Economically oriented process optimization in waste management.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Managing large volumes of enzymatically hydrolyzed waste haylage presents significant challenges.
• Current waste management strategies may not be economically or technically optimal for such feedstocks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and evaluate a novel apparatus for waste management.
• To assess the technical and economic feasibility of a combined anaerobic fermentation and continuous pyrolysis process for waste haylage.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel apparatus integrating anaerobic fermentation with continuous pyrolysis.
• Commercial-scale verification of the proposed process.
• Biochemical analysis and detailed process design documentation.

Main Results:

• The combined anaerobic fermentation and continuous pyrolysis process is technically and economically feasible at a commercial scale.
• The process yields both biogas and high-quality biochar from waste haylage.
• Pyrolysis of anaerobically fermented residue enhances overall process economics.

Conclusions:

• The developed apparatus and process offer an effective solution for managing large volumes of waste haylage.
• The production of biochar alongside biogas significantly improves economic viability.
• Fermentation pretreatment is likely to increase biochar microporosity, aligning with theoretical assumptions.