INCREASING THE ENERGY VALUE OF CORN STOVER USED IN BIOGAS PLANT WITHOUT PRE-PROCESSING

ABSTRACT

The continuous increase emissions of greenhouse gas and the necessity to feel energetic security have caused the whole world increase the use of energy sources that are not based on crude oil and hard coal. Alternative to obtaining energy from fossil fuels is the production of biogas. One of the most commonly used raw materials for biogas production are maize silage. Therefore corn silage makes up 35-40% of the total cost of biogas production, which means that their use for biogas production does not bring big benefits and is not consistent with the principles of sustainable development. The way to reduce the costs of biogas production and its sustainable production is the use of substrates being residues from agricultural production. Corn stover can be such a residue. But corn stover is difficult substrate for digestion, because have much lignocellulose complex. The aim of the study was to incerasing the corn stover energy value without pre-procesing. It was a one variant experiment. The factor was the corn stover ensilage method, i.e. natural ensilage and ensilage aided with an organic preparation. The methane yield was investigations of corn stover silages were performed in the Echotechnology Laboratory in the Biosystems Engineering Institute at the University of Life Sciences in Poznan under DIN standard 38 414-S8. Energy yield form corn stover silage prepared with the organic acid was greater by 11.7% in comparison for energy yield from natural corn stover silage.

Keywords: corn stover, energy value, anaerobic digestion, pre-tretment