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Study on the mechanism of action of methane production by co-fermentation of sludge and lignite

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Abstract

To improve the methanogenic efficiency of lignite anaerobic fermentation and explore innovative approaches to sludge utilization, a co-fermentation technique involving lignite and sludge was employed for converting biomass into biomethane. Volatile suspended solids were introduced as a native enrichment of the sludge and mixed with lignite for fermentation. The synergistic fermentation mechanism between sludge and lignite for biomethane production was analyzed through biochemical methane potential experiments, measurement of various parameters pre- and post-fermentation, observation of bacterial population changes during the peak of reaction, carbon migration assessment, and evaluation of rheological characteristics. The results showed that the addition of sludge in the anaerobic fermentation process improved the microorganisms’ ability to degrade lignite and bolstered biomethane production. Notably, the maximum methane production recorded was 215.52 mL/g-volatile suspended solids, achieved at a sludge to coal ratio of 3:1, with a synergistic growth rate of 25.37%. Furthermore, the removal rates of total suspended solids, and total chemical oxygen demand exhibited an upward trend with an increasing percentage of sludge in the mixture. The relative abundance and activity of the methanogens population were found to increase with an appropriate ratio of sludge to lignite. This observation confirmed the migration of carbon between the solid–liquid–gas phases, promoting enhanced system affinity. Additionally, the changes in solid–liquid phase parameters before and after the reaction indicated that the addition of sludge improved the system’s degradation capacity. The results of the study hold significant implications in realizing the resource utilization of sludge and lignite while contributing to environmental protection endeavors.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41972178, 42072193); the National Natural Science Foundation of China Key Project Subproject (42230804/01); the Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of Henan Province (202300410168).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Hongyu Guo, Yawei Zhang, Yucheng Liu & Bing Li

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Hongyu Guo & Daping Xia

  3. Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Daping Xia

  4. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, CNPC, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zhenhong Chen

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  1. Hongyu Guo
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  2. Yawei Zhang
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  3. Daping Xia
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  4. Yucheng Liu
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  5. Zhenhong Chen
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  6. Bing Li
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Contributions

HG: visualization, investigation, and methodology. YZ: software and data curation. DX: conceptualization and funding acquisition. YL: data curation. ZC: resources. BL: writing—reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Daping Xia.

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Guo, H., Zhang, Y., Xia, D. et al. Study on the mechanism of action of methane production by co-fermentation of sludge and lignite. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 47, 483–493 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-024-02979-5

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