Small temperature differences can improve the performance of mesophilic sludge-based digesters

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of small temperature increases in mesophilic sludge-based digesters in order to develop and evaluate strategies for improving the biogas production in full-scale digesters. RESULTS: Methane production was strongly affected by small temperature differences, and this result was consistent across samples from 15 full-scale digesters. The specific methane yield varied between 42 and 97.5 ml g VS(−1) after 15 days of incubation at 35 °C, and improved when increasing the digester temperature to 39 °C. Only a limited quantity of additional gas was required to balance out the cost of heating and a positive energy balance was obtained. Further increases in temperature, in some cases, negatively affected the production when operated at 42 °C compared to 39 °C. CONCLUSIONS: Small temperature increases should be applied to mesophilic sludge-based digesters to optimize the biogas production and is applicable to digesters operated in the lower mesophilic temperature range.