The use of biomagnetism for biogas production from sugar beet pulp

The present article explores the idea of exposing an enzyme-substrate complex to an induced magnetic field aiming at biogas production. Sugar beet pulp was used as a substrate and pectinase as an enzyme. Fermentation experiments were carried out in an 11 L working volume stainless steel bioreactor. Additionally, the influence of substrate sonication, prior to the enzymatic pretreatment, on the methane production and specific energy gain was investigated. The enzyme-substrate mixture, when exposed to an induced magnetic field, increased methane production from SBP up to 62 % and when sonication was added to the process, the increase in methane production was up to 79 %. The results indicate that exposing an enzyme-substrate mixture to an induced magnetic field can increase biogas production and its methane content with a higher specific energy gain than when sonication was added to the process.