Thermal drying of the solid fraction from biogas digestate: effects of acidification, temperature and ventilation on nitrogen content

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal drying of the solid fraction from biogas digestate

T2 - effects of acidification, temperature and ventilation on nitrogen content

AU - Pantelopoulos, Athanasios

AU - Magid, Jakob

AU - Jensen, Lars Stoumann

N1 - Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2016/2/1

Y1 - 2016/2/1

N2 - Drying of solids produced from digestate is prone to N losses through NH3 volatilisation. The applicability of acidification as an NH3 emission mitigation technique during the drying of solids from digestate was assessed in a drying experiment. Operating conditions comprised four drying temperatures (70-160°C), two air ventilation rates (natural, 420ml/min) and three pH levels (9.2, 6.5 and 5.5) of the solids, modified by the addition of concentrated sulphuric acid. Acidification of the solids from digestate significantly decreased the NH3 emission during drying, irrespective of the drying conditions. A parallel decrease in the organic nitrogen content and an increase in the ammonium content of the solids was observed after acidification of the solids. It was confirmed that acidification before thermal concentration of solids from digestate, minimised NH3 losses under a wide range of drying conditions.

AB - Drying of solids produced from digestate is prone to N losses through NH3 volatilisation. The applicability of acidification as an NH3 emission mitigation technique during the drying of solids from digestate was assessed in a drying experiment. Operating conditions comprised four drying temperatures (70-160°C), two air ventilation rates (natural, 420ml/min) and three pH levels (9.2, 6.5 and 5.5) of the solids, modified by the addition of concentrated sulphuric acid. Acidification of the solids from digestate significantly decreased the NH3 emission during drying, irrespective of the drying conditions. A parallel decrease in the organic nitrogen content and an increase in the ammonium content of the solids was observed after acidification of the solids. It was confirmed that acidification before thermal concentration of solids from digestate, minimised NH3 losses under a wide range of drying conditions.

KW - Ammonia

KW - Biofuels

KW - Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

KW - Hydrolysis

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Refuse Disposal

KW - Solid Waste

KW - Temperature

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.10.008

DO - 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.10.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26481635

SN - 0956-053X

VL - 48

SP - 218

EP - 226

JO - Waste Management

JF - Waste Management

ER -