Bioindustrial Innovation Center

Anaerobic Digestion Pilot Plant

Overview

The Anaerobic Digestion Pilot Plant includes two 1,250-gallon tank digesters, each with approximately 1,100 gallons of working volume.

These digesters feature independent mechanical and hydraulic mixing systems and can operate in series, in parallel, or independently under different hydraulic conditions.

The system is fully equipped with sensors for real-time monitoring of gas production—using a volume by mass flow meter and composition by Near Infrared (NIR)—and also measures pressure, temperature, level, and flow, all of which are recorded on a client-accessible data acquisition system.

Two feeding systems allow for the input of low- to medium-solids slurries (up to approximately 15% total solids) and the blending of different ratios of individual feedstocks. Dedicated feeding tanks and a macerator enable blending of multiple feedstocks for codigestion studies.

Pilot digester operations are supported by the Applied Biology Laboratory’s on-site capabilities for titrating volatile fatty acids (FOS/TAC) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), allowing for close and frequent monitoring of reactor response and health across various feeding strategies and feedstock types.

One key benefit of operating anaerobic digestion at this scale is the ability to produce significant amounts of digestate for fertilizer or soil amendment assessment, with the Biomass and Fiber Processing Laboratory providing any necessary post-treatment. For these efforts, AURI partners with universities to conduct field trials focusing on fertilizer performance and soil amendment capabilities.

Capabilities include:

grinding
milling
size reduction
densification/pelleting
biomass deconstruction
fiber separation and classification
blending
drying
particle size analysis
dewatering
formulation and mixing
extraction

Essential pilot equipment includes:

60 HP, 1 ton per hour pellet mill with multiple dies
Pellet cooler
Hammer mill
Pneumatic conveyances
Oil presses
Aspirator
Mixers
Vibrating sieve screeners
Shaker table
Various cleated belt conveyors
Various augers
Fluidized bed dryer
Oil presses
Horizontal screw presses for dewatering
Impact dehuller
Burr mill
Indent separator
Macerating pumps
10 HP steam generator

Our Team

AURI’s Food scientists are available to provide consulting and technical services in the areas of product and process development, product evaluation and testing, sourcing materials, equipment and services

Jimmy Gosse Ph.D

Senior Scientist, Biobased & Renewable Energy

(218) 281-7600 x114 Email

Camren Nikoley

Bioindustrial Lab Associate

(218)281-7600 x139 Email

John Sorensen

Bioindustrial Facilities Manager

(218)281-7600 x128 Email