Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2012, 60(6), 153-160 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201260060153

Employment of maize silage in non-liquid fermentation for biogas production

Zbyšek Karafiát¹, Tomáš Vítěz¹, Kristina Somerlíková², Ján Gaduš³, Martin Haitl¹, Tomáš Koutný¹

¹ Ústav zemědělské, potravinářské a environmentální techniky, Mendelova univerzita v Brně, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Česká republika

² Ústav demografie a aplikované statistiky, Mendelova univerzita v Brně, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Česká republika

³ Slovenská zemědělská univerzita v Nitře, Katedra konstruování strojů, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76, Nitra, Slovenská republika

This paper deals with the optimization of the anaerobic fermentation process of maize silage using the non-liquid technology. The aim of the paper is to increase the knowledge necessary for more efficient running of biogas stations using batch technology of non-liquid fermentation. The preferable ratio of initial materials, fresh maize silage and maize silage after partial fermentation, was verified within this experiment. Dynamics of the process, especially the quantity and quality of produced biogas has been monitored during the experiment. All the experiments have been done in the batch-system fermentors of volume of 0.48 m³ equipped with an independent and indirect circuit of water heating, the heat has been transferred to the material throught the steel wall of the fermentor. The material has been tested in the mesophilic conditions with the temperature of the 38 °C. The retention time of material in fermentors has been 27 days. The results of our experiments reveal the fact that the maize silage of lower mix ratio produced about 22.8 % more of biogas counted to one kilogram of dry matter than the maize silage of higher mix ratio.

Keywords: non-liquid substrates, anaerobic fermentation, biogas, maize silage

Grants and funding:

The project was co-financed from "The National Programme of Reasearch II" - Permanent prosperity, the project number 2A-3TP/010, The Operating Programme for Business and Innovation-EKO-Energy, the project number 3.1 EEDOZE/140, by the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2017), No. 7AMB12SK076 Production of biogas from non-traditional biodegradable materials by project CZ.1.02/5.1.00/10.06433 Acquisition of Instrumentation for BAT Centre at MZLU in Brno for Categories of Food Processing Activities and Categories of Facilities for Disposal or Destruction of Animal Bodies and Animal Waste.

Received: September 14, 2012; Prepublished online: July 19, 2013; Published: July 20, 2013  Show citation