PDAN Digestor Anaeróbio

The Anaerobic Digester, "PDAN", designed by EDIBON, allows the study of the anaerobic digestion process and biogas production from biodegradable organic matter. This unit facilitates the understanding of the process through the observation and control of its different stages, being applicable in both technical training and research.

The unit consists of two anaerobic digesters that can operate independently or in series, allowing operation in single-stage or two-stage configurations. In two-stage operation, the first digester performs the hydrolysis, acidogenesis and acetogenesis phases, while the second digester is dedicated to methanogenesis, enabling the separate analysis of each stage.

Each digester includes a heating jacket through which hot water from a thermostatic bath circulates, allowing control of the operating temperature in different ranges: psychrophilic, mesophilic and thermophilic.

The unit includes two peristaltic pumps for substrate feeding. In two-stage operation, one of them enables the transfer of fluid between digesters through a buffer tank, which regulates excess flow and stabilizes the process.

Two flowmeters are included to measure operating flow rates. For biogas quantification, the unit incorporates two volumetric tanks based on water displacement, allowing direct measurement of the produced gas volume.

The design of the unit allows the analysis of variables such as temperature, organic load and retention time, facilitating a deeper understanding of the anaerobic digestion process.