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Improving the Mixing Performances of Rice Straw Anaerobic Digestion for Higher Biogas Production by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation

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Abstract

As a lignocellulose-based substrate for anaerobic digestion, rice straw is characterized by low density, high water absorbability, and poor fluidity. Its mixing performances in digestion are completely different from traditional substrates such as animal manures. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was employed to investigate mixing performances and determine suitable stirring parameters for efficient biogas production from rice straw. The results from CFD simulation were applied in the anaerobic digestion tests to further investigate their reliability. The results indicated that the mixing performances could be improved by triple impellers with pitched blade, and complete mixing was easily achieved at the stirring rate of 80 rpm, as compared to 20–60 rpm. However, mixing could not be significantly improved when the stirring rate was further increased from 80 to 160 rpm. The simulation results agreed well with the experimental results. The determined mixing parameters could achieve the highest biogas yield of 370 mL (g TS)−1 (729 mL (g TSdigested)−1) and 431 mL (g TS)−1 (632 mL (g TSdigested)−1) with the shortest technical digestion time (T 80) of 46 days. The results obtained in this work could provide useful guides for the design and operation of biogas plants using rice straw as substrates.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the financial support from the National Eleventh Five-Year Research Program of China (2008BADC4B13 and 2008BADC4B14) and the International Cooperation Project between China and USA (2011DFA90800) from the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. We would also like to acknowledge the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2012M520145).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Resource and Environmental Research, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 15 Beisanhuan East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Shen, Libin Tian, Hairong Yuan, Yunzhi Pang, Dexun Zou, Baoning Zhu, Yanping Liu & Xiujin Li

  2. Institute of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University—Chengdu Campus, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Shen

  3. Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University—Chengdu Campus, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Shen

  4. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, L.J. Smith 213, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA

    Shulin Chen

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  1. Fei Shen
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  2. Libin Tian
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  3. Hairong Yuan
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  8. Yanping Liu
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  9. Xiujin Li
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Correspondence to Hairong Yuan or Xiujin Li.

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Shen, F., Tian, L., Yuan, H. et al. Improving the Mixing Performances of Rice Straw Anaerobic Digestion for Higher Biogas Production by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 171, 626–642 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0375-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0375-z

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