Bound water measurement in dry anaerobic digesters
Abstract
Moisture content and water distribution are important parameters to design and operate dry anaerobic digesters. In this study, two techniques were validated and used for determining the water distribution (hydration, vicinal, capillary and free water fractions): water sorption isotherms and thermo-gravimetic drying tests. Four biowastes and four associated digestates were sampled in two industrial plants treating Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and green wastes by dry digestion technology. From water sorption isotherms, we have shown that the hydration water fraction and vicinal water fraction of biowastes and digestates are similar, indicating that these fractions are not affected by the anaerobic digestion. From drying tests, we have demonstrated that the capillary structure changes with the microbial degradation, and that the capillary water fraction is more important in the digested media than in the original biowastes.