(625t) Design and application of tray bioreactor for biological pretreatment of agricultural wastes

Tray bioreactor was designed and constructed for biological pretreatment of agricultural waste by white-rot fungi for its further application in the process of anaerobic co-digestion with cow manure.

Tray bioreactor (750 x 1540 x 700 mm) is consisted of six trays incorporated in the chamber allowing the air circulation around the trays. Adjustable fan on the back side of the bioreactor was built to ensure forced air circulation. Additional container with water is used for moisturizing the air. The overall temperature of the bioreactor is controlled by the integration of a water cooling-heating system.

Seven days biological pretreatment of corn silage (harvest 2015), by T. versicolor was performed. Chemical composition of corn silage (concentration of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, simple sugars, simple phenolic compounds) was analyzed before and after the treatment.

Key words: agricultural waste, biological treatment, tray bioreactor

Acknowledgment: This work is done within ProBioTech project (RC. 2.2.08-0045) which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)