DRY DIGESTION PILOT TESTS USING RESIDUAL MUNICIPAL WASTE AS SUBSTRATE

摘要

A pilot plug-flow dry digestion process was tested for production of biogas from the fine fraction of the residual municipal solid waste after source sorting of the organic fraction of the waste. The residual waste is complex, containing a mix of hard and soft plastic, paper, metal, glass, and a varying amount of organic material. The utilization as a substrate for biogas production is therefore challenging. The purpose of the pilot tests was to determine if it is technically feasible to produce biogas from this waste. The plant was operated under thermophilic conditions for almost three months. In parallel also a garage fermentation batch pilot plant was tested with the same substrate. The results from the tests are promising concerning the biogas production even if there are indications that the process in the plug-flow reactor was operated in so called inhibited steady state at the higher loading rates.