Energy Recovery from Wastes using Anaerobic Treatment Technologies

在这个水和能源资源日益减少、全球能源需求飙升的时代，对替代能源的需求是持久的。同时，由于工业化，水污染也在迅速增加。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。随着废物管理模式向资源回收的转变，利用生物处理过程将有机废物转化为氢和甲烷等绿色能源，为废物问题提供了经济、可持续和环保的解决方案。本研究计划的整体长期目标是开发新的经济能源生物厌氧废物处理工艺。该研究探索了各种技术，以提高生物精炼有机农业废物、城市固体废物有机部分（OFMSW）和高强度废物的有效性，以产生甲烷、氢气，并最终产生电力。特别强调的是提高废物的生物制氢，提高厌氧消化效率的甲烷生产和固体破坏效率，从而不仅产生能源，而且减少最终的处置成本和与生物固体运输相关的温室气体排放。已经开发了三种处于不同发展阶段的有前途的技术，该计划旨在进一步推进和应用。该技术可用于处理各种农业和工业废物，包括生物乙醇厂的稀沉淀物和纤维素废物、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和城市污水处理厂的侧流，以达到严格的环境标准，并产生绿色能源和减少固体废物的处置。还将探索一种创新的发酵工艺，可以提高原料的生物乙醇产量。因此，这项研究可以最终开发出几个可申请专利的工艺设计，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.