CHAPTER THREE

EFFECT OF TOTAL SOLIDS ON

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
3. 1 BACKGROUND

Methane production by anaerobic fermentation involves

a series of successive biochemical reactions carried out

anaerobically by different types of bacteria and thereby

transforming varied orgnic materials into methane and

carbon-di-oxide. The efficiency of the biochemical

reactions is influenced by several factors such as pH ,

temperature, substrate concentration and the retention

time, etc.

Based on many studies which have been carried out in

this laboratory (unpublished work of SRERI) and elsewhere

Hughes (1979), Padmanabhan (1985), and Chawala (1986) to

see how these parametres affect the rate of biogas produc­

tion, it can be generalized that a pH range of 6.5-8.2, a

39
mesophilic temperature of 31-42° C and retention times of

30 to 60 days favors maximum output of biogas production

from different types of biomass, however, the optimum

substrate concentration would not be the same for all

types of biomass. In the cattle dung digestion, presence

of 7-9 per cent total solids is considered optimum for

biogas production. Acharya (1958) studied the effect of

total solids concentration of cattle dung from 5 to 12 per

cent and found that the maximum rate of gas production was

at 8 per cent total solids. Jain and Kumar (1986) report­

ed, cattle dung to water ratio of 3:2 to be the optimum

for feeding the biogas plants. Bousfield et al. (1979)

found that at 35° C gas producton increased by 40 per cent

when concentrations of solids of cattle dung increased

from 5 to 10 -per cent. Ranade et a/. (1990) reported good

yield of biogas from the dung slurry containing 14 per

cent total solids and recommended 2:1 dilution of the dung

in water. Wajcik (1979) studied the effect of water con­

tent on biogas production from dairy cow manure and straw

with substrate concentration of 10 per cent to 40 per cent

and showed that the rate of biogas production was signifi­

cantly influenced at a total solids content above 32.5 per

cent. High solids affect hydrolysis reaction, i.e. the

acid forming mechanisms and finally methane production.

Ghosh et al. (1979) studied the batch digestion of materi­

als such as cattle dung, water hyacinth, algae, bagasse

and the rice husk at different concentrations in the range

of 1 per cent to 10 per cent total solids and found that

40
the gas production was increased with increase in total

solids concentration. Pillai et al. (1983) have reported

that, in semicontinuous digestion of water hyacinth,

biogas production increases linearly with the increase in

organic loading. In an upf1ow-anaerobic sludge blanket-

reactor it was observed that the biogas production in­

creases linearly with increasing faecal concentration

(Final report of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket : low

cost sanitation research project in Bandung, Indonesia,

1988).

In the case of sewage sludge digestion, Maiina and

Miholis (1968) and Sawyer and Grumbling (1960) have recom­

mended an optimum solids concentration in the digester

from 6 to 8 per cent.

3.2 EX PERIMENTAL

The total solids present in fresh, cattle dung usually

vary between 17-21 per cent; in the fresh water hyacinth

from 5 to 8 per cent, whereas, in the night soil it varies

from 20 to 24 per cent. In light of several and varied

research reports it was necessary for the purpose of

present investigation to examine the effect of substrate

concentration on the biogas production from cattle dung,

water hyacinth and night soil. Therefore, the anaerobic

digestions were carried out (batch scale) in 1 1 Erlenmey-

er flasks containing seeded biomass substrate in a range

A 41
of concentrations and sufficient water to make a total

volume of 500 ml, (Please see Photograph No. 1). After 45

days of digestion the pararaetres such as T.S., T.V.S.,

C.O.D. and methane content were determined as per the

*

methods described in Chapter II.

3.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The experimental data are presented in the following

tables and figures :

TABLE 3.1

EFFECT OF TOTAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION ON

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

Biomass : Cattle dung ; (Fresh) 9

Total Volume : 500 m1.

pH : 7.3

Per cent Total Biogas Biogas Per Per Per

total produced produc- cent cent Cent
sol ids Cl ) tion C.O.D. T.V.S. Methane
(dry (1/kg Reduced Reuced Content
weight) fresh
weight)

8. 6 5.70 22.8 43. 8 22. 4 53.8

12. 1 7.33 21.0 40. 5 21.0 60.0

14.0 7.99 20.0 40.5 20. 9 55.2

16.0 9. 16 20.3 42. 2 21.0 51.9

 vo
(l)
uouonpojd ssBoia
b
| joj
.

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 ^

Digestion (Days)
Fig. 3.1 ; Effect of Total Solids on
Cattle Dung Digestion

43
 Although, the total biogas production was observed to

be increased with increase in totol solids concentration

of cattle dung (Fig 3.1), the levels of biodegradation

however, were n’early the same at all the concentrations of

\

total solids tested (Table 3.1) ranging from 8.6 to 16 per

cent in terms of the parameters such as, the efficiency of

biogas production (20.0 to 22.8 1/kg. fresh weight).

C.O.D. reduction (40.5 to 43.8 per cent) and T.V.S. reduc­
tion (21.0 to 22.4 per cent). However, the methane content

was observed to be the highest (60 per cent) in the case

of T.S. of 12 per cent. The data suggest that the current

practice of mixing C.D. with water in 1:1 ratio before

being fed to the biogas digester should be revised. By

increasing the total solids concentration in the biogas

digester without affecting the efficiency of the biogas

production, it would be possible to decrease the size of

the biogas digester and consequently its cost. Anaerobic

digestion of cattle dung, with the higher solids, however,

may create problem of choking of inlet and outlet pipes of

the biogas plant, nevertheless, such problem could be

circumvented by introducing suitable changes in the design

of the digester in order to keep the influent and effluent

flows unhindered.

The results of the anaerobic digestion of water

hyacinth show that, more the organic loading at the start,

more is the amount of biogas obtained (Table 3.2 and Fig

3.2). However, all the parameters such as the efficiency

44
 TABLE 3.2
EFFECT OF TOTAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION ON

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
Biomass : Water hyacinth (Dry powder)

Total Volume : 500 ml

pH 7.2

Per cent Total Biogas Biogas Per Per Per

total produced produc­ cent cent Cent
sol ids ( 1 ) tion C.O.D. T.V.S. Methane
(dry (1/kg Reduced Reuced Content
weight) dry
weight)

08 6.2 158. 9 49. 9 42. 2 47.7

12 8.2 139.6 39. 6 34.4 51.4

14 8. 2 104.7 34.8 30.3 / 9

- f <

16 7.09 73.5 27.2 24.4

45
Total Biogas Production (I)
00
(0
fo

CO
ro
01

to

CM
o

o
CO
01

■
01

O
<*

Digestion (Days)
Fig. 3.2 : Effect of Total Solids on
Water Hyacinth Digestion

46
 1

TABLE 3.3
EFFECT OF TOTAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION ON
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

Biomass : Night Soil (Dry Powder)

Total Volume 500 ml.

pH : 7.2

Per cent Total Biogas Biogas Per Per Per

total produced produc­ cent cent Cent
solids (1) tion C • 0 • D. T. V. S. Methane
(dry (1/kg Reduced Reuced Content
weight) dry
weight

04 58. 1 64. 8 45.4

08 49. 4 53. 5 59. 1

12 49.3 42.5 59.7 3o,

16 6.9 87.3 33. 8 41.4 51.8

s*

47
 4% 8% -*7 12% -Q- 16%
(I)

CO
uojionpojd seBoia

CD
ieioj

CM
.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Digestjon (Days)
Fig. 3.3 Effect of Total Solids on
Night Soil Digestion

48
of biogas production, C.O.D. and T.V.S. reduction are

affected severely with increase in total solids from 8 to

16 per cent. The efficiency of biogas production went down

from 158.9 1/kg to 73.5 (1/kg. >, whereas, C.O.D. and

T.V.S. reduction decreased from 49.9 to 27.2 per cent and

from 42.2 to" 24.4 per cent respectively (Table 3.2). It

seems that, for the efficient production of biogas from

water hyacinth the substrate concentration of 8 per cent

or less would be ideal.

The experimental data on night soil digestion (Table

3.3) indicate that, values of both the C.O.D. and T.V.S.

reduction were the highest at a substrate concentration of

4 per cent (58.1 and 64.8 per cent respectively). Al­

though, the total biogas production was observed to be

increased with increase in total solids concentration (Fig

3.3) the efficiency of biogas production, and also the

methane content, however, peaks at a substrate concentra­

tion of 12 per cent (108.3 1/kg, 59.7 per cent) with a

reduction in the C.O.D. value by about 50 per cent. The

slurry with a total solids concentration of four per cent

would be roughly equivalent to a slurry of night soil

derived from a person using two litres of water for ablu­

tion. Therefore, to achieve optimum T.V.S. and C.O.D.

reduction and also to satisfy the health and hygiene point

of view, recommendation to limit the consumption of water

i

to about 2 1 per person using biogas plant attached-toi1et

block would be fully justifiable.

49