Potentials and limits of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge : energy self-sufficient municipal wastewater treatment plant?

Anaerobic digestion is the only energy-positive technology widely used in wastewater treatment. Full-scale data prove that the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge can produce biogas that covers a substantial amount of the energy consumption of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this paper, we...

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Veröffentlicht in:Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. - 1986. - 66(2012), 6 vom: 24., Seite 1277-81
1. Verfasser: Jenicek, P (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Bartacek, J, Kutil, J, Zabranska, J, Dohanyos, M
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2012
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Sewage
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Anaerobic digestion is the only energy-positive technology widely used in wastewater treatment. Full-scale data prove that the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge can produce biogas that covers a substantial amount of the energy consumption of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this paper, we discuss possibilities for improving the digestion efficiency and biogas production from sewage sludge. Typical specific energy consumptions of municipal WWTPs per population equivalent are compared with the potential specific production of biogas to find the required/optimal digestion efficiency. Examples of technological measures to achieve such efficiency are presented. Our findings show that even a municipal WWTP with secondary biological treatment located in a moderate climate can come close to energy self-sufficiency. However, they also show that such self-sufficiency is dependent on: (i) the strict optimization of the total energy consumption of the plant, and (ii) an increase in the specific biogas production from sewage sludge to values around 600 L per kg of supplied volatile solids
Beschreibung:Date Completed 18.10.2012
Date Revised 25.07.2012
published: Print
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:0273-1223
DOI:10.2166/wst.2012.317