Title: Optimum organic loading rate for semi-continuous operation of an anaerobic process for biogas production from Jatropha curcas seed cake

Authors: Nusara Sinbuathong, Boonsong Sillapacharoenkul, Roj Khun-Anake, Daniel Watts

Addresses: Scientific Equipment Center, Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI), Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. ' Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Agro-Industrial Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand. ' Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Science, Thammasart University, Pathumtani 12121, Thailand. ' Otto H. York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA

Abstract: This paper reports on biogas production by anaerobic digestion of Jatropha curcas seed cake in semi continuous flow at 30°C, focusing on increasing the organic loading rate (OLR) of seed cake by investigating levels of 1.25, 1.67, 2.5, 3.33 and 5 kg Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)/m³ day. Reactors were fed at flow rates of 125, 167, 250, 333 and 500 ml/day, yielding Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) of 40, 30, 20, 15 and 10 days. Increasing the OLR decreases the organic digestion. The highest methane yield (340 l at STP/kg COD degraded) was obtained at the OLR of 1.25 kg COD/m³ day.

Keywords: agricultural waste; anaerobic digestion; biogas; greenhouse gases; global warming; Jatropha curcas seed cake; methane; organic loading rate.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2010.033721

International Journal of Global Warming, 2010 Vol.2 No.2, pp.179 - 188

Received: 06 Apr 2010
Accepted: 06 Apr 2010
Published online: 29 Jun 2010 *

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