Method for the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste

Abstract

Method for the anaerobic decomposition of degradable organic waste and for the extraction of biogas from the latter in a reactor (1), according to which method the waste is put in a reactor (1) which contains an active, anaerobic, methanogene biomass and which is exposed to anaerobic fermentation without any mixing in the reactor (1), characterized in that the waste is supplied in the shape of a semi-solid or solid organic substrate at the top of the reactor, in that a phase separation into a liquid phase (6) and a solid phase (4) is allowed in the lower part of the reactor, whereby at least during a fermentation period without any mixing in the reactor (1), a liquid phase (6) is secreted at the bottom in the reactor (1) from a top solid phase (4), in that this liquid phase (6) is removed before fresh substrate is supplied, whereby a maximum amount of solid phase (4), namely substrate and biomass, is retained, and in that, after the removal of the liquid phase (6), the solid phase (4) is removed from the reactor (1) to at least one third of the entire content of the reactor (1) and thoroughly mixed with fresh substrate as inoculum.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.