Biological Wastes 28 (1989) 15-24

Factors Influencing Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion

L. Molnar
1487 Amherst, Apartment 1, Montreal, Canada H2L 3L2

&

I. Bartha
M~ly6pterv, Vigado t6r 5, Budapest, Hungary

(Received 23 February 1988; revised version received 29 July 1988;

accepted 2 August 1988)

ABSTRACT

Two 80 m 3 solid-state batch reactors constructed mainly from flexible, less

expensive materials were investigated from the viewpoint of gas production
and proeess stabilityfor semi-continuous operation. A mixture of agricultural
wastes (25% beef cattle manure, 75% corn stalks with husks and leaves) with
high solids concentration (approx. 27% ) served asfeed for the digestion. The
heat to maintain the adequate microbial activity was derivedfrom the aerobic
stage. The stability of this phase for continuous biogas production was
ensured by active aeration. The gas production rates were dependent on the
fermentation insulation, and showed a 30% increase when the winter type
insulation was used. The volumetric gas productivities of the digester with
more efficient insulation varied between 2"5 and 0"7m3 m -3 day-1. During
the required 30 days of batch fermentation, the reactor temperature slowly
decreased from 55°C to under 35°C. The storage of already mixed raw
materials for a 3 week period had an adverse effect on digester performance,
and decreased the total gas production by approximately 20%.

INTRODUCTION

The major reasons discouraging the construction of anaerobic fermentors

are the relatively high capital cost, and the fact that management techniques
15
Biological Wastes 0269-7483/89/$03-50 © 1989 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England.
Printed in Great Britain
16 L. Molnar, L Bartha

are still not well established for a wide variety of organic residues, especially
substrates with high solids. At present, the majority of manures and crop
residues are handled as solid materials. The equipment and the experience
with solids handling seems to be applicable to the operation of dry anaerobic
processes.
There is a large number of factors which affect biogas production
efficiency, such as environmental conditions (pH, temperature, etc.),
microorganism, type and quality of substrate, degradability, etc. Rational
management of the process requires the determination of the most
important parameters and their optimization.
The quality of organic substrate determines the gas yield for a particular
waste and its methane content. However, more resistant biodegradable
materials require mixing with manure in order to increase their yield
(Bartha, 1966). Total solids concentration up to 30% TS can be reliably used
without any inhibition by volatile acids (Wujcik & Jewell, 1980). The upper
limit to loading rates depends on the increasing toxic concentration of
certain substances (e.g. ammonia, organic volatile acids) to the bacterial
culture (Patelunas & Regan, 1977; Converse et al., 1977). However, the
buffering capacity of reactor contents, relating to the necessity of pH control
at a required level, can be maintained by addition of lime (Ca(OH)2) (Buswell
& Hatfield, 1936; Buivid & Wise, 1981).
Digester operation at short retention times does not allow operationally
optimum organic matter degradation (Hill, 1982). This is an important
point, since the solid-state fermentation is not only producing biogas but
also a useful composting product (De Baere & Verstraete, 1984), which will
make the process more favorable to investment as it affects the return on
capital investment. Therefore, the most desirable course is to optimize the
retention time compatible with gas production and degree of degradation.
The anaerobic process is not exothermic, so it requires energy input to
maintain and support the microbial activity. Considerable amounts of
energy are consumed, decreasing the process efficiency. Consequently the
degree of insulation and the ambient temperature will also have a direct
effect on net energy production. Therefore the reactors must be well
insulated to control the impact of ambient temperature (Jewell, 1979;
Molnar & Bartha, in press).
There are several advantages to anaerobic methane fermentation at high
solids concentration. When the substrate being fermented is not diluted, the
reactor volume can be considerably reduced, and the final material handling
problems occurring with liquid substrates will be significantly diminished.
Utilizing the heat derived from the aerobic stage for heating the fermentor in
the biomethanation phase eliminates the need for an internal heating
system.
 Factors influencing solid-state anaerobic digestion 17

The objectives Of this study were to determine the effect o f long term
storage o f raw materials on digestion, to reduce the impact of ambient
temperature o f the net energy production, and to improve the process
reliability by eliminating the uncertainties of the aerobic stage. This would
make use of batch reactors for semi-continuous operation reliable for
continuous gas production.

METHODS

Experimental digester and process description

Two units o f the anaerobic solid-state fermentor system as illustrated in Fig.
1 were built at Agard Farm, Agard, Hungary. A reactor unit consisted of a
circular reinforced concrete platter, properly insulated, edged in a rim with
built-in waterlock and with bottom mounted air diffusers.
The second part o f the fermentor was a cone-shaped tent roof, made from
flexible, lightweight material, impermeable to gases and with different levels
of insulation. In this study two types o f reactor were investigated: type B - -
moderately insulated (Experiments 1 and 2) and type C--heavily insulated
(winter type, Experiment 3). The tent r o o f surface area to concrete platter
ratio was 3 : 1. The volume of the fermentor unit was 85 m 3 and its effective
volume 80 m 3. The reactors operated at 4-56 kPa.
The operating temperature, necessary to support and maintain the
bacterial activity in the subsequent anaerobic stage, was derived from the

7 1 I0 • (_l~ , U

Fig. 1. Diagram offermentor units and process. 1, possible ways of loading; 2, synthetic tent
roof; 3, raw materials; 4, concrete platter; 5, winches;6, gas pipeline; 7, inoculum pipeline; 8,
waterlock; 9, pumps; 10, gas holder; 11, emergency torch; 12, gas for consumption.
18 L. Molnar, L Bartha

aerobic stage of the operation, where the heat evolved increased the
temperature inside the raw material pile to the required initial temperature
of 55°C, which then slowly decreased during the anaerobic phase. In
Experiments 1 and 2, spontaneous aerobic heat generation was employed.
This was accomplished while the tent roof was kept open, allowing air
circulation around the raw material to satisfy the aerobic microorganisms'
oxygen demand. Having reached the operation temperature, the tent roof
was then secured to produce an anaerobic environment. In Experiment 3,
active aeration was used to provide the aerobic bacteria with oxygen. At the
end of the aerobic stage, when the traces of oxygen had been depleted (after
approximately 12h), the reactor contents were inoculated with 6% of
inoculum on volume basis.
The digester feed consisted of a mixture of 25% fresh beef cattle manure
collected on a daily routine from the pens and 75% corn stalks with husks
and leaves chopped into 20-30 m m particles. The carbon :nitrogen (N) ratio
of organic materials was adjusted to 25:1 by additions of the liquid phase of
the manure and the total solids concentration was maintained at 27%. By
addition of lime (Ca(OH)2) sufficient buffer capacity of the fermentor
contents was assured.
The inoculum was propagated on the same type of mixture as was later
used to feed the digester, and was kept actively growing at a temperature of
55°C.
Gas production was continuously monitored on a commercially available
wet gas meter, Ganz Model PS6R/A3/M, and recorded twice daily. Gas
samples were obtained every third day and analyzed on a Hewlett Packard
gas chromatograph with a thermal conductivity detector, using a 60/80 mesh
column packed with Porapack Q. The chromatograph operating conditions
were: injection port temperature 105°C; detector temperature 105°C;
column temperature 50°C; carrier gas He at the flow 60 ml min-1. All gas
measurements are expressed at standard temperature and pressure (0°C,
1 atm).
The temperature of the fermentor at different points in the organic raw
material was monitored with thermocouples connected to a thermograph.
Samples of the organic material were taken at the beginning and the end
of each fermentation, and analyzed for total solids, volatile solids, COD,
Kjeldahl-nitrogen, and ammonia-nitrogen. Analytical tests were performed
according to the procedures in Standard Methods (1980). A m m o n i a -
nitrogen was determined by an Ingold Ammonia Electrode Model 7510.
Samples of feed material taken at each run were additionally analyzed for
cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, silica ash and total organic carbon (TOC).
The tests, except for organic carbon, were performed according to the
 Factors influencing solid-state anaerobic digestion 19

methods outlined by Goering and Van Soest (1975). TOC was determined by
weighing residues after combustion at 1100°C.

RESULTS A N D DISCUSSION

According to previous laboratory results, for maximum microbial activity

on complex carbohydrate substrates, the optimum carbon:nitrogen ratio
was set to be 25:1, which was also suggested by Hills (1978). There were,
however, some variations in this ratio between the experiments as indicated
in Table 1, but these variations remained in the range of optimal microbial
activity and had no negative effect on digester performance.
The chemical composition of raw feed is listed in Table 2. The lower
volatile solids concentration with Experiment 1 was caused by using
substrate already prepared and stored for 3 weeks. This was done to
determine the possible effect of storage of organic materials on gas
production. Data obtained from this experiment are illustrated in Fig. 2.
There was a 19.3 % reduction in total biogas due to its partial decomposition
when compared to a fresh mixture (Experiment 2) plotted in Fig. 3. And also
the process required considerably longer retention time (43 days) to achieve
this production. Otherwise, under the same operating conditions, i.e. 30 day
retention time, the process had reached only 64.7% of the production of
Experiment 2. In both experiments, the reactors had the same moderate
insulation.
Observations made under these operating conditions concerning the
overall process stability when the heating energy was derived from the
spontaneous aerobic phase, revealed that 5-10 days were necessary to
achieve the operational temperature. This variability in the aerobic stage
was caused by seasonal changes in ambient temperature and would affect the

TABLE 1
Nutrient Composition of Feed Organic Matter

Average Range

Hemicellulose (%TS) 55"6 44"6-60"7

Cellulose (%TS) 26"8 23-4-28"2
Lignin (%TS) 12.5 10'4-17"4
Silica ash (%TS) 4"7 3'2-7'8
Total organic carbon (TOC) (%TS) 51'8 46-1-54"3
Non-lignin carbon (%TS) 46"8 41"149"4
Non-lignin carbon :nitrogen 25-1 23"7-26'7
20 L. Molnar, L Bartha

TABLE 2
Characteristics of Feed Mixture

Experiment number

I 2 3

Total solids (TS%) 27.2 26.9 26.5

Volatile solids (VS%) 23.8 24.4 24-5
Volatile solids (%TS) 87.6 90.6 92.3
COD (kg m - a) 227"66 257.10 264.17
Kjeldahl-nitrogen (kg m - 3) 4.3835 4-9290 5.2787
Ammonia-nitrogen (kg m - 3) 0"5720 0.6457 0"6809

COD = chemical oxygen demand.

overall process control of the continuous gas production employing batch

reactors in series because of its potential impact on producing a nonuniform
gas production rate. Therefore an attempt was made to improve the
reliability of the heat generation process by active aeration. This required
modifying the digester by installing air diffusers on the bottom of the
fermentors. The active aeration decreased the time required to reach the
initial operating temperature to 2-3 days, excluded the influence of ambient
temperature, and resulted in a more homogeneous heat generation inside the
material pile.
Volumetric gas production rates illustrated in Figs 2, 3 and 4, clearly
indicate a descending trend with time as a consequence of temperature
changes in the reactor, which was also confirmed by continuous monitoring

1.40

*E
e~ 1.00

6o.m
°.lj
~0.40

time [d]
Fig. 2. Influence of storage of raw materials on gas production.
 Factors influencing solid-state anaerobic digestion 21

1.e0

~0.80 ~

time [d]
Fig. 3. Gas production with moderate insulation.

of the temperature. The temperature changes resulted in a slowdown in the

mixed culture growth rate, as was observed and reported on the temperature
dependence of the maximum specific growth rate by Chen et al. (1980).
The total biogas production increased 29.9% when the more insulated,
winter type tent roof was used. As seen in Fig. 3, the volumetric gas
productivity of the moderately insulated digester varied between
1.56m 3m -3 day -1 at the beginning of the fermentation process and
0.62 m 3 m - 3 day-1 at the end, whereas the winter type insulation ranged
between 2.53 to 0-70 m 3 m - 3 d a y - ~ (Fig. 4).
Data of the digested organic materials are tabulated in Table 3 reflecting
the degrees of volatile solids destruction for each factor influencing the

~ LIO

61.5o

i':2
time [el]
Fig. 4. Gas production with winter type insulation.
22 L. Molnar, L Bartha

TABLE 3
Chemical Composition of Digested Matter

Experiment number

1 2 3

Total solids (TS%) 22.0 19.7 16.1

Volatile solids (VS%) 18"3 17'7 14.1
Volatile solids (%TS) 83"2 89.7 87"9
COD (kg m - 3) 191.92 211'30 198"90
Kjeldahl-nitrogen (kg m - 3) 3'949 5 4"460 7 4-968 2
Ammonia-nitrogen (kg m - 3) 0'612 0 0"690 9 0.728 6

course of anaerobic fermentation. As can be noted, approximately 90% of

the total nitrogen added was preserved during the fermentation process.
Also, the increase in ammonia-nitrogen levels is apparent from the
tabulated results, but it remained within acceptable levels, not inhibiting
good fermentation performance, as outlined by Metcalf and Eddy (1979) for
municipal digesters.
The summary of the digesters' performances is listed in Table 4. As
shown, the volumetric gas production (mean value) for reactor with winter

TABLE 4
Summary of Reactors' Performances

Experiment number

1 2 3

Insulation Moderate Moderate Winter-type

Aerobic phase Spontaneous Spontaneous Active
Batch fermentation time (days) 43 30 30
Volatile solids reduction (%) 22.1 29-6 42.2
COD reduction (%) 15'7 17-8 24.7
Volumetric gas production (m 3 m - 3 day 1) 1-27-0-30 1.56-0-62 2.53-0-70
Volumetric gas production (mean value)
(m3 m - 3 d a y l) 0-52 0"96 1'38
Methane content (mean value) (%) 55-6 60"2 59.9
Gas yield on VS destroyed (m 3 kg-1) 0"71 0"72 0"73
Methane yield of VS destroyed (m 3 kg- 1) 0'41 0.43 0.44
Gas yield on COD destroyed (m s k g - ~) 0'60 0.60 0"60
Methane yield on COD destroyed (m 3 k g - 1) 0.34 0.36 0'36
 Factors influencing solid-state anaerobic digestion 23

type insulation was 1 . 3 8 m 3 m - a d a y -1 and is comparable with the

2.1 m a m - 3 day- 1 reported by Hills (1980) for a continuous process at high
solids concentration with a retention time of 15 days. Also, the volumetric
methane productivity of 0"83mare -a day -x is close to that obtained by
Gosch et aL (1981), 0.98 m a m-3 day-1, for a conventional CSTR working
at a solids retention time of 12 days. The methane yield of 0-36 m a kg-1
COD is in good agreement with the theoretical yield of 0"35 m 3 kg- 1 COD
calculated by McCarty (1964).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the operational viability of a solid-state batch

reactor of novel design, constructed mainly from flexible, less expensive
materials. The simple construction without any inner moving parts and
convenient loading and unloading helped to resolve the mechanical
difficulties connected with solid material handling.
Using the heat generated in the aerobic stage in the subsequent methane
production stage eliminates the need for any additional heat input.
Eliminating the instabilities of the heat generation phase enables the
operation of batch digesters in series for continuous biogas production.
However, care should be taken concerning the proper storage of raw
materials and its duration. Materials stored improperly or for extended
periods are susceptible to decomposition and loss of energy value.
Data obtained and observations made under the conditions described
above, support the following conclusions.
1. For a batch reactor with more efficient insulation, the volumetric gas
production varies between 2.5 and 0"7 m 3 m - 3 day- 1 for 30 days of
fermentation, and the conversion rate of volatile solids is approxi-
mately 40%.
2. Long-term and improper storage of raw materials caused partial
decomposition of volatile solids and decreased the total biogas
production by approximately 20%.
3. Increasing the reactor insulation resulted in a 29-9% increase in gas
production.
4. Active aeration in the aerobic stage ensures the process stability for
semi-continuous digestion of organic materials for continuous
biogas production.
5. Further improvement in fermentor design by using new and more
efficient insulation materials and/or applying progressive roof design
to decrease heat losses would result in higher gas production.
24 L. Molnar, L Bartha

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