Thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of separated solids from acidified dairy cow manure

This study examined the potential for partly substituting dairy cow manure (DCM) with solids from solid to liquid separation of acidified dairy cow manure (SFDCM) during thermophilic anaerobic digestion. Three different substituting levels with a maximum of 30% substitution were tested. All digesters substituting DCM with SFDCM showed a stable biogas production with low volatile fatty acid concentrations after a short transition period. An increased methane yield in terms of digester volume compared to DCM alone was obtained with increasing amount of SFDCM and about 50% more methane was achieved when 30% of DCM was substituted with SFDCM. The digestates were subsequently digested in a post digestion, during which the methane yield increased proportionally with increasing amounts of SFDCM. It can be concluded that SFDCM is a suitable biomass for co-digestion and can be used to increase methane yield in terms of digester volume at ratios up to at least 30%.