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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Continuously-stirred Anaerobic Digester to Convert Organic Wastes into Biogas: System Setup and Basic Operation
Published on: July 13, 2012
Methane production improvement by modulation of solid phase immersion in dry batch anaerobic digestion process:
L André1, M Ndiaye2, M Pernier2
1Sorbonne Universités, EA 4297 TIMR UTC/ESCOM, UTC, CS 60 319, 60 203 Compiègne Cédex, France; Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais, Département des Sciences et Techniques Agro-Industrielles, rue Pierre Waguet, BP 30313, 60026 Beauvais Cédex, France.
Abstract:
Several 60L dry batch anaerobic digestion (AD) reactors were implemented with or without liquid reserve on cattle manure. The immersed part modulation of cattle manure increased the methane flow of about 13%. The quantitative real time PCR and the optimized DNA extraction were implemented and validated to characterize and quantify the methanogen dynamic in dry batch AD process. Final quantities of methanogens converged toward the same level in several inocula at the end of AD. Methanogen dynamic was shown by dominance of Methanosarcinaceae for acetotrophic methanogens and Methanobacteriales for the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Overall, methanogens populations were stabilized in liquid phase, except Methanosaetaceae. Solid phase was colonized by Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinaceae populations giving a support to biofilm development. The methane increase could be explained by a raise of Methanosarcinaceae population in presence of a total contact between solid and liquid phases. Methanosarcinaceae was a bio-indicator of the methane production.
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