New Compact Biodigester Model for Organic Waste Treatment in Urban Residences and Buildings
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 2
Abstract
A biodigester consists of a closed chamber to anaerobically digest biomass into biogas and biofertilizer, and is an efficient alternative for organic waste treatment and energy generation. The new interest in decentralizing waste treatment and the restricted space of urban centers makes compact biodigesters a feasible alternative for sustainable cities. This paper presents the compact and low-cost Hexagonal Methane Collector biodigester and its operational capacity to produce biogas. The factorial experimental design results indicate that the volume of inoculum and mixture inside the reactor are important in controlling biogas yield, but the volume of water is not. The findings indicate that this novel biodigester technology has a practical operational mode based on a batch dry system. The space-saving hexagonal shape and the flexible design, which can serve a variable number of people in small places are other advantages of Hexagonal Methane Collector compared with available models. Therefore, this concept of biodigester could be an important tool to integrate organic waste treatment and energy sustainability goals in increasingly populated urban centers.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published paper.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Professor David Vilas Boas de Campos and the Laboratory of Soil and Plant Analysis/EMBRAPA SOLOS for Nitrogen and Carbon analysis. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. The authors are grateful for the support from the Multi-user Facility for Greenhouse Gases and Volatile Fuels at the Fluminense Federal University (GAS-UFF).
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 2 • February 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 10, 2020
Accepted: Oct 5, 2020
Published online: Dec 15, 2020
Published in print: Feb 1, 2021
Discussion open until: May 15, 2021
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