Comparison of One-Phase and Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion of Swine Manure

The possible exploitation of two-phase anaerobic digestion for swine manure was investigated in this study. One-phase and two-phase anaerobic digestion process were investigated in continuous stirred-tank reactor with hydraulic retention times 15 days (hydrolysis and acidification for 3 days and methanogenic12 days in two-phase). When the organic loading rates were equal to or less than 4 g VS/L day, the biogas yield and volumetric production of two processes were no significant difference. However, in the case of organic loading rates being equal to or higher than 5.0 g VS/L day, two-phase biogas yield and volumetric biogas production averaged 0.294 L CH4/g VS added and 2.218 L/L day, compared with one-phase averaged 0.255L CH4/g VS added and 2.168 L/L day, respectively. Significant advantages in saving cost of biogas project were indicated by the comparison of biogas production and COD degradation in the one-phase and two-phase processes.