Steps of the process:

Process sequences are represented in diagram format in the flowchart below. The essential elements of the process are dry fermentation for fermentation of solid organic substances by batch and continuous fermentation in the process water reservoir through nutrient movement in the process water reservoir circuit.

The steps of the process are further described in our video clip of the plant in Heppenheim

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1. Substrate preparation

Preparation of substrates if necessary (e.g. pulverization, mixing etc. depending on the substrates)

2. Placing the substrates

Placing the substrates in the empty dry fermenter

3. Pre-aeration

Optional pre-aeration in the closed dry fermenter to increase the temperature

4. Anaerobic processing

Anaerobic processing by means of percolation with process water

5. Post-aeration

Expulsion of biogases, aerification of digestate, odour removal

Optional aerobic post-processing to reduce water content

6. Removal

Removal of digestate

7. Post-treatment

Post-treatment of fermentation residue (e.g. hygienisation in Herhof boxes or maturation, screening etc. depending on the application)

Wet fermentation

The wet fermentation technology widely used up to this point, which was designed essentially for fermentation of liquid manure, reaches the limits imposed by the process at DS (dry substance) contents greater than 15%. The reason for this is essentially that the substrate is increasingly difficult to agitate and pump. In addition the wear out of aggregates increases with higher dry substances. By contrast, there is no upper limit for DS content in dry fermentation based on our process. The substrate and fermentation residue are brought in and removed in solid, stackable form. Our plants consist of two main plant sections in which organic substances are simultaneously converted into biogas, dry fermenters and a process water tank. There is in addition a delivery area and a part of the plant designed for use of the biogas that is produced (for example a combined heat and power unit (CHP) or gas supply) as well as further plant sections.

Dry fermentation

Moisture content | Percolate

Dry fermentation also requires a moist environment for fermentation. In our process, this environment is created and maintained by controlled sprinkling of the substrate in dry fermenters with conditioned process water, which is guided through a circuit.

Continuous supply of the biogas utilisation

In order to supply continuously the CHP or gas cleaning/feeding system with sufficient biogas, multiple dry fermenters must be operated in parallel but staggered in time.

Effective biogas production

The dry fermenters as well as the process water tank conduct to the biogas production. The intensive percolation rate and the high-volume of the process water tank are the effective regulation items of the biogas production. With the help of these items the bacteria and the needed energy is brought into the substrate in the beginning of the process. Hence the hydrolysis is strated.

Development of a system

Further levelling is achieved by biogas production which occurs continuously in the process water reservoir. For minimizing the emissions and to optimizing the usage of the produced biogas we have developed a system, which secures the collection and treatment of the weak gas in the end of each fermentation cycle.

The advantages of dry fermentation compared to wet fermentation may be summarized as follows:

• Significantly lower water requirement and no mashing necessary
• Lower process energy requirement (no mixing mechanism necessary)
• Less material wear due to fewer movable machine parts
• Less susceptibility to detrimental substances and overacidification
• Usually lower sulphur content in the gas, which has a positive effect on the service life of the CHP Smaller digesters due to higher energy contents of the substrates that are used
• Synergy in the use of agricultural equipment (e.g. wheel loaders, tractors, mixing carriages, manure spreaders, etc.)
• Simpler (stackable) storage of fermentation residue.
• Our process offers the following advantages compared to other dry fermentation processes:
• Control and measurement system for every single fermenter
• Weak gas management system
• Optimum biogas yield with short delay time
• Less investment costs (no mixing of substrates needed) Minimum internal electrical and thermal energy need (no heating of dry fermenters, weak gas management system, no excess water and no mixing of substrates required
• Homogeneous percolation and optimised process conditions through percolation and high-volume process water tankLow methane emissions and homogeneous aerification of fermentation residue pile with special aeration system
• Low methane emissions and homogeneous aerification of fermentation residue pile with special aeration system
• Low variations in gas production through simultaneous production of biogas in process water tan