Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) of Miscanthus Fuscus for Anaerobic Digestion

There is an increasing global demand for energy crops and animal manures for an eco-friendly and renewable energy to supplement fossil fuel, aid in heat and electricity production. In order to meet this demand, this study aimed at optimizing the anaerobic digestion of Miscanthus Fuscus for biogas production at mesophilic temperatures in a biochemical methane potential (BMP) test. Methane production was measured for 20 days in a 500mL schott bottles in a batch mode and controlled at 37 ± 1°C. Miscanthus Fuscus was characterized in the batch reactor to enable the inoculum activity and the biogas volume reported during the 20 days. The cumulative volume of biogas (L/day) for the five biodigesters labelled as sample IDs 1-5 is reported as 0.67, 1.16, 1.01, 0.57, and 1.17 L/day respectively. Highest methane yield was reported on the 16th day of the BMP test at 27% v/v of biogas produced.