Understanding and optimization of the plug-flow enzymatic hydrolysis process for sludge anaerobic digestion performance enhancement

近年来，将城市污水视为宝贵的能源和营养源的范式转变，极大地激发了人们对厌氧消化的研究兴趣：厌氧消化是从生物污水处理过程中产生的污泥中回收清洁能源的关键技术。预见到水解前处理对提高厌氧消化能量回收的关键作用，GE水和工艺技术公司(GE WPT)最近收购了Monsal酶解(EH)技术，用于将废物转化为能源解决方案。为了通过GE的商业和执行能力将EH技术进一步推广到全球市场，位于奥克维尔的GE WPT正在领导一项进一步优化EH设计的努力，以应对全球市场上其他技术的竞争。EH工艺的优化需要深入了解工艺机理、酶解反应原理以及关键设计参数的影响。在本项目中，我们将研究EH的关键工艺因素对EH的水解性能和产气量的影响，对EH过程中产生的水解酶的性质进行表征，并探索通过添加酶来提高EH性能的方法。该项目将涉及实验室规模的水解和生化甲烷潜力(BMP)研究，以确定最佳的EH工艺设计和操作条件，并进行中试研究，以评估EH工艺设计优化和产品管理所确定的最佳条件。该项目的成果将对通用电气EH产品的优化、EH过程模拟和产品成本分析以及EH技术在全球市场的扩大应用产生重要影响。此外，先进的EH技术的开发将通过推进可再生能源生产技术和减少与废水处理相关的能源消耗，促进加拿大对温室气体(GHG)减排的承诺。

The recent paradigm shift to consider municipal wastewater as the valuable energy and nutrient sources has largely stimulated research interests in the anaerobic digestion: a key technology to recover clean energy from sludge generated in biological wastewater treatment . Foreseeing the critical importance of the hydrolysis pre-treatment to enhance the energy recovery of anaerobic digestion, GE Water and Process Technologies (GE WPT) has recently acquired the Monsal Enzymatic Hydrolysis (EH) technology, for its waste to energy solutions. In order to further proliferate the EH technology to the global market through GE's commercial and execution capability, GE WPT, Oakville, is leading an effort to further optimize the EH design to confront competitions of other technologies in the global market. Optimization of the EH process needs to develop a deep understanding of the process mechanisms, principles of enzymatic hydrolysis reactions, and effect of key design parameters. In this project, we will investigate the effect of key process factors of the EH on the hydrolysis performance and biogas production, characterize properties of hydrolysis enzymes produced in the EH process, and explore methods to enhance the performance of the EH via the supplement of enzymes. The project will involve the bench-scale hydrolysis and biochemical methane potential (BMP) studies to identify the optimal EH process design and operation conditions and the pilot-scale study to evaluate the conditions identified by the optimal conditions for the EH process design optimization and product management. The outcomes of this project will exert critical impacts on the optimization of GE's EH product; the EH process simulation and product cost analysis; and the expansion of the applications of the EH technology in the global market. In addition, the development of the advanced EH technology will contribute to Canada's commitment to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction via advancing the renewable energy production technology and reducing the energy consumption related to wastewater treatment.