Innovative Parameters to Control the Efficiency of Anaerobic Digestion Process

Abstract

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a complex biological process resulting in the conversion of biodegradable organic matter into biogas and mineralized material. Recently, treating waste technologies based on the AD process have gained a great interest in the field of solid waste disposal as a method coupled with aerobic composting process, aimed at reducing the harmful impact produced on the environment by land-filled untreated organic waste. Moreover, the application of AD for the treatment of organic waste turns into the following further benefits: (i) recover a renewable energy vector (i.e. biogas) as well as a solid material rich in nitrogen (i.e. digestate); (ii) reduce the use of land to dispose waste; (iii) reduce the emissions in the atmosphere of the gases responsible for the global warming. The present paper deals with the experimental determination of operating parameters that are able to control the evolution of AD.