Energy Recovery from Wastes using Anaerobic Treatment Technologies

在这个水和能源资源日益减少以及全球能源需求飙升的时代，对替代能源的需求是持续的。与此同时，由于工业化，水污染迅速增加。这一提议解决了当今最紧迫的两个问题：能源需求飙升和污染导致的水质恶化。随着废物管理范式向资源回收的转变，使用生物处理工艺将有机废物转化为绿色能源，如氢气和甲烷，为废物问题提供了经济、可持续和环境友好的解决方案。该研究计划的总体长期目标是开发新型经济的能源生产生物厌氧废物处理工艺。该研究探索了各种技术，以提高有机农业废物、城市固体废物（OFMSW）有机部分和高强度废物的生物精炼效率，以产生甲烷、氢气并最终产生电力。特别强调的是加强生物制氢废物以及提高厌氧消化效率的甲烷生产和固体破坏效率，从而不仅生产能源，但也减少最终的处置成本和温室气体排放与运输的生物固体。已经开发了三种处于不同发展阶段的有前途的技术，该计划旨在进一步发展和应用。这些技术可用于处理大量农业和工业废物，包括来自生物乙醇工厂的稀酒糟和纤维素废物、猪粪、玉米糖浆废物、酿酒厂废物、啤酒厂废物、垃圾填埋场渗滤液、OFMSW和城市污水处理厂侧流，以达到严格的环境标准，并产生绿色能源和减少固体处置。还将探索一种可以提高原料生物乙醇产量的创新发酵工艺。因此，这项研究最终可以开发出几种可专利的工艺设计，为废物管理问题提供实用，可持续和具有成本效益的解决方案。

In this era of dwindling water and energy resources and soaring global energy demand, the need for alternative energy sources is persistent. Meanwhile water pollution is increasing rapidly due to industrialization. This proposal addresses two of today's most pressing problems:soaring energy demand and deteriorating water quality due to pollution. With the shifting paradigm of waste management towards resource recovery, the conversion of organic wastes to green energy such as hydrogen and methane using biological treatment processes offers an economical, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solution to waste problems. The overall long-term objective of this research program is to develop novel economical energy-producing biological anaerobic waste treatment processes. The research explores various technologies to improve the effectiveness of biorefining organic agricultural wastes, organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW), and high strength wastes to generate methane, hydrogen, and eventually electricity. Specific emphasis is placed on enhancing biological hydrogen prodcution from wastes as well as improving the anaerobic digestion efficiency in terms of methane production and solids destruction efficiency, thus not only producing energy but also reducing ultimate disposal costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation of biosolids. Three promising technologies at various stages of development have been developed and this program aims at further advancement and application. The technologies can be used to treat a myriad of agricultural and industrial wastes including thin stillage and cellulosic wastes from bioethanol plants, hog manure, corn syrup wastes, winery wastes, brewery wastes, landfill leachates, OFMSW, and municipal wastewater treatment plants side-streams to stringent environmental standards as well as produce green energy and reduce solids disposal. An innovative fermentation process that can improve bioethanol yields from feedstocks will also be explored. Thus, this research can culminate in the development of several patentable process designs that offer practical, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions to waste management problems.