Energy balance of thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion on waste activated sludge

This paper considers the energy balance of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and anaerobic digestion. The application of anaerobic digestion is limited by low biodegradability. Thermal hydrolysis is an effective method to improve the anaerobic performance. The main concern of the technique is high-energy demand. The heat requirement and biogas production is calculated in the paper, showing that the system is energy self-sufficient.