Energy Conversion and Management, Vol.180, 25-35, 2019
An integrated approach for efficient conversion of Lemna minor to biogas
Aquatic weed, Lemna minor was evaluated for its potential as a feedstock for gaseous fuel production (biohythane) in an integrated strategy. Three approaches viz., acidogenic fermentation (H-AP), electrohydrogenesis (H-MEC) and methanogenesis (M-AD), were evaluated in single stage as well as in different combinations of two stage (H-AF -> H-MEC, H-AP -> M-AD) and three stage (H-AF H-MEC -> M-AD, H-AF -> M-AD -> H-MEC) to tap the maximum feasible energy. Compared to single and two -stage operations, three -stage operation evidenced higher biogas (H-2 + CH4) yield with remarkable total organic carbon (TOC) reduction. Irrespective of the integration sequence, H-AF in first stage depicted the possibility of harnessing higher energy by accumulation of volatile fatty acids (WA) along with H-2 production. Similarly, integration of M-AD in second stage showed the possibility of tapping higher energy rather than H-MEC due to higher carbon loss as CO2 coupled to more H-2 fraction in biogas in case of H-MEC. Among, three -stage integrations, higher biogas yield and energy recovery was observed in H-AF M-AD. H-MEC (38.77 mol biogas/kg TOCR; 25,415 KJ/kg TOCR) as compared to H-AP -> H-MEC -> M-AD (37.79 mol biogas/kg TOCR; 15,416 KJ/kg TOCR). Along similar lines, analysis of organic carbon flow exhibited significant substrate degradation in three stage integrations (72.5-81.4%) as compared to second (66.2-70%) and first stage (39.7-56.5%).