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The impact of intermediate thermal hydrolysis on the degradation kinetics of carbohydrates in sewage sludge

This paper, the result of collaborative research funded by Thames Water, demonstrates that introduction of an intermediate thermal hydrolysis step to the conventional anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge improves its digestibility, resulting in enhanced organic degradation and increased conversion to biogas. Results show that degradation is a complex multistep process suggesting that carbohydrates are more readily degradable. Organics degradation rate constants and their final composition indicated that thermal hydrolysis used as an intermediate digestion improves overall performance. A pilot plant is currently being tested and optimised with potential to be implemented in large wastewater treatment works.