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Electron beam technology for biogas and biofertilizer generation at municipal resource recovery facilities Cover

Electron beam technology for biogas and biofertilizer generation at municipal resource recovery facilities

Nukleonika
Volume 66 (2021): Issue 4 (December 2021)
By: Andrzej G. ChmielewskiORCID,  Marcin SudlitzORCID,  Bumsoo Han and  Suresh D. Pillai  
Open Access
|Nov 2021

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1

Schematic of the SEP WWTP and the sampling location (marked in red).
Schematic of the SEP WWTP and the sampling location (marked in red).

Fig. 2

DIN 38414/8 eudiometers used for small-scale (400 ml) experiments including water bath, Testo 622 instrument for temperature and atmospheric pressure measurements table specially designed for this purpose.
DIN 38414/8 eudiometers used for small-scale (400 ml) experiments including water bath, Testo 622 instrument for temperature and atmospheric pressure measurements table specially designed for this purpose.

Fig. 3

Methane generation over 21 days mesophilic digestion of wastewater treatment plant sludge pretreated at 1 kGy (A), 2 kGy (B) and 3 kGy (C) e-beam doses and data for references samples not irradiated (0 kGy). H1–H3 represent independent experiments performed on separate days using different sludge samples.
Methane generation over 21 days mesophilic digestion of wastewater treatment plant sludge pretreated at 1 kGy (A), 2 kGy (B) and 3 kGy (C) e-beam doses and data for references samples not irradiated (0 kGy). H1–H3 represent independent experiments performed on separate days using different sludge samples.

Bioreactor conditions to monitor methane generation

Source of sludgeSEP WWTP
Source of inoculumDigestate from SEP WWTP biogas digester
Inoculum: Substrate ratio20%:80%
Bioreactor pHpH 7.1–7.3
Bioreactor volume400 ml
Residence time21 days
Study temperature38°C
Mixing conditionsManually, once every 24 h

Preliminary economic analysis of incorporating e-beam technology for sludge hygenization solely compared with incorporating e-beam technology for sludge hygenization and biogas cogeneration

Wastewater treatment plant(Throughput: ~250 000 m3 annually. Sludge output ~1500 tons dry mass annually)
I. E-beam technology for sludge hygenizationII. E-beam technology for sludge hygenization and biogas cogeneration
Accelerator specification
100 kW, 2 MeV100 kW, 2 MeV + biogas generation
Cost savings
Savings from avoiding sludge disposal costs
1500 tons @ 100 euros = 150 000 euros1500 tons @ 100 euros = 150 000 euros
Potential revenue from biosolid-based fertilizer sales
1500 tons @ 94.5 euros = 141 750 euros1277.5 tons @ 94.5 euros = 120 723.75 euros
Biogas production (1 022 000 m3 annually)Converted in co-generator in electricity and heatGenerator power 350 kWEquivalent of electricity production:350 kW × 8000 h × 0.13 euros/kWh = 354 000 euros
E-beam technology-associated operating costs
Electricity consumption
130 kW e-beam accelerator130 kW e-beam accelerator
 70 kW wastewater plant equipment 70 kW wastewater plant equipment
 10 kW heat generation
Total cost
210 kW × 8000 h × 0.13 euros/kwh = 218 400 euros200 kW × 8000 h × 0.13 euros/kwh = 208 000 euros1055 tons grass silage (annually) = 1 055 tons × 10 euros/ton = 10 055 euros
Net income and savings
73 350 euros annually271 668.75 euros annually

Cumulative SCOD (mg/L) and methane volumes generated (ml/kg TS) as a function of e-beam dose

ExperimentDose (kGy)Volume of biogas produced after 21 days (ml/kg TS)t-testα = 0.05SCOD (mgO2/L) before the fermentationt-testα = 0.05
H10118.842 ± 721t = −27.0145–
1138.602 ± 1630p = 0.0014–
H20145.822 ± 1003t = 0.46544993 ± 24t = −18.0121
2144.447 ± 6074p = 0.68745754 ± 59p = 0.0031
H3064.374 ± 910t = −7.2157318 ± 0t = −664.0
376.844 ± 3647p = 0.01871425 ± 3p = 0.000002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2021-0031 | Journal eISSN: 1508-5791 | Journal ISSN: 0029-5922
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Language: English
Page range: 213 - 219
Submitted on: Dec 17, 2020
Accepted on: Jan 7, 2021
Published on: Nov 25, 2021
Published by: Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Keywords:
Biogas,
Biofertilizer,
Cogeneration,
Electron beam,
Ionizing radiation,
Municipal wastewater plant sludge,
Phosphorus,
Resource recovery facility,
Sludge hygenization
Related subjects:
Chemistry,
Nuclear chemistry,
Physics,
Astronomy and astrophysics,
Physics, other

© 2021 Andrzej G. Chmielewski, Marcin Sudlitz, Bumsoo Han, Suresh D. Pillai, published by Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

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