Answering the Case for Optimum Mesophilic Reaction Temperature

Abstract

Four laboratory experiments under mesophilic condition with varied temperatures were conducted to determine the correlation between biogas production and temperature, as well as establish the optimum temperature value for mesophilic anaerobic digestion. The empirical study shows that biogas production increases from 3.54 dm3 to 7.92 dm3 as the temperature increases from 36 oC to 39 oC respectively, as represented in figure1.1 below. Then production remained constant between 39.2 deg C and 40.0 deg C, afterwards; it decreases as temperature marginally increases beyond 40.0 deg C. The optimum temperature of mesophilic anaerobic digestion was elevated from 37.0 oC to 39.0 deg C for 15 days and 29.84% increase in biogas was achieved. The experiments also established that the optimum temperature value for mesophilic anaerobic digestion is 39.0 deg C.