Intensifying Anaerobic Digestion with a Side-Stream Vacuum-Based Biosolids Treatment Technology: Process Validation Exceeding Expectations

This study evaluates the application of a novel ex-situ vacuum-enhanced anaerobic digestion technology, referred to as IntensiCarbTM (IC), for process intensification through decoupling SRT from HRT, and ammonia recovery. Findings revealed that the IC sustain almost the same methane yield and COD destruction efficiency as the control at three times the organic loading rate (OLR). Furthermore, the ammonia concentration in IC- digester operating at 3 times higher organic loading was pretty much the same as the control, demonstrating the effectiveness of IC-technology in elutriating a large fraction of ammonia from IC-digester into the condensate. This leads to stable digester operation as well as a potential to generate revenue. The combination of high organic loading and low ammonia concentrations resulted in the prevalence of the higher growth rate Methanosarcinaceae in the IC-digester compared to the low growth rate Methanoseata predominance in the control.