Performance of Acid-Gas Anaerobic Digestion for Minimization of Siloxane and Hydrogen Sulfide Produced in Biogas for Energy Recovery

dc.contributor.authorBowles, Evan Christopheren
dc.contributor.committeechairNovak, John T.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPruden, Amyen
dc.contributor.committeememberBott, Charles B.en
dc.contributor.departmentEnvironmental Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-04T19:49:33Zen
dc.date.adate2012-04-11en
dc.date.available2017-04-04T19:49:33Zen
dc.date.issued2012-02-03en
dc.date.rdate2016-09-27en
dc.date.sdate2012-02-16en
dc.description.abstractOrganosilicon compounds, which are heavily utilized in personal care products, are typically present, sometimes in high concentrations in the influent of wastewater treatment facilities. During anaerobic sludge digestion, these compounds volatilize and enter the methane gas recovery stream. As the methane is combusted for energy cogeneration, these compounds become oxidized to microcrystalline silicon dioxide and cause damage and potential failure of expensive infrastructure. Adsorption and other catchment methods are typically utilized for removal of these volatilized compounds in order to mitigate their entrance into methane combustion systems. This research investigated the effect of phased anaerobic digestion, specifically acid-gas digestion, on the behavior of the volatilization of these organosilicon compounds, particularly octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) as these are the most abundant volatile silicone compounds present in sludge. A bench scale acid reactor anaerobic digester was operated at varying solids retention times and temperatures in order to quantify biogas effects generated in the downstream gas reactor, which was operated at a constant mesophilic conditions. Results of the research indicated that the addition of an acid reactor did not cause a change in behavior of the D4 and D5 siloxane volatilization in the downstream gas reactor. However, it was observed that hydrogen sulfide gas was decreased in the gas reactor when an acid reactor was utilized, which could permit decreased corrosivity of biogas recovery. Cumulative volatile solids reduction and gas reactor methane yield data did not indicate an enhancement due to utilization of acid-gas digestion.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-02162012-192322en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-02162012-192322/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/76828en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectsiloxaneen
dc.subjectacid gas anaerobic digestionen
dc.subjecthydrogen sulfideen
dc.subjectbiosolidsen
dc.subjectsludgeen
dc.subjectmulti-phase anaerobic digestionen
dc.subjectmulti-stage anaerobic digestionen
dc.titlePerformance of Acid-Gas Anaerobic Digestion for Minimization of Siloxane and Hydrogen Sulfide Produced in Biogas for Energy Recoveryen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineEnvironmental Planningen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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