Mass Transfer Enhancement in High-Solids Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes: A Review

Abstract

The increasing global population and urbanization have led to a pressing need for effective solutions to manage the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). High-solids anaerobic digestion (HS-AD) has garnered attention as a sustainable technology that offers reduced water demand and energy consumption, and an increased biogas production rate. However, challenges such as rheology complexities and slow mass transfer hinder its widespread application. To address these limitations, this review emphasizes the importance of process optimization and the mass transfer enhancement of HS-AD, and summarizes various strategies for enhancing mass transfer in the field of HS-AD for the OFMSW, including substrate pretreatments, mixing strategies, and the addition of biochar. Additionally, the incorporation of innovative reactor designs, substrate pretreatment, the use of advanced modeling and simulation techniques, and the novel conductive materials need to be investigated in future studies to promote a better coupling between mass transfer and methane production. This review provides support and guidance to promote HS-AD technology as a more viable solution for sustainable waste management and resource recovery.

Keywords: high-solids anaerobic digestion; mass transfer; municipal solid wastes; rheological characteristics.

Figure 1

The classification of the HS-AD process technology.

Figure 2

Rheological characteristics and their influencing factors of digestate (a) and limitation of mass transfer in HS-AD (b).

Figure 3

Strategies for enhancing mass transfer in HS-AD, including substrate pretreatment, mixing, and conductive material addition.