Biogas Production Optimization from Co-Digestion of Municipal Sludge and Food Waste for Power Generation

Abstract

The increasing generation of municipal sludge and food waste has created significant environmental management challenges while also presenting opportunities for renewable energy recovery through anaerobic digestion processes. This study investigates the optimization of biogas production from the co-digestion of municipal sludge and food waste for sustainable power generation applications. The proposed approach integrates substrate blending optimization, anaerobic digestion process control, and energy recovery analysis to enhance methane yield, process stability, and overall system efficiency under varying operational conditions. A comprehensive experimental and analytical investigation was conducted to evaluate the influence of substrate mixing ratio, organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, temperature, pH, and nutrient balance on biogas production performance and microbial activity. The co-digestion strategy was designed to improve carbon-to-nitrogen balance and biodegradability characteristics, thereby enhancing anaerobic microbial metabolism and methane generation efficiency. Performance evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in biogas yield, methane concentration, and volatile solids reduction compared to mono-digestion systems utilizing individual waste streams. The integrated process also exhibited enhanced operational stability and reduced inhibition effects due to balanced nutrient availability and improved substrate utilization. Comparative analysis revealed increased energy recovery potential and improved economic feasibility for decentralized renewable power generation from municipal organic waste resources.