quantities of solid waste. To determine the suitability of anaerobic digestion to Los Angeles area wastes, a two‐year pilot‐scale study was conducted. A survey of a Southern California community was made to determine typical municipal waste composition. Municipal solid waste with characteristics conforming to survey results was classified using the Cal Recovery Process to provide a feedstock for digestion. Four 50‐gal digesters were operated at organic loading rates from 0.065 lb VS/cu ft‐day‐0.25 lb VS/cu ft‐day Feed concentration ranged from 2.6%‐8% VS and hydraulic retention time ranged from 15–30 days. Feed solids were composed of 80% classified municipal solid waste and 20% primary sludge. Results of the experimental investigation showed that gas containing 55%‐60% methane can be produced at a rate of 7.0 cu ft‐9.0 cu ft gas/lb‐VS applied ( applied). The highest gas production rate was obtained at the lowest digester loading rates. Digester mixing ability appeared to be the controlling process variable. No chemicals for pH control or nutrients were required to maintain normal process operation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Babitt, H. E., Leland, B. I., and Whitely, Jr., F. E., “The Biological Digestion of Garbage with Sewage Sludge,” University of Illinois Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 24, 1936.
2.
Brown and Caldwell Consulting Engineers, “Microbial Production of Methane from Refuse,” Report prepared for Southern California Edison Co., Research and Development Dept., Rosemead, Calif., 1978.
3.
Brown and Caldwell Consulting Engineers, “Energy Recovery from Waste and Biomass Site Specific Economic Studies,” Report prepared for Southern California Edison Co., Research and Development Dept., Rosemead, Calif., 1979.
4.
Brown, J. W., Pfeffer, J. T., and Liebman, J. C., “Biological Conversion of Organic Refuse to Methane,” Report prepared for the Energy Research and Development Administration and the National Science Foundation, No. ERDA/NSF/SE/G1‐29191/FR/76/4, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill., 1976.
5.
Diaz, L. F., Kurz, F., and Trezek, G. T., “Methane Gas Production as a Part of a Refuse Recycling System,” Compost Science, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1974, pp. 7–13.
6.
Diaz, L. F., and Trezek, G. T., “Biogasification of a Selected Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes,” Compost Science, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1977, pp. 8–13.
7.
Golueke, C. J., “Comprehensive Studies of Solid Waste Management,” Third Annual Report, Sanitary Engineering Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Calif., 1971.
8.
Ghosh, S., et al., “A Comprehensive Gasification Process for Energy Recovery from Cellulosic Wastes,” a manuscript presented at the Symposium on Bioconversion of Cellulosic Substances into Energy, Chemical and Protein, New Delhi, India, 1977.
9.
Klein, S. A., “Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Wastes,” Compost Science, Vol. 13, No. 1, 1972, pp. 6–11.
10.
McFarland, J. M., et al., “Comprehensive Studies of Solid Waste Management, Final Report,” Sanitary Engineering Research Laboratory Report No. 72‐3, University of California, Berkeley, Calif., 1972.
11.
Ng, A., et al., “Bioconversion of Classified Municipal Solid Wastes: State‐ofthe‐Art Review and Recent Advances,” in Fuels and Organic Chemicals from Biomass, Chemical Rubber Company, Cleveland, Ohio, 1983.
12.
Resource Recovery Research and Demonstration Plan, Mitre Corporation, Bedford, Mass., 1979.
13.
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewaters, 15th Edition, American Public Works Association, Washington, D.C., 1980.
14.
Statistical Analysis System Users Guide, SAS Institute, Cary, N.C., 1979.
15.
Stenstrom, M. K., et al., “Anaerobic Digestion of Classified Municipal Solid Waste,” Report No. 81‐42, UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Science, Oct., 1981.
16.
Vesilind, P. A., and Reimer, A. E., Unit Operations in Resource Recovery Engineering, Prentice‐Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1981.
17.
Wilson, D. G., Handbook of Solid Waste Management, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, N.Y., 1977.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 109 • Issue 5 • October 1983
Pages: 1148 - 1158
Copyright
Copyright © 1983 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1983
Published in print: Oct 1983
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.