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Updated: May 14, 2026
11:31
Continuously-stirred Anaerobic Digester to Convert Organic Wastes into Biogas: System Setup and Basic Operation
Published on: July 13, 2012
The Dynamic Anaerobic Reactor & Integrated Energy System (DARIES) model: model development, validation, and
A F Brouwer1, S J Grimberg, S E Powers
1Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Box 5715, 8 Clarkson Ave., Potsdam, NY 13699, USA.
Summary
The Dynamic Anaerobic Reactor & Integrated Energy System (DARIES) model accurately predicts biogas and electricity production from dairy farm anaerobic digesters. DARIES outperforms existing models, offering improved insights for renewable energy systems.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Engineering
- Environmental Science
- Renewable Energy Systems
Background:
- Dairy farms generate significant organic waste suitable for anaerobic digestion.
- Accurate modeling of anaerobic digester systems is crucial for optimizing biogas and electricity production.
- Existing models may not fully capture the complexities of integrated energy systems in dairy operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Dynamic Anaerobic Reactor & Integrated Energy System (DARIES) model.
- To assess DARIES's accuracy in predicting biogas and electricity output from dairy farm anaerobic digesters.
- To compare DARIES performance against established models like U.S. AgSTAR FarmWare 3.4.
Main Methods:
- Incorporated the Anaerobic Digester Model No. 1 (ADM1) within the DARIES framework.
- Simulated combined heat and power (CHP) and digester heating systems.
- Configured the model for both completely mixed and plug flow reactor types.
- Validated biogas predictions against data from 18 full-scale US dairy farms.
- Verified electricity production predictions using NYSERDA DG/CHP Integrated Data System data.
Main Results:
- DARIES biogas predictions were statistically coincident with measured data from 18 dairy operations.
- DARIES demonstrated higher accuracy in biogas prediction compared to the U.S. AgSTAR FarmWare 3.4 model.
- Electricity production predictions from DARIES were successfully verified against real-world data.
- Sensitivity analysis indicated that influent flow rate, COD, and biodegradability most significantly impact DARIES output.
Conclusions:
- The DARIES model provides a robust and accurate tool for simulating biogas and electricity production in dairy farm anaerobic digester systems.
- DARIES offers improved predictive capabilities over existing models, aiding in the optimization of renewable energy generation from dairy manure.
- Key operational parameters such as influent characteristics and retention time are critical for maximizing system efficiency.
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