Description
With increased interest in renewable energy, anaerobic digestion technology has emerged as a promising sustainable solution in recent years. Anaerobic digestion technology can provide a complete solution to organic waste management. Biogas generated through the process can be converted to electricity or heat. Biogas can also be refined further to pipeline quality gas and used as fuel to run public transportation or waste collection vehicles. Thus, producing biogas from local organic waste can provide a stable, local supply of renewable energy. In addition, the nutrients, and solid materials from the digestate (slurry output from digester) can be concentrated and converted to valuable resources such as compost or dry organic fertilizer. Thus, with anaerobic digestion of organic waste, it is not only possible to offset a significant amount of fossil fuel consumption but also to keep organic waste out of the landfill and avoiding associated greenhouse emissions. This course provides a comprehensive coverage of anaerobic digestion - process insight, design components, various conventional and advanced technologies as well as plant components and operational issues. The course is divided into ten lectures/modules. Their brief descriptions are as follows:1. Introduction: Introduction to anaerobic digestion technology, its brief history, and benefits.2. Anaerobic Digestion Process Fundamentals: Process overview, process kinetics, process microbiology and different important factors impacting the process.3. Anaerobic Digestion Feedstocks: Different conventional and emerging feedstock types, their energy value, co-digestion, and feedstock's methane potential evaluation.4. Feedstock Pre-treatment: Description of different pre-treatment types and commercially available various pre-treatment plants.5. Process Design: Important design parameters and process design equations, co-digestion design consideration and consideration of different process component design.6. Plant Design: Consideration of plant design and selection of different plant components.7. Anaerobic Digestion Types: Discuss different types of anaerobic digestion processes and technologies including conventional and recently developed advanced ones.8. Biogas Cleaning, Upgrade and Utilization: Different biogas handling, cleaning, and upgrading methodologies and various end-use options.9. Digestate Treatment and Resource Recovery: Different digestate treatment and enhancement technologies including various emerging resource recovery options and technologies.10. Economic Feasibility Consideration: Different economic feasibility considerations before starting an anaerobic digestion plant including links to various analysis tools and spread sheets. The course can be completed at your own pace based on your own convenience and schedule.
