Green Bio-Energy: Kinetic Modeling of Biogas Production by Co-Digested Organic Wastes

Abstract

Biogas is one of the leading alternative renewable energy sources produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic waste such as animal waste, agricultural crops and algae biomass. This research work investigates biogas production through the anaerobic mixed digestion of camel waste with Marine macro algae (Ulva and Prosopis juliflora) for sustainable energy generation for Marine facility applications. The algal biomass with the camel dung was loaded into anaerobic biodigester (20 L), and the mixture was homogenized at 450 rpm using a mechanical stirrer. The yield of the biomass is estimated by first-order kinetic model and the essential parameters for efficient biogas generation by pH 7 and the optimum temperature of 37 °C with the agitation speed of 450 rpm. The work indicated the reduction in total suspended solids (TSS) to below 2000 mg/L and a decrease in turbidity to approximately 500 NTU within the first 12 hours. The first-order kinetic model, with a rate constant of k = 1, yielded the highest volume of biogas when compared to the other investigation. This research contributes to the sustainable energy field by exploring biomass as a renewable energy source for marine applications. It supports cleaner energy use in the maritime sector while reducing environmental impacts and GHG emission and the effective utilization of organic waste.