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The use of biological and thermochemical conversion (TCC) technologies in livestock waste-to-bioenergy treatments can provide livestock operators with multiple value-added, renewable energy products. These products can meet heating and power needs or serve as transportation fuels. The primary objective of this work is to present established and emerging energy conversion opportunities that can transform the treatment of livestock waste from a liability to a profit center. While biological production of methanol and hydrogen are in early research stages, anaerobic digestion is an established method of generating between 0.1 to 1.3m3m(-3)d(-1) of methane-rich biogas. The TCC processes of pyrolysis, direct liquefaction, and gasification can convert waste into gaseous fuels, combustible oils, and charcoal. Integration of biological and thermal-based conversion technologies in a farm-scale hybrid design by combining an algal CO2-fixation treatment requiring less than 27,000m2 of treatment area with the energy recovery component of wet gasification can drastically reduce CO2 emissions and efficiently recycle nutrients. These designs have the potential to make future large scale confined animal feeding operations sustainable and environmentally benign while generating on-farm renewable energy.

The use of biological and thermochemical conversion (TCC) technologies in livestock waste-to-bioenergy treatments can provide livestock operators with multiple value-added, renewable energy products. These products can meet heating and power needs or serve as transportation fuels. The primary objective of this work is to present established and emerging energy conversion opportunities that can transform the treatment of livestock waste from a liability to a profit center. While biological production of methanol and hydrogen are in early research stages, anaerobic digestion is an established method of generating between 0.1 to 1.3m3m(-3)d(-1) of methane-rich biogas. The TCC processes of pyrolysis, direct liquefaction, and gasification can convert waste into gaseous fuels, combustible oils, and charcoal. Integration of biological and thermal-based conversion technologies in a farm-scale hybrid design by combining an algal CO2-fixation treatment requiring less than 27,000m2 of treatment area with the energy recovery component of wet gasification can drastically reduce CO2 emissions and efficiently recycle nutrients. These designs have the potential to make future large scale confined animal feeding operations sustainable and environmentally benign while generating on-farm renewable energy.

Two freshwater and two marine microalgae species were grown under nitrogen replete and deplete conditions evaluating the impact on total biomass yield and biomolecular fractions (i.e. starch, protein, and lipid). A life cycle assessment was performed to evaluate varying species/growth conditions considering each biomass fraction and final product substitution based on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and eutrophication potential. Lipid for biodiesel was assumed as the primary product. Protein and carbohydrate fractions were processed as co-products. Composition of the non-lipid fraction presented significant trade-offs among biogas production, animal feed substitution, nutrient recycling, and carbon sequestration. Maximizing total lipid productivity rather than lipid content yielded the least GHG emissions. A marine, N-deplete case with relatively low lipid productivity but effective nutrient recycling had the lowest eutrophication impacts. Tailoring algal species/growth conditions to optimize the mix of biomolecular fractions matched to desired products and co-products can enable a sustainable integrated microalgal biorefinery.

Two freshwater and two marine microalgae species were grown under nitrogen replete and deplete conditions evaluating the impact on total biomass yield and biomolecular fractions (i.e. starch, protein, and lipid). A life cycle assessment was performed to evaluate varying species/growth conditions considering each biomass fraction and final product substitution based on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and eutrophication potential. Lipid for biodiesel was assumed as the primary product. Protein and carbohydrate fractions were processed as co-products. Composition of the non-lipid fraction presented significant trade-offs among biogas production, animal feed substitution, nutrient recycling, and carbon sequestration. Maximizing total lipid productivity rather than lipid content yielded the least GHG emissions. A marine, N-deplete case with relatively low lipid productivity but effective nutrient recycling had the lowest eutrophication impacts. Tailoring algal species/growth conditions to optimize the mix of biomolecular fractions matched to desired products and co-products can enable a sustainable integrated microalgal biorefinery.

Recently, upflow microaerobic sludge blanket (UMSB) system has been developed to remove ammonium and organic matter simultaneously. This study aims to establish influent and operational conditions promoting anammox-based nitrogen removal process in the UMSB reactor by using a modified Activated Sludge Model. Experiments were performed on a laboratory-scale UMSB reactor treated piggery wastewater for over two years. With the experimentally determined model parameters, the established model well simulated the UMSB reactor performance. The maximum anammox growth rate was calibrated to be 0.41 d-1 at 35 °C. Further simulations showed that UMSB reactor operated with high influent organics or nitrogen loading rates at temperature above 15 °C can achieve efficient nitrogen removal (>70%). The nitrogen loading over 0.6 kg N/(m3·d)) significantly favors anammox activity. UMSB could also be a promising system for nitrogen removal from low-strength ammonium wastewater with fluctuated COD influence. These results provide support to UMSB design and operational optimization.

Recently, upflow microaerobic sludge blanket (UMSB) system has been developed to remove ammonium and organic matter simultaneously. This study aims to establish influent and operational conditions promoting anammox-based nitrogen removal process in the UMSB reactor by using a modified Activated Sludge Model. Experiments were performed on a laboratory-scale UMSB reactor treated piggery wastewater for over two years. With the experimentally determined model parameters, the established model well simulated the UMSB reactor performance. The maximum anammox growth rate was calibrated to be 0.41 d-1 at 35 °C. Further simulations showed that UMSB reactor operated with high influent organics or nitrogen loading rates at temperature above 15 °C can achieve efficient nitrogen removal (>70%). The nitrogen loading over 0.6 kg N/(m3·d)) significantly favors anammox activity. UMSB could also be a promising system for nitrogen removal from low-strength ammonium wastewater with fluctuated COD influence. These results provide support to UMSB design and operational optimization.

In this study, the anaerobic digestion model M-ADM1 was integrated with the gasification model T-ANN to form a set of integrated models that can efficiently simulate the biomass AD-GS integration technology. Biogas slurry is used as feedstocks to prepare biogas slurry fertilizer. Solid residue is used feedstocks for gasification reactions. Biogas and syngas from the gasification of solid residue are used for energy. In this process, carbon emission is regarded as an important index for the comprehensive evaluation and optimization of AD-GS integration process. This study found that when the anaerobic digestion duration was 0 to 15 days, the carbon emission reduction increased rapidly. The amount of carbon emission reduction peaks on day 15. The value of carbon emission reduction is 0.1828 gCO2eq. In addition, when FEAG reached the maximum value at 15 days of anaerobic digestion, the decreasing trend of FEAG rate change value started to become significant.

In this study, the anaerobic digestion model M-ADM1 was integrated with the gasification model T-ANN to form a set of integrated models that can efficiently simulate the biomass AD-GS integration technology. Biogas slurry is used as feedstocks to prepare biogas slurry fertilizer. Solid residue is used feedstocks for gasification reactions. Biogas and syngas from the gasification of solid residue are used for energy. In this process, carbon emission is regarded as an important index for the comprehensive evaluation and optimization of AD-GS integration process. This study found that when the anaerobic digestion duration was 0 to 15 days, the carbon emission reduction increased rapidly. The amount of carbon emission reduction peaks on day 15. The value of carbon emission reduction is 0.1828 gCO2eq. In addition, when FEAG reached the maximum value at 15 days of anaerobic digestion, the decreasing trend of FEAG rate change value started to become significant.

Pretreatment technologies that can not only reduce the recalcitrance of woody biomass but also achieve a high benefit-cost ratio are desirable for bioenergy production from woody biomass. In this study, an integrated process was proposed and conducted by pretreating woodchips via Shiitake cultivation for improved methane yield during solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD), and simultaneously producing mushrooms as a high-value co-product. Shiitake cultivation using woodchips as the main substrate ingredient obtained mushroom yields comparable to those using a commercial substrate. Enzymatic digestibility and cumulative methane yields (133-160 L kg(-1)VS during 62 days of SS-AD) of pretreated substrates (spent mushroom substrate) were at least 1.5 times as high as those of untreated woodchips. Compared to a sole SS-AD process, the integrated Shiitake cultivation/SS-AD process increased methane production and solid waste reduction per kilogram of woodchips by about 1.5 and 8 times, respectively.