2025 Theses Doctoral

Engineering Benefit and Design of an Anaerobic Digester Exposed to Static Magnetic Fields (SMF)

Rosado-Viana, Louis

Anaerobic digestion is a widely used biological process for organic waste treatment and biogas production. However, optimizing microbial activity and improving methane yield remain key challenges. This research investigates the effect of Static Magnetic Fields (SMFs) on anaerobic digesters to enhance microbial performance and biogas production efficiency while improving the anaerobic digestors design sizing.

Problem Statement
Despite advancements in anaerobic digestion technology, limitations such as slow microbial metabolism and suboptimal methane production persist. Emerging research suggests that magnetic field exposure may influence microbial activity, yet its application in anaerobic digestion remains largely unexplored. This research aims to determine whether SMFs can enhance microbial growth, organic matter degradation, and methane yield in anaerobic digesters while improving design.

Materials and Methods
A series of batch anaerobic digesters were subjected to controlled Static Magnetic Field intensities while processing organic substrates. Experimental groups included digesters exposed to varying magnetic flux densities and a control group without SMF exposure. Key parameters such as biogas composition, methane yield, and substrate consumption were monitored over the digestion period. Analytical techniques including gas chromatography, spectrophotometry, and microbial enumeration were employed to assess the impact of SMFs on digestion performance.

Conclusions
Results indicate that SMF exposure positively influenced microbial activity, leading to enhanced organic matter degradation and increased methane production compared to control digesters. The findings suggest that Static Magnetic Fields may serve as a viable strategy to improve anaerobic digestion efficiency and design, offering potential applications in waste management and renewable energy production. Further research is recommended to optimize field strength and exposure duration for large-scale implementation.