Overview
ABSTRACT
Long overlooked by French industrialists, the anaerobic biological purification of effluents has recently come to their attention. The methanization of wastewater does not only produce an energetic biogas rich in methane, but also significantly reduces the production of biological sludge. This article describes the biochemical processes and the various stages of methane fermentation. The design and sizing of reactors are detailed as well as the parameters involved in the industrial control of this technology. Due to the production of green energy from organic pollution, methanization is fully in line with the sustainable development approach.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Paul BOULENGER: ENSIA engineer - Consulting engineer, PBOrganisation
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Yannick GALLOUIN: Consulting engineer, PBOrganisation
INTRODUCTION
Methanization, an anaerobic biological effluent purification technology that first appeared on the industrial scene in the 1970s, has had great difficulty in developing in France, whereas it has been booming in many European and American countries. It has developed exceptionally well in countries such as Brazil, and is booming in South-East Asia, particularly China.
In France, this technology suffered from a belated awareness on the part of many manufacturers, and was the subject of a significant number of counter-references which hampered its development in the 1980s-1990s. It is still the subject of preconceived and misconceived ideas, and many teachers and specifiers know little or nothing about it.
In recent years, major French manufacturers and industries have rallied around this once neglected technology. Today's energy problems are driving a craze for this purification method. So much so that some manufacturers are ready to collect organic waste from other manufacturers to produce energy.
The two main features of wastewater methanization are the production of methane-rich biogas and a considerable reduction in the production of excess biological sludge. This technology is ideally suited to the treatment of industrial wastewater. What's more, anaerobic digestion is a technology that fits in perfectly with the sustainable development approach. It enables the production of green energy - biogas - from organic pollution.
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Anaerobic biological treatment of industrial effluents
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Bibliography
Websites
General information site on methanization and biogas (page consulted August 6, 2008) http://www.lebiogaz.info
Regulatory, technological and economic information on biogas and its valorization (page consulted August 6, 2008) http://www.biogaz.atee.fr
Events
Pollutec, the international trade show for environmental equipment, technologies and services, is held every two years in Lyon (even-numbered years). http://www.pollutec.com
Standards and norms
French standards
- Electrical equipment for explosive gas atmospheres – Part 10: Hazardous location classification - NF EN 60079-10 - 08-03
- Explosive atmospheres prevention and protection – Part 1: Basic concepts and methodology - PR NF EN 1127-1 - 06-09
- Water quality – Determination of 33 elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy - NF EN ISO 11885 - 1998
Dutch...
Regulations
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Classification of Atex zones
European Directive 1999/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 16, 1999, on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres (OJEC, January 28, 2000). This directive was transposed into French law by a decree published in the JORF (n° 303 of December...
Directory
(non-exhaustive list)
Manufacturers – Suppliers – Distributors
Rather than providing a non-exhaustive list of suppliers, which is bound to change rapidly from time to time, we prefer to provide a more universal decision-making aid (see additional technical data section).
Organizations – Federations – Associations
Association Technique Énergie Environnement ATEE...
Statistical and economic data
Given the difficulty of keeping up-to-date information on anaerobic references, you will find below economic data dating from 2002. Only industrial plants larger than 2 to 3 tons COD/day could be identified through published manufacturer data, or by taking into account plants known but not precisely referenced by the manufacturer, or in databases specific to each industry. However, these data show that the...
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