• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.175.1-175.1
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• 2011

A rotating activated bacillus contactor (RABC) process with a series of aerobic reactors was tested in pilot scale to treat digested liquid from an anaerobic digester treating swine wastewater and sewage sludge. The influent (digested liquid) for the RABC process showed C/N ratios less than 2 as a typical feature of effluent from anaerobic digesters. The pilot process, which consists of three 3 RABC reactors, four aerobic tanks and a sedimentation tank, was operated for 210 days with a hydraulic retention time of 20 days without pH and temperature control. Since the Bacillus-enriched aerobic reactors shows high efficiencies of nitrogen removal at low DO levels less than 1.0 mg/L, they were operated at reduced aeration intensities. With relatively low concentrations of organics in comparison with nitrogen concentrations, the RABC process tested in this study showed stable and high nitrogen and organics removal efficiencies over 80%. The nitrogen removal process tested in this study was proven to be an effective and operation-cost saving (lower aeration) method to remove nitrogen without adding external carbon sources to meet the optimum C/N ratio.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 2007

The Tancheon wastewater treatment plant(WWTP) in Seoul using anaerobic digestion to reduce the outlet sludge produces anaerobic digester gas which contains 65% $CH_4$ and 35% $CO_2$. The gas purification equipment was installed and operated to use Anaerobic Digester Gas(ADG) as a fuel for molten carbonate fuel cell(MCFC). The processes consist of the desulfurizer and the adsorption tower to remove $H_2S$ and siloxane in the gas. The gas purification equipment removed virtually over 95% of $H_2S$ and over 99% of siloxane. Results has demonstrated that the fuel cell can produce electrical output and hot water with negligible air emissions of CO, NOx and $SO_2$. The site provides the first opportunity in Korea for demonstrating Molten carbonate fuel cell(MCFC) which the digester gas was applied to the fuel gas.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.602-609
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• 2015

In order to enhance a biogas production by the hydro-thermal pre-treatment of piggery manure, the effects of hydro-thermal reaction temperature at thermal hydrolysis of piggery manure on the methane potential and anaerobic biodegradability of thermal hydrolysate were analyzed. The increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$ caused the enhancement of hydrolysis efficiency, and most of organic matters were present in soluble forms. However, the methane potentials ($B_u-TCOD$) of hydrolysate were decreased from 0.239 to $0.188Nm^3kg^{-1}-TCOD_{added}$ by increasing hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$, and also the anaerobic biodegradability (DTCOD) decreased from 74.6% to 58.6% with increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature. The increase of hydro-thermal reaction temperature from $170^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$ resulted in the decrease of easily biodegradable organic matter content, while persistent organic matter contents increased.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.35-45
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• 2021

Digestate or slurry produced from anaerobic digestion is mostly applied to crop lands for its disposal and recovering nutrients. However, minimizing nitrogen losses following field application of the digestate is important for maximizing the plant's nitrogen uptake and reducing environmental concerns. This study was conducted to assess the effects of three different biogas digestate application techniques (sawdust mixed with digestate (SSD), the hole application method (HA), and digestate injected in the soil (SD)) on nitrate leaching potential in the soil. A pot laboratory experiment was conducted at room temperature of 25 ± 2 ℃ for 107 days. The experimental results showed that sawdust application method turned out to be appropriate for quick immobilization of surplus N in the form of microbial biomass N, reflecting its lower total nitrogen and NH₄-N contents and low pH. The NH₄-N and total nitrogen fate in the soil fertilized with manure showed no statistically significant (p > 0.05) differences between the different methods applied during the incubation time under room temperature. In contrast, NO₃-N concentration indicates significant reduction in sawdust treatment (p < 0.05) compared to the control and other application methods. However, the soil sawdust mixed with digestate was more effective than the other methods, because of the cumulative labile carbon contents of the amendment, which implies soil net N immobilization.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.56-64
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• 2008

Anaerobic biodegradability (AB), which can be determined with the ultimate methane yield by the decomposition of organic materials, is one of the important parameters for the design and the operation of anaerobic digestion plant. In this study, Biochemical methane potential (BMP) test has been carried out to evaluate the methane yields of animal manures such as pig and cattle slurries, and different forage crops cultivated at the reclaimed tideland such as maize, sorghum, barley, rye, Italian ryegrass (IRG), rape, rush, and waste sludge produced from slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant (SSWTP). In the ultimate methane yield and biodegradability of animal manure, those of pig slurry were 345 $mlCH_4/gVS_{fed}$ and 44.7% higher than 247 $mlCH_4/gVS_{fed}$ and 46.4% of cattle slurry (Cat. 2). The ultimate methane yield and biodegradability of spike-crop rye (Rye 1) were 442.36 $mlCH_4/gVS_{fed}$ and 86.5% the highest among different forage crops, those of the other forage crops ranged from 306.6 to 379 $mlCH_4/gVS_{fed}$ of methane yield with the AB having the range of about 60 to 77%. Therefore the forage crops could be used as a good substrate to increase the methane production and to improve the biodegradability in anaerobic co-digestion together with animal manure.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2014

Percolation is the important process of extracting the soluble constituents of a fine mesh, porous substance by passage of a liquid through it. In this study, bio-wastes were percolated under various conditions through continuous percolation processes, and the energy potential of percolate was evaluated. The representative bio-wastes from the K composting plant in Darmstadt, Germany were used as the sample for percolation. The central objective of this study was to determine the optimal amount of process water and the optimum duration of percolation through the bio-wastes. For economic reasons, the retention time of the percolation medium should be as long as necessary and as short as possible. For the percolation of the bio-wastes, the optimal percolation time was 2 hr and maximum percolation time was 4 hr. After 2 hr, more than two-thirds of the organic substances from the input material were percolated. In the first percolation process, the highest yields of organic substance were achieved. The best percolation of the bio-wastes was achieved when the process water of 2 L for the first percolation procedure and then the process water of 1.5 L for each further percolation procedure for a total 8 L for all five procedures were used on 1,000 g fresh bio-waste. The gas formation potentials of 0.83 and $0.96Nm^3/ton$ fresh matter (FM) were obtained based on the percolate from 1 hr percolation of 1,000 g bio-waste with the process water of 2 L according to the measurement of the gas formation in 21 days (GB21). This method can potentially contribute to reducing fossil fuel consumption and thus combating climate change.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.128-136
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• 2021

It is generally known that a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) consumes immense energy even if it can produce energy. With an aim to increase the energy independence rate of WWTP from 3.5% in 2010 to 50% in 2030, the Korean government has invested enormous research funds. In this study, cost-effective operating alternatives were investigated by analyzing the energy efficiency and economic feasibility for biogas and power generation using new and renewable energy. Based on the US EPA Energy Conservation Measures and Korea ESCO projects, energy production and independence rate were also analyzed. The main energy consumption equipment in WWTP is the blower for aeration, discharge pump for effluent, and pump for influent. Considering the processes of WWTP, the specific energy consumption rate of the process using media and MBR was the lowest (0.549 kWh/㎥) and the highest (1.427 kWh/㎥), respectively. Energy-saving by enhancing anaerobic digester efficiency was turned out to be efficient when in conjunction with stable wastewater treatment. The result of economic analysis (B/C ratio) was 2.5 for digestive gas power generation, 0.86 for small hydropower, 0.49 for solar energy, and 0.15 for wind energy, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the energy independence rate could be enhanced by installing energy production facilities such as solar and small hydropower and reducing energy consumption via the replacement of high-efficiency operating.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1252-1257
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• 2011

Number of crop residues generated at large amount in agriculture can be utilized as substrate in methane production by anaerobic digestion. Greenhouse vegetable crop cultivation that adopting intensive agricultural system require the heating energy during winter season, meanwhile produce waste biomass source for the methane production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the methane production potential of greenhouse vegetable crop residues and to estimate material and energy yield in greenhouse system. Cucumber, tomato, and paprika as greenhouse vegetable crop were used in this study. Fallen fruit, leaf, and stem residues were collected at harvesting period from the farmhouses (Anseong, Gyeonggi, Korea) adopting an intensive greenhouse cultivation system. Also the amount of fallen vegetables and plant residues, and planting density of each vegetable crop were investigated. Chemical properties of vegetable waste biomass were determined, and theoretical methane potentials were calculated using Buswell's formula from the element analysis data. Also, BMP (Biochemical methane potential) assay was carried out for each vegetable waste biomass in mesophilic temperature ($38^{\circ}C$). Theoretical methane potential ($B_{th}$) and Ultimate methane potential ($B_u$) off stem, leaf, and fallen fruit in vegetable residues showed the range of $0.352{\sim}0.485Nm^3\;kg^{-1}VS_{added}$ and $0.136{\sim}0.354Nm^3\;kg^{-1}VS_{added}$ respectively. The biomass yields of residues of tomato, cucumber, and paprika were 28.3, 30.5, and $21.5Mg\;ha^{-1}$ respectively. The methane yields of tomato, cucumber, and paprika residues showed 645.0, 782.5, and $686.8Nm^3\;ha^{-1}$. Methane yield ($Nm^3\;ha^{-1}$) of crop residue may be highly influenced by biomass yield which is mainly affected by planting density.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.903-915
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• 2011

Recently, anaerobic methane production of agricultural waste biomass has received increasing attention. Until now domestic BMP (Biochemical methane potential) studies concerned with agricultural waste biomass have concentrated on the several waste biomass such as livestock manure, food waste, and sewage sludge from WWTP (Waste water treatment plant). Especially, the lack of standardization study of BMP assay method has caused the confused comprehension and interpretation in the comparison of BMP results from various researchers. Germany and USA had established the standard methods, VDI 4630 and ASTM E2170-01, for the analysis of BMP and anaerobic organic degradation, respectively. In this review, BMP was defined in the aspect of organic material represented as COD (Chemical oxygen demand) and VS (Volatile solid), and the influence of several parameters on the methane potential of the feedstock was presented. In the investigation of domestic BMP case studies, BMP results of 18 biomass species generating from agriculture and agro-industry were presented. And BMP results of crop species reported from foreign case studies were presented according to the classification system of crops such as food crop, vegetables, oil seed and specialty crop, orchards, and fodder and energy crop. This review emphasizes the urgent need for characterizing the innumerable kind of biomass by their capability on methane production.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.13-28
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• 2023

This study assessed the biochemical methane potential (B_u-P) of three grass species-Poa pratensis (PP), Zoysia japonica (ZJ), and Agrostis stolonifera (AS). B_u-P values were determined as 0.330 Nm³/kg-VS_added for PP, 0.297 Nm³/kg-VS_added for ZJ, and 0.261 Nm³/kg-VS_added for AS. Notably, PP exhibited superior suitability for methane production. The investigation also examined the impact of silage storage duration on PP grass clippings, revealing a 19% decline in B_u-P from an initial value of 0.269 Nm³/kg-VS_added on day 0 to 0.217 Nm³/kg-VS_added on day 180. Throughout the storage period, there were significant increases in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and crude protein (CP) contents, rising from 67.59%, 39.68%, and 3.02% on day 0 to 77.12%, 54.65%, and 6.24% on day 180, respectively. These findings highlight the influence of storage duration on the anaerobic digestibility of PP grass clippings. To effectively utilize grass clippings as a renewable resource for methane production, further studies considering factors such as initial moisture content, pretreatment methods, and potential effects of residual pesticides are necessary to optimize anaerobic digestion efficiency for herbaceous biomass.