Enhanced biomethanation of lipids by high-solid co-digestion with food waste: Biogas production and lipids degradation demonstrated by long-term continuous operation

Biomethanation of lipids by high-solid co-digestion with food waste (FW) was investigated with a long-term operation under the mesophilic condition. The experiment was conducted with a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 days and an influent TS concentration of 10% by varying influent lipid/TS ratio from 10% to 60%. As lipid/TS ratio increased from10% to 50%, it was found that the biogas production rate improved by 30% and the content of CH4 in the biogas increased by up to 67%. When the lipid/TS ratio reached 60%, the whole system collapsed. It was inferred that when the lipid/TS ratio was less than 50%, sufficiently high concentration of microorganisms ensured by high-solid co-digestion maintained relatively high average reaction rates for hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. The rapid degradation of lipid reduced the adsorption to the surface of microbes, thereby ensuring the stability of the system.

Automated summary

Biomethanation of lipids by high-solid co-digestion with food waste can improve biogas production rate and CH4 content, but the system may collapse if the lipid/TS ratio is too high.