Effect of high-voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF) pretreatment on biogas production rates of hybrid Pennisetum by anaerobic fermentation

In this paper, the raw materials of hybrid Pennisetum were pretreated in different conditions of high voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF) to improve its material utilization ratios and biogas production rates of anaerobic fermentation. Then, anaerobic digestion experiments were conducted within 32 days at moderate temperature (35 °C) with TS mass fraction (6%), inoculation rate (20%) and initial pH (7.0). It is indicated that compared with the control group, 9 groups of hybrid Pennisetum pretreated by HPEF are obviously superior in gas production efficiency of anaerobic fermentation, and higher in cumulative gas production, peak daily gas production and maximum methane concentration; that the most remarkable stimulation occurs in the HPEF condition of 15 kV/120 Hz/60 min, in that situation, the cumulative gas production in the fermentation period of 32 days is up to 9587 mL, 26.95% higher than that of the control group, the peak daily gas production increases and the range of peak period extends. It is demonstrated that the optimal HPEF pretreatment time is 60 min and three HPEF parameters have a better effect on gas production in the order of voltage > time > frequency; and that the effect degree of treatment parameters on peak daily gas production is voltage, frequency and time in turn. It is concluded that HPEF can improve material utilization ratio and gas production rate of hybrid Pennisetum by anaerobic fermentation and shorten the gas production cycle. By virtue of this physical pretreatment method, the resource of Pennisetum is utilized sufficiently and the classes of energy plants are enlarged effectively.