Anaerobic treatment of lignocellulosic material to co-produce methane and digested fiber for ethanol biorefining.

Five different ratios of corn stover to swine manure were investigated to evaluate the performance of anaerobic digestion and the quality of anaerobically digested fiber (AD fiber) as a feedstock for bioethanol production. The stover-to-manure ratio of 40:60 generated 364L biogas and 797g AD fiber per kg of dry raw feedstock daily. The AD fibers after digestion were pretreated and hydrolyzed to release sugars for ethanol fermentation.

Effects of dairy manure and corn stover co-digestion on anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance.

This study investigated the effects of corn stover as a supplemental feed on anaerobic digestion of dairy manure under different hydraulic retention times (HRT). The results elucidated that both HRT and corn stover supplement significantly influenced microbial community and corresponding anaerobic digestion performance. The highest biogas production of 497 mL per gram total solid loading per day was observed at a HRT of 40 days from digestion of manure supplemented with corn stover.

Assessing solid digestate from anaerobic digestion as feedstock for ethanol production.

Ethanol production using solid digestate (AD fiber) from a completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) anaerobic digester was assessed comparing to an energy crop of switchgrass, and an agricultural residue of corn stover. A complete random design was fulfilled to optimize the reaction conditions of dilute alkali pretreatment. The most effective dilute alkali pretreatment conditions for raw CSTR AD fiber were 2% sodium hydroxide, 130 °C, and 3 h.

A sustainable pathway of cellulosic ethanol production integrating anaerobic digestion with biorefining.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of animal manure is traditionally classified as a treatment to reduce the environmental impacts of odor, pathogens, and excess nutrients associated with animal manure. This report shows that AD also changes the composition of manure fiber and makes it suitable as a cellulosic feedstock for ethanol production. Anaerobically digested manure fiber (AD fiber) contains less hemicellulose (11%) and more cellulose (32%) than raw manure, and has better enzymatic digestibility than switchgrass.

Rational forest productivity decline.

A whole forest optimisation model was employed to examine economic behaviour as it relates to long term, forest productivity decline in the boreal forests of Ontario, Canada. Our productivity investment model (PIM) incorporated a choice between productivity decline as represented by a drop in forest Site Class, and a fee to 'maintain' site productivity. Sensitivity analysis was used to determine the point at which these fees exceeded the value of the differential in timber volume between upper and lower site classes.