Improved anaerobic digestion by staged fermentation and advanced reactor design

The anaerobic digestion process has taken on new importance and emphasis in recent years because of its potential applications for energy and chemicals production from various types of renewable-carbon resources, and because it can be coupled with certain electrochemical, thermochemical, and biochemical processes to generate electric power, hydrocarbons, methanol, and other high-value products. A number of initiatives have been taken to improve the anaerobic digestion process in keeping with the increasing appreciation for its utility and versatility of application in municipal, industrial, and rural settings.