Waste Management & Research (1990) 8, 33-44 MESOPHILIC DIGESTION OF THE ORGANIC. FRACTION OF REFUSE: PERFORMANCE AND KINETIC STUDY Franco Cecchi*, Antonio Marcomini*, Paolo Pavan*, Guido Fazzini* and Joan Mata-Alvarezt (Received May 1989, revised August 1989) The anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste sorted by plant was investigated in a 3° stirred digester, operating under mesophilic con- ditions. Yields of gas obtained at 7 kg total volatile solids per m’ per day and 15-day hydraulic residence time (about 10% biodegradeable solids, 20% total solids) were as much as 1.6 times the digester volume per day. Better sorting should improve the yields which already compare favorably with the existing literature data. A kinetic study on the substrate utilization was performed by employing the “first order” model. Key Words—Anaerobic digestion, municipal solid waste, biogas, refuse, kinetic model, solid waste, dry digestion. 1. Introduction The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) constitutes a large renewable energy resource which is of interest to the Council of European Communities (CEC) policy. In June 1978, the CEC decided to provide financial support for projects in the field of alternative energy sources and energy savings. Biomass and energy from waste was a part of the programme. Production and utilization of biogas from wastes was the topic which covered most of the 153 projects supported by the CEC in November 1986. A recent publication has revised the work carried out in Europe in the field of biomass and energy from waste with particular regard to the anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of MSW (Cecchi et al. 19885). It was carried out at research, development, demonstrative and commercial levels. In the article cited, the qualitative and quantita- tive differences between European and North American wastes were outlined. Based on this observation, the present discussion focuses also on the European situation. Anaerobic digestion, first considered an inefficient and unreliable treatment process applicable to a limited number of substrates, in actual fact offers a large potential as a MSW disposal technique. Semi-solid substrates (i.e. those with a total solid content between 12-20%) can be digested using several technologies, employing one-phase and ‘two-phase systems. One phase anaerobic digestion of the OFMSW, by itself or mixed with sewage sludge, has been widely applied in Europe (Cecchi et al. 19886). Vice-versa, the two-phase technology has only been used to a limited extent with vegetable wastes at the laboratory and pilot plant level (Mata-Alvarez 1987; Rijkens er al. 1984; “Dipartimento Scienze Ambientali, Universita di Venezia. Calle Larga S. Marta 2137, 30123 Venezia, Italy tDepartament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona. C. Marti i Franqués, 1, 6p., 08028 Barcelona, Spain (0734. 242X/90/010033 4+ 12 $03.00/0 ©1990 IswA34 F. Cecchi et al. Mv-Viturtia er al, 1989). However, given its advantages (Verrier et al. 1987), this technology promises further developments. Both technologies are being explored by members of the Universities of Venice (Italy) and Barcelona (Spain) using the experimental facility located in Treviso (Italy). This facility consists of a 3 m’ working volume completely stirred tank reactor, that can run under mesophilic and thermophilic ranges of temperature, and a two-phase pilot system formed by a hydrolyzer (plug flow reactor, with an inside screw, 0.08m’) and a methanizer (a fluidized bed reactor, 0.06-0.12 m’) (Cecchi & Mata-Alvarez 1989) In this paper we present the results obtained from the CSTR pilot plant operating under mesophilic conditions and carry out a kinetic study of the substrate degradation. The first order kinetic model was considered for this goal. Although the application of a new model (step-diffusional) presented by the authors in a previous paper (Cecchi ef al. 1988c) would be interesting further experimental data needs to be done to draw firm conclusions in extending the model to the anaerobic digestion of the mechanically sorted OFMSW. The step diffusional model was in fact, carried out taking into account that the anaerobic digestion of the source sorted OFMSW proceeds according to the following mechanism: the soluble fraction of the feed is to a large extent digested during the first hour after feeding and almost completely after 2-3 hours; the contribution of the more easily hydrolyzable fraction becomes important during the fifth and sixth hours; then the kinetic of the overall process is controlled by the solubilization of the fractions which are decomposed more slowly (up to the twelfth hour). After this time the substrate utilization rate is so slow that the contribution of this period to the total gas production balance can be considered negligible. 2, Materials and methods 2.1 Experimental device Experiments were performed in a pilot plant with a stirred tank digester of 3 m’ working volume operating under mesophilic temperature range (370.5°C). A flow-sheet of the pilot plant is shown in Fig. 1. This device, first used for the treatment of source sorted OFMSW (Cecchi ef al. 1986, Traverso & Cecchi 1988), was modified in order to handle the mechanically sorted OFMSW. The digester was fed twice a day with variable total solid (TS) substrate concentration ine pe ee ae sinter a E a ee ee Fig. 1. Flow sheet of the pilot plantMesophilic digestion 35 (up to> =20%). Feed was prepared in a separate homogenizing tank, transferred to a storage tank by a screw pump and then loaded into the reactor by means of a membrane pump. As shown in Fig. 1, the biomass was diluted before being stored in the feedstock tank and digester effluent supernatant was used for dilution purposes as a method of controlling digester stability (Cecchi e# al. 19894). The hydraulic-solid retention time (HRT-SRT) and the organic loading rate (OLR) applied to the reactor varied according to the change of the solid content and the daily flow rate of the feed. The gas pressure inside the digester was maintained within the range of 200-250 mm water column (w.c.). Gas production was measured by a wet gas meter. An armed anchor stirrer, rotating at 70 r.p.m. was the mixing device. 2.2 Substrate The substrate fed to the digester was partially composted OFMSW sorted by the industrial plant of S. Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine, North-East Italy). The flow-sheet of the plant is shown in Fig.2. Table 1 shows the average characteristics of the substrate obtained from analyses of 22 samples over about one year. Each sample was a mixture of 10 significative portions of substrate collected from an OFMSW mass of about 2000 kg. Table 1 also shows in detail the types of materials forming the substrate. Five fractions were considered to characterize the OFMSW: putrescible fraction, paper, wood, plastic and inert matter. Each fraction, sorted by hand, was analysed for total solids (TS) and total volatile solids (TVS), in order to discover the distribution of the organic matter. The results obtained from these analyses were expressed in terms of the TS and the TVS that are contributed by each fraction to the substrate. Since the separation of the fractions is a difficult task, the results obtained must obviously be considered only as good approximation. Both the separation process (Fig. 2) and the types of materials (Table 1) are important when considering digester yields, usw amet) L magnet kneel or el Lm loss Tight op OrMsw nagnet ‘separator classifier filter t Fl cpa ie omogenizer of Composting | [ZF tomre | TT crtone | [OF ne }[ Stas” | [eee x aoge eter Lal compost 7 9 dest ce on tne eects Fig, 2, Flow sheet of the sorting and composting plant located at S. Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) (Italy)36 F. Cecchi et al, TABLE | ‘Average main characteristics of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste sorted by the industrial plant located at S. Giorgio di Nogaro (Italy). This refuse was used after dilution as feed to the pilot plant Chemical characteristics: TS, ekg" 763.0 TVS, % TS 43.9 TCOD, % TS 58.8 TKN, % TS 22 P, % TS On SCOD, % TS 10.3, STS, % TS 81 SVS, % TVS 96 TOC, % TS 193 TIC, % TS 13 Other characteristics: Putrescible fraction, %TS 589 %TVS 77.9 Paper, “TS Sd %TVS 7.2 Wood, % TS ML TVS 22 Plastic, %TS 18 %TVS 34 Inert fraction, %TS 331 %TVS 93 2.3 Analysis A complete set of analyses was performed in order to monitor the process. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) and alcohols were determined according to the gas chromatographic method reported by Cecchi er al. (19882). The methane percentage was measured continuously by means of an infra-red instrument. Gas production rate, biogas composition, digester and external temperature were automatically recorded on a computer at five minute intervals. The analyses of the alkalinity (TA) (TA, and TA, depending on pH end points 6.0 and 3.8 respectively). pH, solids, ammonia and total nitrogen (N-NH,, TKN), total phosphorus (P) and other parameters were carried out according to the Standard Methods (1985). The TA parameter was measured at two pH end points to evaluate the contribution of the bicarbonate and VFA. TA, may in fact be representative of the bicarbonate alkalinity and TA, includes the titration of VFA alkalinity (Cecchi et al. 1987, Rozzi & Brunetti 1980). The total organic and inorganic carbon (TOC, TIC) analyses were carried out by means of a carbon analyser (LECO CR-12 model) and the COD according to the potassium dichromate oxidation method. All of these were performed on solid samples.