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Versatile. Efficient Research.
Auto Fed Digestors
Anaero Technology’s lab-scale anaerobic digestion research bioreactors are capable of automatically feeding heterogeneous feedstock, as used in full-scale AD operation. This system provides high quality replication of full-scale AD processes, from feed storage, to digestate capture in a gas-tight set (feeder, digester, digestatetank, gas flow meter) that allows efficient mass balances.Feed as often as required with our range of automatic feeders capable of accurate delivery of small volumes of mixed slurries. We have used mixed feed (19%DS avg) entering a full-scale FW AD plant in our feeders for over 8 years and successfully replicated the operation of full-scale digesters to solve problems such as foaming, inhibition, optimal loading, effect of new substrates, and trace element supplementation; where manual feeding previously skewed results.
Each Machine includes a gas flow metre and a data logger with precise logging software.
Automatic feeding
The feed dispensing pump provides storage for several days. Feeding once a day causes transient organic shock to digesters and limits the OLR achieved at the lab compared with OLRs at full-scale where feed is more discrete. Automatic feeding saves daily visits to the lab because the feeder needs topping up once or twice a week. Since feed dynamics is determining of processes (overfeeding can cause foaming, acidification, shock,; underfeeding low biogas, higher CH4, higher pH ,etc.), research using automatic feeding is more representative of real life and can open the way to new developments in AD and fermentation.
Flexible Process Configuration
Novel products and optimised processes, such as hydrolysis-AD, Hydrogen-CH4, biochemical factory-
AD gas on demand, optimised agronomic properties of digestate, and others, present significant research interest and could benefit from equipment capable of feed regime control multiple physical-chemical conditions in batch or continous mode, alternation of conditions such as acidification, hydrolysis, pasteurisation, thermophilic, mesophilic, psychrophilic, hyper-thermophilic, supplementation, etc. "high value" chemicals, microbiology and metabolite dynamics of AD processes, antibiotics and nutrients, have become important topics of research.
Use real feed
Our auto-feeder systems have been operating on AD plant food waste, as it enters full-scale digesters at around 19%DS for over 8 years and successfully worked up to 36%DS mixtures of food waste and waste flour.
The ability to automatically feed real, not synthetic, or dilute, feed adds significance to research on mixed feedstock, such as food waste, STW sludges, and slurry, etc. For settleable feedstock, our feeders have online agitators that homogenise the feed as it is being delivered to the digesters.
Whole AD plant replication
Enzymic hydrolysis and acid-phase digestion have evolved largely through costly pilot-scale studies and once at full-scale the pressures of operational regimes limit further experimentation and optimisation. For example, the limited reliable research on biological hydrolysis and multi-stage digestion, could account for the relatively low uptake and high cost,. Scale-down research reactors capable of replicating the conditions of multi-stage systems in continuous mode are not widely available.
Each Machine includes a gas flow metre and a data logger with precise logging software.
Black Swan
Our most flexible multi-stage digestation/fermentation model can be confiigured in several stage and all reactors also have recirculation capability giving hundreds of possible operational configurations. 4 1st stage digesters with individual feeders and heaters with 4 2nd stage reactors with individual heating and mixing and possible recirculating. Optional third, forth and more stages with recirculation between stages. Rocking the research boat with developments beyond biogas!
From £31000
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Lobster Max-i
The Lobster-i model features 5 litre reactors (smaller options available), but with more flexibility for the feeding rate since each of the 4 reactors is
equipped with its own feeder. This means 4 independent tests can be run simultaneously from the same machine. The Lobster and Lobster-i can both later be converted to multi-stage
systems.
From £26000
Medusa
With 10 x1 litre auto fed digesters and 5 litre batch digesters immersed in a water bath, this is our most compact research station. If you work with very low fibre feedstocks and want a low cost yet auto-fed machine this could be your best option. It's compact size makes it easy to fit in space limited labs. With support flows could be modified to fit 2nd stage digesters.
From £17100
Caterpillar
Ten automatically fed 1-litre reactors with individual temperature control and independent feeders arranged in two banks. You can test a wide range of conditions, automatically in asingle machine. All reactors are capable of two-stage use with a small upgrade.
From £30500
Hungry Caterpillar
For multi-stage research we thought, " let's push our caterpillar to its limit" and so we made it a hungry catepillar!10 x 1-litre 1st stage digesters and 10 more for a 3rd stage. With extra support 2, 5, or even 10 litre secondary digesters can be individually arranged.
Includes extra PLC and gas flow meter.
From £47000
Lobster Max
6 automatically-fed 5-litre reactors with individual temperature control and indepndent feeders arranged in two banks. With larger feeders and our new 2" ports you can now use more fibre in fluid feed automatically. Ideal size for work that needs larger digestate samples such as studies in agronomic characteristics and digestate quality.
From £25000
Ray/Ray I
Our two digester base sets, they can also be configured as multi-stage. With a capability to hold larger digesters of up to 20-litres (standard 10- litres). Perfect for lower cost base projects not requiring mlutiple test conditions.
From £18500