• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2008

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the most promising method of treating and recycling of different organic wastes, such as OFMSW, household wastes, animal manure, agro-industrial wastes, industrial organic wastes and sewage sludge. During AD, i.e. degradation in the absence of oxygen, organic material is decomposed by anaerobes forming degestates such as an excellent fertilizer and biogas, a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane. AD has been one of the leading technologies that can make a large contribution to producing renewable energy and to reducing $CO_2$ and other GHG emission, it is becoming a key method for both waste treatment and recovery of a renewable fuel and other valuable co-products. A classification of the basic AD technologies for the production of biogas can be made according to the dry matter of biowaste and digestion temperature, which divide the AD process in wet and dry, mesophilic and thermophilic. The biogas produced from AD plant can be utilized as an alternative energy source, for lighting and cooking in case of small-scale, for CHP and vehicle fuel or fuel in industrials in case of large-scale. This paper provides an overview of the status of biogas production and utilization technologies.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.202-205
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• 2008

Anaerobic digestion(AD) is the most promising method of treating and recycling of different organic wastes, such as OFMSW, household wastes, animal manure, agro-industrial wastes, industrial organic wastes and sewage sludge. During AD, i.e. degradation in the absence of oxygen, organic material is decomposed by anaerobes forming degestates such as an excellent fertilizer and biogas, a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane. AD has been one of the leading technologies that can make a large contribution to producing renewable energy and to reducing $CO_2$ and other GHG emission, it is becoming a key method for both waste treatment and recovery of a renewable fuel and other valuable co-products. A classification of the basic AD technologies for the production of biogas can be made according to the dry matter of biowaste and digestion temperature, which divide the AD process in wet and dry, mesophilic and thermophilic. The biogas produced from AD plant can be utilized as an alternative energy source, for lighting and cooking in case of small-scale, for CHP and vehicle fuel or fuel in industrials in case of large-scale. This paper provides an overview of the status of biogas production and utilization technologies.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2012

In this study, the performance of new digestion system (NDS) for the treatment of food waste leachate was evaluated. The food waste leachate was fed intermittently to an anaerobic reactor at increasing steps of 3.3 L/day (hydraulic retention time [HRT] = 30 day), 5 L/day (HRT = 20 day), and finally 10 L/day (HRT = 10 day). In the anaerobic reactor, the pH and alkalinity were maintained at 7.6 to 8.2 and 8,940-14,400 mg/L, respectively. Maximum methane yield determined to be 0.686L $CH_4$/g volatile solids (VS) containing HRT over 20 day. In the digester, 102,328 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L was removed to produce 350 L/day (70% of the total) of biogas, but in the digested sludge reduction (DSR) unit, only 3,471 mg COD/L was removed with a biogas production of 158 L/day. Without adding any chemicals, 25% of total nitrogen (TN) and 31% of total phosphorus (TP) were removed after the DSR, while only 48% of TN and 32% of TP were removed in the nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals (NPHM) removal unit. Total removal of TN was 73% and total removal of TP was 63%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.2197-2204
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• 2000

Lignin is a major component of wastewater generated in the chemical processing of wood. Because it is recalcitrant, it inhibits biological treatment of wastewater of pulp manufacturing, especially high concentration of lignin may inhibit the anaerobic digestion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of high molecular hardwood lignin (lignosulfonate, MW $\geq$ 20,000) on aceticlastic methanogens in the batch reactors at different temperatures with different sludge concentrations, using anaerobic serum bottles. The hardwood lignin was found to inhibit anaerobic conversion of acetate to methane and carbon dioxide, shown with a long lag-phase before methanogenesis started. The methanogens assumed not to be able to acclimate to the lignin were found to be acclimated slowly in the batch experiments, finally reaching non-toxic levels in which methane production could start. The hardwood lignin was found not to be bacteriocidal but bacteriostatic to aceticlastic methanogens. Hardwood lignin(lignosulfonate) at 1.3, 2.6, and 3.9%(w/w) inhibited the acetateutilizing methanogens of anaerobic digester sludge by 14.5, 17.8, 21.1 days(in noninhibitory condition it took 10 days) to produce the same amount of methane. The inhibitory effect of lignin was examined at temperature ranges of $30^{\circ}C$ to $50^{\circ}C$. When 2.6% of lignin was contained in wastewater, methane production was highest at $30^{\circ}C$ during initial 8 days. At $4^{\circ}C$, methane production rapidly increased after 12 days of digestion, the value became higher than that at $30^{\circ}C$ after 14 days. However, the methane production was completely inhibited during whole digestion period at $50^{\circ}C$. High ratio of lignin concentration to initial anaerobic sludge concentration gave tolerance to the inhibition. In this experiment, high molecular hardwood lignin was not degraded and decolorized.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to suggest the effective operation method by developing prediction model for the gas production rate, an indicator of the effectiveness of anaerobic digestion tank, using data mining. At the result, gas production estimate model is developed by using ANN within 10% error. It is expected to help operation of anaerobic digestion by suggesting selected parameter. Meanwhile case based reasoning is applied to develop dewatering cake management technology. Case based reasoning uses the most similar examples of past when a new problem occurs, therefore in this study, management measures are developed that proposes dewatering cake minimization with the minimum change by applying the case based reasoning to sludge disposal process.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 2018

Domestic sewage treatment plants (STPs) consume about 0.5 % of total electric energy produced annually, which is equivalent to 207.7 billion Korean won per year. To minimize the energy consumption and as a way of mitigating the depletion of energy sources, the sewage treatment strategy should be improved to the level of "energy positive". The core processes for the energy positive sewage treatment include A-stage for energy recovery and B-stage for energy-efficient nitrogen removal. The integrated process is known as the A/B-process. In A-stage, chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) or high rate activated sludge (HRAS) processes can be utilized by modifying the primary settling in the first stage of sewage treatment. CEPT utilizes chemical coagulation and flocculation, while HRAS applies returned activated sludge for the efficient recovery of organic contents. The two processes showed organic recovery efficiencies ranging from 60 to 70 %. At a given recovery efficiency of 80 %, 17.3 % of energy potential ($1,398kJ/m^3$) is recovered through the anaerobic digestion and combustion of methane. Besides, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) can recover 85% of organic contents and generate $1,580kJ/m^3$ from the sewage. The recovered energy is equal to the amount of energy consumption by sewage treatment equipped with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX)-based B-stage, $810{\sim}1,620kJ/m^3$. Therefore, it is possible to upgrade STPs as efficient as energy neutral. However, additional novel technologies, such as, fuel cell and co-digestion, should be applied to achieve "energy positive" sewage treatment.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 1982

This study was performed to increase the treatment efficiency of the existing anaerobic digestion facilities of the nightsoil treatment plants. Bench-scale anaerobic digesters were operated to evaluate the effect of the ratio (7:3 and 9:1) of the mixture of nightsoil and septic tank sludge on treatment efficiency. The laboratory experiments have demonstrated that the ratio of the mixture does have an effect on the organic removal efficiency. The nightsoil to septage ratio of 7 to 3 appears to yield a higher efficiency than the ratio of 9 to 1. The percent removals of 7 to 3 ratio are 87 % BOD, 82 % COD, 66 % TS, and 78 %. VS whereas those of 9 to 1 ratio are 80 % BOD, 80 % COD, 63 % TS, and 76 % VS. This study also showed that the mixed treatment of the nightsoil and septic tank sludge will be possible at the nightsoil treatment plant.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.75-82
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• 2008

Two UASB reactors were operated to investigate the effect of high concentration of sulfate on anaerobic digestion of propionate using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. An organic loading rate of $1.2kg\;COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ and a hydraulic retention time of 1.6 d were maintained during this study. In the absence of sulfate, the UASB reactor achieved about 95% removal of chemical oxygen demand whereas in the presence of $2,000\;SO_4^{2-}mg/L$, the COD removal rate decreased to 83% due probably to the inhibition of dissolved sulfide inhibition. Interactions between the methane producing bacteria (MPB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were measured to investigate the competition between MPB and SRB. The MPB consumed average 58% of the available electron donors at $COD/SO_4^{2-}$ ratio of 1. Propionate was consumed mainly by SRB, converting sulfate into sulfide and suppressing the methane production. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) using acetate and propionate increased as microorganism acclimated to the substrate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.735-745
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• 2014

This paper presents PKES(PuKyung -Excel based Simulator) for WWTPs(wastewater treatment plants) by using MS Excel and VBA(Visual Basic for Application). PKES is a user-friendly simulator for the design and optimization of the whole plant including biological and physico-chemical processes for the wastewater and sludge treatment. PKES calculates the performance under steady or dynamic state and allows changing the mathematical model by the user. Mathematical model implemented in PKES is a improved integration model based on ASM2d and ADM1 for simulation of AS(activated sludge) and AD(anaerobic digestion). Gaseous components of $N_2$, $N_2O$, $CO_2$ and $CH_4$ are added for estimation of GHGs(greenhouse gases) emission. The simulation results for comparison between PKES and Aquasim(EAWAG) showed about the same effluent concentrations. As a result of verification using by measured data of BOD, TSS, TN and TP for 2 years of operation, calculated effluent concentrations were similar to measured effluent concentrations. The values of average RMSE(root mean square error) were 1.9, 0.8, 1.6 and 0.2 mg/L for BOD, TSS, TN and TP, respectively. Total GHGs emission of WWTP calculated by PKES was 138.5 ton-$CO_2$/day and GHGs emissions of $N_2O$, $CO_2$ and $CH_4$ were calculated at 21.7, 28.9 and 87.9 ton-$CO_2$/day, respectively. GHGs emission of activated sludge was 32.5 % and that of anaerobic digestion was 67.5 %.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.6B
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• pp.683-687
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• 2006

This research investigated the effect of aeration pretreatment for anaerobic seed sludge on hydrogen production. Aeration time for anaerobic sludge was maintained at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours in batch tests. Two continuous anaerobic reactors (aerated and non-aerated) were also operated. All experiments were conducted at $35^{\circ}C$ using mineral salts-glucose (20 g/l) medium. Methane production decreased with the increase in aeration time. Aeration for 6 hours was determined as an optimum from the amount of hydrogen produced. Hydrogen was steadily produced in the continuous reactor seeded with aerated sludge while no methane production was observed. However, small amount of hydrogen was produced in the non-aerated reactor for short period of time from the start even though short HRT (2 days) and low pH (5.5) were maintained.