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Updated: May 1, 2026

Continuously-stirred Anaerobic Digester to Convert Organic Wastes into Biogas: System Setup and Basic Operation
Published on: July 13, 2012
Optimizing dry anaerobic digestion at pilot scale for start-up strategy and long-term operation: Organic loading
1State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Abstract:
Dry anaerobic digestion (AD) with high total solid content might upgrade conventional wet AD by enhancing digestion and reducing liquid digestate generation, which was not so popular due to lack of adequate knowledge and perceived operational complexity. In this study long term (447 days) pilot scale investigation was performed for various feedstocks including pig manure, corn straw and sludge. It was found dry method was more suitable for reactor start-up than wet method with relieved inhibition. Volatile fatty acid (VFA)/alkalinity (0.1 ~ 0.4) was effective as dry AD system stability indicator. Organic loading rate of 4.8 kg/(m3·d) and temperature of 48 °C was optimized. Co-digestion achieved better volatile solid removal and system stability. Both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogens stably existed in rector while hydrogenotrophic obtained higher abundance. This research contributed to understanding of reactor start-up, system stability indicator and optimized operational conditions (organic loading rate and temperature) during dry AD process.
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