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BioGAS+ Effectiveness Case Study – June 2022

21 June 2022 by AEGLE TECHNOLOGY

About Us

Aegle Technology (https://aegle-technology.es) is an advanced materials innovation, commercialization, and production company.   

We research and develop new advanced material solutions, take to market our own, and third-party, patents and have the know-how and facilities to manufacture products of the highest quality.

We are based in Barcelona, Spain, and work closely with both scientific experts and industry leaders to further technology innovation.

Introduction

Biomass transformation into biogas is a potential solution to the pressing problems of a decrease in mineral oil resources, increase in energy demand, [1] and the need to improve organic waste processing towards a sustainable scenario for waste management all over the world. [2] 

Additionally, increased biogas production efficiency will favour the implantation of tailored-size reactors fed with local biomass in isolated areas. [3] 

Recent world events as well as the launch of the REPowerEU Plan, by the European Union, only accelerate the need for energy savings, diversification of energy supplies, and accelerated roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in homes, industry and power generation.

The process, methanogenesis (biomethanation), is performed by the methanogen microorganism Archaea, which has an important role in the carbon cycle, participating in the decay of organic matter in anaerobic ecosystems, such as sediments, marshes and sewage. Therefore, bacterial colony performance enhancement has been greatly explored, [4] including co-digestion and pre-treatments of the biomass, by selective hydrolysis, heating the waste, [5] or adding iron salts. [6]

It is already well known that trace elements are necessary for anaerobic digestion, and have been used in studies as additives at μM to mM concentrations, [7] however the results were disappointing and did not show long-term gains

With this in mind, BioGAS+ was designed to disperse and then progressively dissolve over an extended period of time to yield the dietary supply of essential minerals, including trace and ultratrace elements, for the microorganisms in the reactor.

Results

When 100 ppm of BioGAS+ additive was introduced into an anaerobic waste treatment reactor, the biogas production per gram of organic matter increased by up to 180%, which approaches the theoretical limits of organic matter into biogas conversion (Figure 1) [8]. The results presented correspond to the cumulative biogas production obtained. 

The composition of the biogas produced at different time points was determined by gas chromatography. 

Note that results show not only an enhancement of biogas production, but also that this is richer in methane (8% more CH4 respect controls in the final measure). The measured CH4 percentage in the biogas is 48% in the control experiments and 56% in the case of BioGAS+. This represents a total increase in methane production of 234%. The rest is majorly CO2 while there is less than 1% of other gases as H2S. 

BioGAS+ BGplus effectiveness case study

Figure 1. Biogas production boosted by the sustained release of trace element ions.

Biogas production of the anaerobic digestion processes using BioGAS+ (black line, solid circles), 10 mM TMAOH (black line, hollow circles) and control experiment is shown. Three replicate experiments were performed for each case. 

It is worth noting that, in the anaerobic methanogenic conditions of the closed digester, addition of BioGAS+ gives rise to insoluble precipitates of ferric hydroxide that are reduced to Fe2+ which is soluble and therefore becomes bioavailable.

Experimental method (in brief)

Anaerobic assays were performed in 600 mL gas-tight reactors, equipped with a pressure transducer to monitor biogas production. [11] Each anaerobic reactor contained: 250 mL of bacterial inoculum from a local waste-management plant (Consorci per a la Defensa de la Conca del riu Besòs, Granollers, Spain), the sample (an ammonium salt as Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) 10 mM solution as control solvent or nanoparticle suspension), 1.7 g of cellulose, and water up to 500 mL. The pH value of each reactor was adjusted to 8 (if necessary) with citric acid, and nitrogen gas was used to purge oxygen from the system, prior to incubation at 37 Celsius for 60 days. The 60 day process took place in a closed reactor and it could not be interrupted, as every time that the reactor is opened this allows oxygen to get in, killing a fraction of the bacterial productive substrate.

Control experiments with 10 mM of TMAOH showed no biogas production enhancement (Figure 1).

If we compare the biogas production profiles in the presence and absence of BioGAS+ (Figure 1), we observe that while in the latter case, the biogas production is virtually over at day 21, the production of biogas in the presence of BioGAS+ still runs up to day 40, where all of the organic substrate is consumed.

As at this point there is still a significant amount of remaining BioGAS+ in the reactor; this indicates that biogas production could be further increased with the same BioGAS+ if more organic matter were supplied. It is also important to note that there is a delay in the increase of biogas production when the BioGAS+ are present. 

Summary

Production of biogas by conversion of biomass is an important source of fuel that will help to overcome challenges of energy shortage. Addition of the BioGAS+ additive to an anaerobic bacterial reactor demonstrated a clear increase biogas production, without giving rise to toxicity and excess reactivity. 

Acknowledgments

The original study, containing full details on the experimental method and additional information regarding results is available from the following source: Casals E, Barrena R, García A, González E, Delgado L, Busquets-Fité M, Font X, Arbiol J, Glatzel P, Kvashnina K, Sánchez A, Puntes V. Programmed iron oxide nanoparticles disintegration in anaerobic digesters boosts biogas production. Small. 2014 Jul 23;10(14):2801-8, 2741. doi: 10.1002/smll.201303703. Epub 2014 Apr 1. PMID: 24692328. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.201303703

 

For more information:

Please contact us for additional information and to begin your own trial of BioGAS+.

BioGAS+ BGplus effectiveness case study
BioGAS+ BGplus

Aegle Technology SL

Rambla de Catalunya, 25, 1º

08007 Barcelona, Spain

+41 78 600 8995

sales@aegle-technology.es

 

Additional References:

[1] a) A. Jess , Energy Policy 2010 , 38 , 4663 ; b) C. Wolfram , O. Shelef , P. Gertler , J. Econ. Perspect. 2012 , 26 , 119 .

[2] a) A. Distaso , Int. J. Sust. Dev. 2012 , 15 , 220 ; b) D. Y. Hou , A. Al-Tabbaa , P. Guthrie , K. Watanabe , Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012 , 46 , 2494 .

[3] A. D. Karve , Science 2003 , 302 , 987 .

[4] a) M. Morita , K. Sasaki , Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2012 , 94 , 575 ;

b) I. M. Nasir , T. I. M. Ghazi , R. Omar , Appl. Microbiol. Biot. 2012 , 95 , 321 ; c) Yadvika, Santosh, T. R. Sreekrishnan , S. Kohli , V. Rana , Bioresour. Technol. 2004 , 95 , 1 .

[5] a) J. Abelleira , S. I. Perez-Elvira , J. R. Portela , J. Sanchez-Oneto , E. Nebot , Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012 , 46 , 6158 ; b) C. Bougrier , J. P. Delgenes , H. Carrere , Biochem. Eng. J. 2007, 34, 20 .

[6] a) D. J. Hoban , L. Vandenberg , J. Appl. Bacteriol. 1979 , 47 , 153 ;

b) P. P. Rao , G. Seenayya , World J. Microb. Biot. 1994 , 10 , 211 .

[7] L. Vandenberg , K. A. Lamb , W. D. Murray , D. W. Armstrong , J. Appl. Bacteriol. 1980, 48, 437 .

[8] a) A. Donoso-Bravo , F. Mairet , J. Chem. Technol. Biot. 2012 , 87 , 1375 ; b) H. B. Nielsen , I. Angelidaki , Water Sci Technol. 2008 , 58 , 1521 .

Filed Under: BioGas, BGplus, BioGAS+, biomethane, Case Study, Effectiveness, Leadership, Renewable Energy Tagged With: BGplus, BioGas+, Case Study, Effectiveness

Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

15 May 2022 by AEGLE TECHNOLOGY

Ok, you are probably wondering wtf is a M.A.W.G (middle aged white guy) doing posting about women and girls in Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Good question and no, I’m not intending to “mansplain”.

The fact is, women are under-represented in scientific and engineering roles. According to research, in America women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering.

On their website “A plan for achieving gender equality in the research and innovation system” the European Commission states that:

Despite a long history of scientific achievements, women remain acutely under-represented in scientific research and academia. 

Women have long contributed to scientific research and breakthroughs. Ada Lovelace developed the first computer algorithm back in the mid 1800s, and anyone who has received an X-ray has Marie Curie to thank. Then there’s mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose work on orbital mechanics for NASA’s Apollo programme was retold in the movie ‘Hidden Figures’. And many COVID-19 vaccines owe their existence to biochemist Katalin Karikó.

Yet, despite this myriad of achievements, science continues to suffer deeply rooted gender inequalities, stereotypes and discrimination. According to the recent She Figures report commissioned by the European Commission, women outnumber men as students and graduates, yet they represent only one third of researchers, and only a quarter of full professorship positions are held by women.

I want my daughter to have a better future

My daughter is currently ten years old. She is extraordinarily clever, excels at mathematics and science. She is fascinated by the world, is a minecraft expert and has recently started to learn coding.

Yet I know that, in many ways,  girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education, limiting their access, preparation and opportunities to go into these fields as adults.

This is unacceptable.

We know better

Over my career I have worked with many women who were exceptional, certainly smarter and more capable than many of their male colleagues (myself included).

Yet often I saw them overlooked for promotions and other opportunities.

Not only does this damage the careers of the women involved, it helps perpetuate an environment where women and girls avoid, or are guided away, from studying these fields.

This is a loss not only for the potential of these women, but for society as a whole.

Avoiding reverse bias

Ensuring the woman have equal opportunities doesn’t mean discriminating against men (https://diginomica.com/reverse-discrimination-the-other-side-of-the-coin-for-hr-to-tackle).

Gender (and racial) bias can turn up in all sorts of places, and is often (but certainly not always) unintended and unconscious. This can make it difficult to ensure that hiring and selection processes are neutral, even down to where and how positions are advertised.

The Empowering Guide for Women in Tech in 2022

The following article “The Empowering Guide for Women in Tech in 2022” from Jennifer Gregory is a useful resource which discusses the current disparity and outlines a number of positive actions we can take to help address this challenge.

Women in STEM at Aegle Technology

At Aegle Technology SL we are committed to implementing a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) and we will be making further announcements regarding this topic in the near future.

Filed Under: Leadership, Women in STEM

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