Related Experiment Videos
A new VFA sensor technique for anaerobic reactor systems.
Peter F Pind1, Irini Angelidaki, Birgitte K Ahring
1BioCentrum-DTU, Technical University of Denmark, Building 227, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|February 6, 2003
Summary
This study introduces an innovative on-line sensor for monitoring volatile fatty acids (VFA) in animal manure, overcoming limitations of traditional methods. The new system enables frequent, automated VFA analysis, crucial for optimizing anaerobic biogas production.
Area of Science:
- Anaerobic digestion
- Biogas production
- Process analytical technology
Background:
- Volatile fatty acids (VFA) are critical for controlling anaerobic biogas processes.
- Current VFA measurement methods are typically off-line and labor-intensive.
- Monitoring VFA in challenging media like animal slurry is difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel on-line sensor system for VFA monitoring in animal slurry.
- To enable real-time VFA analysis for improved biogas process control.
- To present the development and testing of an in situ filtration technique for this purpose.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel in situ microfiltration technique for reactor systems.
- Construction of a VFA sensor system using commercially available membrane filters.
- Automated sampling and analysis at intervals as frequent as every 15 minutes.
Main Results:
- The VFA sensor system successfully monitored VFA on-line in animal slurry.
- The system demonstrated high reproducibility and recovery over 60 days and 1,000 samples.
- The sensor measures acetate, propionate, and butyrate/valerate from 0.1 to 50 mM.
Conclusions:
- The developed on-line VFA sensor system offers a significant advancement for biogas process monitoring.
- The in situ filtration technique is effective for sampling from closed reactor systems.
- The system provides frequent and reliable VFA data, enabling better process management.