Research and development of a novel pilot-scale two-stage anaerobic digestion process for renewable energy production and treatment of high strength organic industrial streams

本论文主要研究一种新型的两段式厌氧消化工艺 旨在创造一系列可再生产品，如运输燃料，化学品和塑料， 可持续的生物质来源，即木质纤维素作物，并使用废物，如农业残留物， 市政绿色垃圾箱收集或动物粪便。该工艺将扩大厌氧发酵的应用范围 这是一种超越目前主要用途的消化过程。注重生产力方面， 氢和甲烷，这项研究的最终目标是开发一种能够将 利用“共同消化”的概念，将各种来源的原料转化为可再生的氢气和甲烷 气.为了实现这一目标，AD工艺将与费托（FT）方法相结合，将可再生气体转化为液体燃料。拟议的两阶段反倾销程序的发展将 使AD和FT工艺的集成在经济上可行，在技术上可行， 其高吞吐量。这种强大的能力将大大减少该工艺的资本足迹，并将提高沼气的高生产率，这增加了该工艺的经济优势。AD工艺将改善现有工厂的经济性，并将产生一种商业上可行且可持续的生产可再生燃料的方式。AD工艺可能是乙醇/可再生燃料行业的“游戏规则改变者”，并可能为加拿大整体经济带来好处。该项目涉及一个工业合作伙伴联盟，即格林菲尔德乙醇公司、联合天然气公司、ADI公司以及温莎和韦斯特大学。该项目将为一名PDF，两名博士提供重要的培训。学生和三个M.E.Sc.理科硕士

The proposed research focuses on the development of a novel two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) process designed to create an array of renewable products such as transportation fuels, chemicals and plastics from sustainable biomass sources i.e. lignocellulosic crops, and to use wastes such as agricultural residues or municipal green bin collections or animal manures. The process will expand the application of the anaerobic digestion process beyond its current primary use. Focusing on the productivity aspects, with respect to hydrogen and methane, this research's ultimate goal is to develop an AD process capable of converting feedstocks from various sources, using the concept of "co-digestion", into renewable hydrogen and methane gases. In accomplishing this goal the AD process will be integrated with the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) approach to convert the renewable gases into liquid fuels. The development of the proposed two-stage AD process will make the integration of the AD and FT processes economically feasible as well as technically possible due to its high throughput capacity. This robust capacity will drastically reduce the process's capital footprint and will enhance the high biogas productivity, which adds to the process's economic advantages. The AD process will improve the economics of existing plants and will generate a commercially viable as well as sustainable way of producing renewable fuels. The AD process could be 'game changer' in the ethanol/renewable fuels industry and could provide benefits to the overall Canadian economy. This project involves a consortium of industrial partners i.e. Greenfield Ethanol, Union Gas, ADI, and the universities of Windsor and Western. The project will offer significant training for one PDF, two Ph.D. students, and three M.E.Sc./M.A.Sc students.