Aarhus Universitets segl

Research

Biogas is regarded as one of the most cost effective environmental technologies for production of bioenergy and abatement of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial, agricultural and municipal waste treatment.
Biogas can be utilized for supply electricity when other forms of renewable energy are unavailable; for storage of renewable electrical energy (power-to-gas); or for producing renewable fuels for transportation in the form of biomethane.

The research is focused on both simple and new innovative technologies for improving biogas production, reduction of greenhouse gases, improving the value of the digestate as fertilizer and integrating the biogas sector with that of other renewable energy sectors. The research includes:

OPTIMIZING THE USE OF NEW BIOMASSES FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

  • Optimizing gas potentials of new substrates
  • Pre-treatment of substrates to increase methane yields and/or methane production dynamics.
  • Co-digestion to ensure maximum gas yields and best utilization of locally available substrates.
  • Advanced digester technologies to take advantage of exceptionally wet or dry substrates.
  • Design of High-rate digesters for substrates of low dry-matter content.

OPTIMIZING THE DIGESTATE AS FERTILIZER

  • Optimizing the biogas gas technology in organic farming.
  • High technology separation of nutrients.
  • Thermal conversion of the residual fibers after digestion.

REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION

  • Reducing losses of methane in the production chain.
  • Assessment of environmental benefits from AD.

IMPROVING PROCESS CONTROL AND OPERATION

  • Modelling the digestion process using know-how of process and microbiology.
  • Analytical technologies for process control and yield estimation.
  • Development of low-tech systems for developing countries.

POWER-TO-GAS TECHNOLOGIES

  • New technologies for storing renewable electrical energy as biomethane (e-fuel).
  • Chemical & Biological methanation.
  • Upgrading of biogas to natural gas quality.
  • Development of new reactor designs.
  • Increasing our understanding and use of microorganisms as biocatalysts.

FACILITIES


Full scale (in Foulum)

  • Anaerobic digester treating 80 tons of manure, straws and grass per day. Gas converted to electricity sold to the grid and heat used at the facility.
  • Full scale pre-treatment systems for ligno-cellulosic biomass
  • Facilities for demonstration of processing equipment in conjunction with industrial partners.

Pilot/lab scale (in Foulum)

  • Experimental batch and continuous anaerobic digesters from 0.5 litres to 30 cubic metres.
  • Continuous flow thermal pre-treatment.
  • Gas chromatograph for VFA and gas
  • Kjeldahl nitrogen
  • Pressure cooker for thermal hydrolysis
  • Van Soest fiber analysis