What is Anaerobic Digestion Process for

Producing Biogas?
Combustion File no.: 81
Author: Jen Kovcs

Version no.: 1
Referee: Peter Roberts

Date: 15-10-2001
Source: See end

1. Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the bacterial fermentation of organic material. Anaerobic

digesters produce conditions that encourage the natural breakdown of organic matter by
bacteria in the absence of air. AD provides an effective method for turning residues
from livestock farming and food processing industries into:

biogas, which can be used to generate heat and/or electricity,

fibre, which can be used as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner,
liquor, which can be used as liquid fertiliser.

The rate of breakdown depends on the nature of the incoming material and the
operating temperature.
The biogas is typically made up of 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide with traces of
nitrogen, sulphur compounds, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. This biogas can be
combusted directly in modified gas boilers or can be used to run an internal combustion
engine. The calorific value of this biogas is typically 17 to 25 MJ/m3, approx. between
50% and 70% that of natural gas and can be combusted directly in modified natural gas
boilers or used to run internal combustion engines. Typical composition of biogas is given
in Table 1.
Biogas can also be generated in landfill (landfill gas) through the similar digestion
process. However, the composition of the landfill gas is different because of the wide
mixture of organic waste.
The remainder, fibre, consists of an odour free residue with appearance similar to peat
(although they are not strictly comparable as peat is nutrient-free), and which has some
value as a soil conditioner in some instances as an alternative to peat. Peat extraction is
a major environmental problem, destroying the fragile ecosystems of the peatlands.
The biogas produced through the AD process usually needs to be cleaned to varying
degrees as soon as possible after generation for two main reasons:

the gas is corrosive and may damage engines,

for health and safety reasons.

The other digestate, the liquid has a low but diverse level range of nutrients. It can be
used as a liquid fertiliser in a planned fertiliser regime. As it has high water content, the
liquor also has irrigation benefits, so it can be used for fertigation on agricultural land.
However, as it contains particles, it should not be used for fertigation in greenhouses
because it can block feeder pipes if not separated effectively.

2. How does AD Work?

AD equipment consists, in simple terms, of a heated digester tank, a gasholder to store

the biogas, and a gas-burning engine/generator set, if electricity is to be produced. The
digestion process takes place in a warmed, sealed airless container (the digester), which
creates the ideal conditions for the bacteria to ferment the organic material in oxygenfree conditions. The digestion tank needs to be warmed and mixed thoroughly to create
the ideal conditions for the bacteria to convert organic matter into biogas (a mixture of
carbon dioxide, methane and small amounts of other gases).

3. What are the Main AD Processes?

An overview of the main AD processes is shown in Figure 1. These processes are

described in detail in the following paragraphs.
Mesophilic digestion. The digester is heated to 30 - 35oC and the feedstock
remains in the digester typically for 15 - 30 days. Mesophilic digestion tends to be more
robust and tolerant than the thermophilic process, but gas production is less, larger
digestion tanks are required and sanitisation, if required, is a separate process stage.
Thermophilic digestion. The digester is heated to 55oC and the residence time is
typically 12 - 14 days. Thermophilic digestion systems offer higher methane production,
faster throughput, better pathogen and virus kill, but require more expensive
technology, greater energy input and a higher degree of operation and monitoring.
Digestion refers to various reactions and interactions that take place among the
methanogens, non-methanogens and substrates fed into the digester as inputs. This is a
complex physiochemical and biological process involving different factors and stages of
change. This process of digestion (methanisation) is summarized below in its simple form.
The breaking down of inputs, that are complex organic materials, is achieved through
three stages as described below [3]:
i: Hydrolysis. The waste materials of plant and animal origins consist mainly of
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and inorganic materials. Large molecular complex
substances are solubilised into simpler ones with the help of extra cellular enzyme
released by the bacteria. This stage is also known as polymer breakdown stage. For
example, the cellulose consisting of polymerised glucose is broken down to dimeric, and
then to monomer sugar molecules (glucose) by cellulolytic bacteria.
ii: Acidification: The monomer such as glucose which is produced in Stage 1 is
fermented under anaerobic condition into various acids with the help of enzymes
produced by the acid forming bacteria. At this stage, the acid-forming bacteria break
down molecules of six atoms of carbon (glucose) into molecules of less atoms of carbon
(acids), which are in a more reduced state than glucose. The principal acids produced in
this process are acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and ethanol.
iii: Methanisation:. The principle acids produced in Stage 2 are processed by
methanogenic bacteria to produce methane. The reactions that takes place in the

process of methane production is called methanisation and is expressed by the following

equations
CH3COOH
Acetic acid

2CH3CH2OH
Ethanol

CO2
Carbon dioxide

CH4
Methane
CO2
Carbon dioxide
4H2
Hydrogen

CO2
Carbon dioxide

CH4
Methane

CH4
Methane

2CH3COOH
Acetic acid
2H2O
Water

The above equations show that many products, by-products and intermediate products
are produced in the process of digestion of inputs in an anaerobic condition before the
final product (methane) is produced. Obviously, there are many facilitating and inhibiting
factors that play their role in the process, such as material fed, pH value, temperature,
loading rate, retention time, toxicity, etc.
During the digestion process 30 - 60% of the digestible solids are converted into biogas.
This gas is a relatively rich fuel gas and may be fired to generate heat or electricity or
both. It can be burned in a conventional gas boiler and used as heat for nearby buildings
including farmhouses, and to heat the digester. It can be used to power associated
machinery or vehicles. Alternatively, it can be burned in a gas engine to generate
electricity. If generating electricity, it is usual to use a more efficient combined heat
and power (CHP) system, where heat can be removed in the first instance to maintain
the digester temperature, and any surplus energy can be used for other purposes. A
larger scale CHP plant can supply larger housing or industrial developments, or supply
electricity to the grid.

Feedstock
digestate

Digester

Separator
- liqour storage and
distribution
- fibre straight to land
- fibre composting

biogas
Biogas cleaning
Biogas storage
- process heat
- electricity
- combined heat and power
- transportation

Figure 1: Overview of the AD process. Source [1]

As fresh feedstock is added to the system, digestate is pumped from the digester to a
storage tank. Biogas continues to be produced in the storage tank; collection and
combustion may be an economic and safety requirement. The residual digestate can be
stored and then applied to the land at an appropriate time without further treatment, or
it can be separated to produce fibre and liquor. The fibre can be used as a soil
conditioner or composted prior to use or sale. The liquor contains a range of nutrients
and can be used as a liquid fertiliser, which can be sold or used on-site as part of a crop
nutrient management plan.
Nutrient analysis data for typical liquids and fibres are given in Table 2.
Table 1. Typical data on composition of biogas. Source: [2]
Compound
AD biogas
Methane, CH4
55-75 %
Carbon dioxide, CO2
25-45 %
Carbon monoxide, CO
0-0.3 %
Nitrogen, N2
1-5 %
Oxygen, O2
Traces
Hydrogen, H2
0-3 %
Hydrogen sulphide, H2S
0.1-0.5 %
Chlorine
Fluorine
-

Landfill gas
54%
42%
3.1 %
0.8 %
88 mg/m3
22 mg/m3
5 mg/m3

Table 2. Nutrient analysis of the fibre and liquor from the AD of farm slurry/manure
[1]
Liquor (kg/100 l)
Fibre (% of dry matter)
Nitrogen
0.8
3
Phosphate
0.5
4
Potassium
0.5
2
1 Figures are not for elemental mass but mass of compounds of nitrogen, phosphate and potash.
2 The fibre and liquor also contain trace elements including magnesium, manganese, sulphur, calcium, zinc,
copper, boron and sodium

4. Benefits and Problems of AD Processes

AD offers a great potential for using a renewable energy source for electricity, heat
and combined heat and power generation. It is also carbon neutral, i.e. it does not
generate extra carbon dioxide, and can therefore reduce overall quantities of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. The digestate, if correctly used, can reduce demand for
synthetic fertilisers and other soil conditioners, which may be manufactured using less
sustainable methods.
The environmental benefits of the AD processes can be briefly summarised as follows
[1]: better energy balance than in another energy production, reducing greenhouse gases,
displacing use of finite fossil fuels, recycling nutrients, reducing land and water
pollution, reducing demand for peat, supporting organic farming, reducing odour,
efficient electricity distribution.

The following problems may occur in AD farms: potential emissions, traffic movements,
noise, health and safety hazards, animal disease, and visual impact.

Glossary terms:

Anaerobic digestion It is the bacterial fermentation of organic material in the absence

of air.
Biogas - It is produced in an anaerobic digestion process in landfill or in a digester, in
which solid municipal waste, organic (agricultural) waste, sludge, industrial effluents are
converted into pipeline quality fuel gas. Methane is the main component of biogas.
Fermentation By fermentation of biomass, the biomass is broken down by anaerobic
bacteria (bacteria who live in absence of oxygen) to form a mixture of methane and
carbon dioxide. Fermentation is especially useful for wet streams and is widely used for
industrial wastewater and sludge from sewer-purifications installations.
Fertigation - A combined application of water and fertilizer that is applied every time
the plants need water.
Landfill gas - By-product of the natural decomposition process occurring at a landfill.
Comprised of 50 to 60% methane, 40 to 50% carbon dioxide, and less than 1- percent
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other trace gases.
Mesophilic digestion Digestion involving microorganisms with a growth optimum around
20-45oC.
Thermophilic digestion Digestion involving microorganisms that grow above 40oC,
typically kept at about 55oC.

Keywords:

Anaerobic digestion, biofuel, biogas, fermentation, fuel, mesophilic, thermophilic.

Source:

[1] British BioGen, Trade Association to the UK Bioenergy Industry

http://www.britishbiogen.co.uk/gpg/adgpg/adgpgintro.htm#whatisad
[2] Basic information on biogas. The Finnish Biogas Association.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/suomen.biokaasukeskus/en/enindex.htm
[3] Biogas technology: A training manual for extension. Sustainable Development
Department, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
http://www.fao.org/sd/EGdirect/EGre0021.htm

The information contained in this Combustion File is derived from the IFRF Combustion Handbook
(http://www.handbook.ifrf.net)
IFRF 1999 - 2001