IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS

THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH ARE THREE-FOLD: (1) TO DEV ELOP TECHNIQUES FOR RAPID START-UP OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS; (2) TO DEVELOP PROCEDURES FOR RAPID RECOVERY OF UPSET DIGESTERS WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOCKED BY OVERLOADING, TOXIC SUBSTANCES, OR PH DEPRESSION PROBLEMS; AND (3) TO INCREASE THE OVERALL KINETICS OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTION. REACTION KINETICS MAY BE IMPROVED BY ENHANCING THE GROWTH OF METH ANOGENIC BACTERIA IN THE CULTURE. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED T THROUGH THE ADDITION OF SELECTED ORGANIC NUTRIENTS AND BY MAKING NUTRIENTS MORE AVAILABLE TO THE METHANOGENS IN THE DIGESTERS BY THE ADDITIONS OF CHELATING AGENTS. START-UP AND RECOVERY TIMES MAY BE SHORTENED BY THE ADDITION OF LARGENUMBERS OF PURE CULTURE METHANOGENS. THIS METHOD REDUCES THETIME SPENT WAITING FOR SUFFICIENT METHANOGENIC GROWTH TO D DEVELOP AND PERMITS STEADY HIGH RATE DIGESTION. THE COMMERCIAL IMPACT OF SMOOTHER START-UPS, QUICK RESPONSE TO UPSETS, AND IMPROVED OVERALL KINETICS WILL BE MANIFESTED IN IMPROVED ECONOMICS FOR ANAEROBIC DIGESTION. IMPROVED ECONOMICS WILL STIMULATE THE INTEREST OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN UTILIZING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION AS BOTH A WASTE TREATMENT PROCESS AND A TECHNIQUE FOR ENERGY RECOVERY FROM WASTE MAT MATERIALS.