Biogas plants today often operate on the edge of profitability. Operators must therefore carry out constant optimization work in order to be able to operate their plant profitably in the long term. The operator in Ense has therefore decided to use ultrasound on his plant.
The BIOSONATOR compact is a solution for increasing the efficiency of a biogas plant. Several 20 kHz oscillating units from SONOTRONIC generate the high-performance ultrasound in it for disintegration of the biomass. In 2015, the owners of the biogas plant in Ense near Dortmund decided to install four ultrasonic units from ULTRAWAVES. Conventionally, Ense generated about 20,000 MWh of electricity per year. This puts the biogas plant in the top class. The goal was to increase the annual electricity production even further and to reduce the viscosity of the biomass so that the material is easier to convey and mix. This is quite a challenging undertaking with a seasonally varying substrate mix of corn, manure, timothy meal, sugar beets, dry chicken manure and whole plant silage. Depending on the weather in the year the biomass is harvested and stored, the energy content of the individual substrates varies immensely. In addition, operators must be careful not to overfeed or underfeed their system, which would inhibit biodegradation. Thus, good data is essential to prove the effect of ultrasonic disintegration over the "background noise" of the biogas plant. Figures from the operator, such as the daily biogas production or the feeding quantity, are supplemented by laboratory tests at ULTRAWAVES on the energy content of the substrates or the viscosity of the material. Thus, a meaningful balance around the fermentation can be established.
Biological systems are comparatively sluggish. Bacteria must first adapt to the new conditions. After two to three residence times of the biomass in the fermentation containers, the first effects can be observed. In Ense, after just under six months of operation of the BIOSONATOR compact, an increased output of ten percent and an increased biogas quality (methane content) of two percent were achieved. In addition, the viscosity was significantly reduced. A complete success, so that the operator has installed two more ultrasonic units. Word of such a benefit spreads quickly in the industry! Since then, three other operators from the region have had a BIOSONATOR compact installed.
