Kinetic Considerations on Thermophilic Digestion of Maize Silage at Different Feeding Modes

• Published in: Chemie ingenieur technik Vol. 84; no. 9; pp. 1551 - 1558
• Main Authors: Golkowska, Katarzyna, Sibisi-Beierlein, Nonjabulo, Greger, Manfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01-09-2012; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Anaerobic digestion; Energy crops; Maize silage; Methane production; Modeling; Thermophilic
• ISSN: 0009-286X; 1522-2640
• DOI: 10.1002/cite.201100242

Digestion of maize silage in batch, semi‐batch and continuous mode was investigated under similar experimental conditions with the aim to compare the degradation kinetics. The modeling with the 1st order equation shows that despite the ensiling pre‐treatment the disintegration/hydrolysis step determines the total degradation rate of the substrate. The results confirmed an extremely high adaptation capability of anaerobic biocenosis to increased feeding frequency, rather than to higher but less frequent loadings. 2 – 3 times higher degradation rates were observed for tripled feeding frequency. On the other hand, an increase in organic loading within the same feeding mode always resulted in reduction of digestion rate.
Digestion of maize silage at different feeding modes was investigated to compare the degradation kinetics. Modeling with 1st order equation showed that despite ensiling pre‐treatment the disintegration/hydrolysis step determines the total degradation rate of the substrate. The microbial biocenosis is highly adaptable to increasing organic load reached by higher frequency of feeding.