BIOWELL

In this project, a new process based on the exploitation of high-power ultrasound and high-pressure homogenisers using biomass as local material and energy source at biogas plants is being developed. The new biomass treatment will:

• reduce the sludge mass and its organic contents by more than 25%, where mass reduction is realised by the mechanical disruption of cell materials using high-power ultrasound and high pressure homogenisers, releasing easily degradable light organic cell contents
• recycle disrupted sludge as a raw material source for better waste water treatment especially for more enhanced denitrification and metal absorption
• increase the amount of produced biogas and thereby improving the subsequent energy production from disrupted sludge by more than 25%
• reduce the sludge contaminants by more than 80% in order to facilitate sustainable sludge application in agriculture, including nitrate pollution which can be reduced by more than 40%

During the digestion process, about half the organic materials in sludge and biomass are converted into biogas containing around 70% methane and 30% carbon dioxide. The remaining 50% organics in sludge are not easily available for anaerobic digestion utilising existing techniques. Disruption of the sludge and biomass enables the exposure of easily biodegradable organic materials for further usage as an energy source in the anaerobic digester or as the hydrogen ion source for denitrification. The decanted sludge water, which contains various organic and heavy metals compounds, increases the sludge volumes due to its flow back to the purification plants after digestion and dewatering.