Date of Award:

5-2016

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

David K. Stevens (Committee Co-Chair), Conly L. Hansen (Committee Co-Chair)

Committee

David K. Stevens

Committee

Conly L. Hansen

Committee

Joan E. McLean

Committee

Shaun Dustin

Committee

Michael J. McFarland

Committee

Donald J. McMahon

Abstract

Dairy processing waste (DPW) is the waste produced from manufacturing dairy products: cheese, yogurt, ice cream, milk, butter, etc. DPW is high in chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to its lactose, fat and protein content, and therefore needs to be appropriately treated. An investigation was conducted to produce energy (hydrogen and methane) from DPW by anaerobic digestion. This project developed an effective engineering method for stable methane production from DPW without adding pH control chemicals. This study also explored the optimal operational condition for hydrogen production from DPW. We further built a mathematical model to help us monitor and predict anaerobic hydrogen production process. The achievements in this study will help dairy or other food industries to not only manage their waste but also make sufficient energy to supply their production plants.

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