Application of Hydrodynamic Cavitation in the Disintegration of Aerobic Granular Sludge—Evaluation of Pretreatment Time on Biomass Properties, Anaerobic Digestion Efficiency and Energy Balance

Abstract

The use of aerobic granular sludge is a promising and future-proof solution for wastewater treatment. The implementation of this technology requires the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for the management of excess sludge. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effects of hydrodynamic cavitation on the efficiency of aerobic granular sludge digestion. Respirometric measurements were performed at a temperature of 38 °C and an initial organic load of 5.0 gVS/L. The changes in the properties of the pretreated biomass, the kinetics of methane fermentation, the amount and composition of the biogas produced, and an energetic evaluation of the process were carried out. A significant influence of hydrodynamic cavitation on the transfer of organic compounds into the dissolved phase was demonstrated. The degree of solubilisation was 37% for COD and 42% and for TOC. The efficiency of CH4 production from the pretreated sludge reached a value of 496 ± 12 mL/gVS, which corresponds to an increase of 19.6% compared to the raw biomass. The influence of cavitation on the CH4 content of the biogas was not observed. Strong correlations were found between the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and the concentration of dissolved organic compounds and the hydrodynamic cavitation time used. The gross energy yield was closely correlated with the amount of CH4. The highest comparable values of 3.12 Wh/gTS to 3.18 Wh/gTS were found in the variants in which the hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) time was between 15 min and 50 min. The highest net energy production of 2890 kWh/MgTS was achieved after 15 min of pretreatment.