Comparing the efficiency of CSTR and Gas-lift Anaerobic Reactor configurations in the bio-methanization of Waste Cooking Oils (WCO)

Global industrialization has continued an upwards trend, so is the global energy demand increasing. At the moment the major source of energy is fossil-based which leaves a huge and overwhelming carbon footprint which has a devastating effect on the environment. Hence, the quest for alternative cleaner sources of energy is gaining some tremendous interest. The conversion of waste to renewable energy proves to be economical and sustainable. However, the objective of this research work is to explore alternative and more efficient methods of digesting waste cooking oil into CH4 bearing in mind the limitations of solubility of oil in solvents as experienced in previous research works. This challenged the development of a new innovative anaerobic reactor configuration which uses the energy from the gas produced within the reactor mix the oil in the reactor through the principle of convection. At the end of this experiment, the gas-lift successfully converted 9-10% of the total COD (WCO) injected into the reactor to CH4. This result shows that the reactor configuration works, and its operation can be improved on for future experiments.