Bioreactor design for acidogenesis process of palm oil mill effluent

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is waste that can be used to produce biogas.One of the stages in the production of biogas from POME is the acidogenesis stage, where the products resulting from hydrolysis are further degraded into more specific organic products in the form of acetate, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, as well as intermediate products in the form of volatile fatty acids (VFA) such as propionate, butyrate, valerate, and its isoforms.This study aims to design an acidogenesis bioreactor to produce biogas from POME.The designed bioreactor is a stirred tank reactor with a volume of 1.000 L and operates on a batch system.The operating conditions for the acidogenesis process were a thermophilic temperature (55 C), pH 5.5, and a substrate:starter ratio of 80%:20%.The bioreactor is constructed of stainless steel (SS SA-240 grade 304) due to its corrosion resistance and suitability for the acidic environment of POME, with a H/D ratio of 0.5/1 to 3/1.The mixer is a curved turbine impeller with six angles model A124, with a mixing speed of 0.46-1.29 rps and mixing power of 0.297-0.499hp.The bioreactor is also equipped with control devices for the screening, feeding, and reaction stages.This bioreactor design supports a sustainable approach to POME management and renewable energy generation.