Patent ID: 11866755
Assignee: KING FAISAL UNIVERSITY
Field: Biotechnology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  Y | IPC C

Claim 4:
5. A method of enhancing methane generation in biogas production, the method comprising:
installing a plurality of porous linen pouches onto a plurality of stirrer blades of a semi-continuous stirring tank reactor, wherein each of the plurality of porous linen pouches comprise a plurality of ferrous pebbles;
feeding cow manure and glucose into the semi-continuous stirring tank reactor via a feedstock inlet;
incubating the cow manure and glucose inside the semi-continuous stirring tank reactor for a duration of time to form waste activated sludge with methanogen growth, wherein the methanogen growth is enhanced by surface areas of each of the plurality of ferrous pebbles;
flowing heated water through a water jacket inlet and a water jacket outlet surrounding an exterior of the semi-continuous stirring tank reactor to heat the semi-continuous stirring tank reactor to provide a mesophilic condition;
feeding rice husk and water into the semi-continuous stirring tank reactor via the feedstock inlet,
mixing the rice husk, the water, and the formed waste activated sludge together to form a mixture, wherein a pH of the mixture is between about 6.5 and about 7.5;
initiating an anaerobic digestion process during the mixing, wherein the anaerobic digestion process comprises hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis to produce high volatile fatty acids;
increasing the production of the high volatile fatty acids to a higher level by enhancing adsorption of the methanogen microorganisms onto the surface areas of each of the plurality of ferrous pebbles; and
reacting the higher level of the high volatile fatty acids with each of the plurality of ferrous pebbles to increase conversion of the higher level of volatile fatty acids to methane while producing biogas.