Hydrothermal carbonization coupled with anaerobic digestion for the valorization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

Michela Lucian; Maurizio Volpe; Fabio Merzari; Dominik Wüst; Andrea Kruse; Gianni Andreottola; Luca Fiori

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123734

Hydrothermal carbonization coupled with anaerobic digestion for the valorization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

Bioresour Technol. 2020 Oct:314:123734. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123734. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Authors

Michela Lucian¹, Maurizio Volpe², Fabio Merzari³, Dominik Wüst⁴, Andrea Kruse⁵, Gianni Andreottola³, Luca Fiori³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy. Electronic address: michela.lucian@unitn.it.
² Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna Kore, Enna, Italy.
³ Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
⁴ Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; Department of Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
⁵ Department of Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

PMID: 32622280
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123734

Abstract

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) was evaluated as a promising treatment to enhance the biomethane potential during anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). The OFMSW was carbonized at different conditions and HTC products were tested for biomethane potential into AD. Results proved that the use of HTC liquid and slurry into AD led to an increase in biomethane production up to 37% and 363%, respectively, compared to OFMSW. Methane production increased as the HTC process severity decreased, reaching its maximum at 180 °C, 1 h for both HTC products. Energy assessment demonstrated that the combustion of biogas produced by AD of HTC liquid and slurries covers up to 30% and 104% of the HTC thermal demand, respectively. When the energy from hydrochar and biogas combustion was recovered, the process efficiency reached 60%. Hence, HTC coupled with AD demonstrates to be an efficient way to valorize OFMSW.

Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Bioeconomy; Biofuel; Biomethane; Hydrothermal carbonization.

MeSH terms

Anaerobiosis
Biofuels / analysis
Methane
Refuse Disposal*
Solid Waste*

Substances

Biofuels
Solid Waste
Methane