Srinivas Kasulla | University of Mumbai (original) (raw)

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Papers by Srinivas Kasulla

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Aug 3, 2023

Biogas digesters show high potential in the avenue of waste management and renewable energy produ... more Biogas digesters show high potential in the avenue of waste management and renewable energy production. However, the process can only turn out optimum biogas if it is rightfully biologically intrinsic to the digesters. This paper debates the role of process monitoring parameters in optimizing the biogas digester performance. It puts much emphasis on frequent process failures such as an organic overload, hydraulic overload, and ammonia inhibition. This paper calls for a process monitoring strategy that interprets and understands the biological activity going on in the digester. In this way, after measuring some key parameters, the operator will be able to tell instabilities in advance before this wholly results in a crash, hence saving many financial losses related to the restarting of a destabilized system. The paper presents the process monitoring benefits regarding delivery in the context of comprehensive understanding of the biogas process, giving early warnings of instability, successful digester start-up and restart , and lastly, avoiding the costs of shutdowns and restarts. The economic gains that process monitoring offers with its slightest implementation against the costly shutdown and restart of digesters are huge. It is very informative to operators and biogas researchers because proactive action can be made on improving digester performance for maximum biogas production, which will be possible through the efficient use of process monitoring parameters.

World Applied Sciences …, 2010

The total oil palm cover has increased in the last few years, with a consequent boost in palm oil... more The total oil palm cover has increased in the last few years, with a consequent boost in palm oil production. As a result, palm oil waste which is a by-product of the milling process will also increase. The palm oil production process in mills consists of several unit operations. The processing of fresh fruit bunches of oil palm results in the generation of different types of residue. Among the waste generated, palm oil mill effluent (POME) is considered the most harmful waste for the environment if discharged untreated. Palm oil mill effluent is a thick brownish liquid that contains high solids, oil and grease, COD and BOD values. Several treatment technologies have been used for POME treatment, since the direct discharge of POME adversely affects the environment. Due to the presence of high total solids in POME, attempts have been made to convert this waste into valuable products such as feed stock and organic fertilizer. Although POME is organic in nature, it is difficult to decompose in natural conditions. Earthworms can digest the POME producing valuable products such as vermicompost. Vermicompost is a useful product rich in nutrients that can be used as fertilizer in oil palm plantations. This review discusses the various ongoing treatment techniques of POME. The effective treatment of POME using vermicomposting technique is suggested as a good alternative sustainable management practice of this waste.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 24, 2022

The digestion of press mud with

The current investigation concentrated on the production of biogas from Napier grass. The utiliza... more The current investigation concentrated on the production of biogas from Napier grass. The utilization of non-competitive biomass sources for biogas generation via anaerobic digestion is designed for long-term management in biogas production via anaerobic digestion. This study investigates the Napier grass-based biogas production application, which might be used to produce more cost-effective and sustainable biogas. The laboratory-based biogas plant and a biogas plant in operation demonstrated that the laboratory test results were practical and transferrable to practice. The effect of feedstock screening on the biogas yield of Napier grass and cattle slurry was studied in mesophilic CSTR technology digester. Furthermore, the maximum methane level was between 59 percent and 64 percent. Its organic nature makes it an excellent feedstock to produce biogas. Fresh grass was taken after 5 and 6 weeks of plantation, ground in 0.5 to 1 mm diameter size, and fermented in mesophilic CSTR reactors with solid concentrations ranging from 9 percent to 13 percent. At the optimum conditions, biogas yield was 136.4 mL-142.20 mL CH 4 /g VS. The chemical composition of Napier grass (of all three samples) is shown in its approximate and ultimate forms. For a better understanding, grass collection and silage preparation are also displayed. The test was conducted in Ahmedabad, where the Arka BRENStech-Labio was installed (laboratory Biogas Digester) Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was employed as a monosubstrate in all these tests.

Feather is produced in large amounts as a waste in poultry slaughterhouses. Only 60-70% of the po... more Feather is produced in large amounts as a waste in poultry slaughterhouses. Only 60-70% of the poultry slaughterhouse products is edible for human. 16-20% of the slaughterhouse by-products contains keratin; from this 7-9% consists of feather with 50-70% moisture content. Treatment of poultry feather anaerobically is a challenge, because of the complex, rigid, and fibrous structure of keratin, the main component of feathers. Under anaerobic conditions, poultry feather degrades poorly, which is the main obstacle for anaerobic digestion. The reported value of chicken feather methane potential is 0.19– 0.20Nm3 /kg VS, which is only one third of the theoretical value. It is an excellent raw material for biogas production due to high protein content. Dried chicken feathers contain about 90% proteins with 0.2 methane potential (m3 kg-1 VS added) and 0.05 methane potential (m3 kg-1 wet weight). The keratin-content of feather is difficult to digest, so physical, chemical and/or biological pr...

Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source and a secondary energy carrier provided by anaerobic... more Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source and a secondary energy carrier provided by anaerobic digestion of biodegradable organic materials. It can be used as a fuel in a number of ways. Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the main components of biogas, with other pollutants such as ammonia (NH3), water vapour (H2O), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl siloxanes, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons present in varying amounts. H2S is a toxic and odorous compound formed by the anaerobic digestion of bio-solids and other organic materials, and it is also one of the pollutants in biogas. Hydrogen sulphide must be eliminated because it is toxic to human health, poisonous to process catalysts, and corrosive to machinery. Desulfurization, or the removal of hydrogen sulphide, is an integral part of biogas utilization efficiency. The conventional desulfurization technologies for biogas that are currently avai...

Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and un... more Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and unadulterated innovative applications. In this paper we would be covering the use of nanotechnology in the production as well as optimisation of biogas. This paper clearly shows the potential and relationship between the both – biogas production and nanotechnology via various feedstock characterisation studies which was done during this paper. The aim of this paper is to showcase how these both technologies complement each other and how nanotechnology is applied in feedstock and convert it to biogas. Our study shows how nanotechnology is applied on pressmud and gas production is enhanced at laboratory level. The digestion of pressmud with nanomaterials were studied. Our study clearly indicates that the biogas production can surely be enhanced in case of treating pressmud by using magnetite nanoparticles which gives higher methane yields compared to normal digestion without nanoparticles. T...

International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology

The result of this research is to determine the ratio of the combination (co-digestion) of Press ... more The result of this research is to determine the ratio of the combination (co-digestion) of Press Mud and Bagasse to the volume of biogas production, and for the bagasse as a single substrate. Samples were tested and used without any pre-treatment. Biogas production volume and the effect of co-digestion on biogas production are discussed further in the paper. The results showed that the digester with 9% total solids when fed considering only bagasse as a single feedstock gave good amount of biogas compared to 6% or 12% total solid. The study also investigates the different factors which affected the biogas generation from sugar industry waste bagasse. In this paper, sugarcane bagasse was used as a feedstock for biogas generation in an anaerobic type lab scale digester similarly a co digestion of bagasse and press mud was also observed. Inoculum from cow dung was used in the above experiments. The anaerobic digestion as well as the co digestion was carried out in batch mode with mesophilic temperature of 35ºC and 50 days of hydraulic retention time. The cumulative gas production achieved for both (only bagasse digestion and co-digestion of press mud and bagasse) is explained further in this paper. Temperature, pH, biogas flow etc was measured using respective meters. Bagasse is one of the suitable wastes for biogas generation through anaerobic digestion. And without any doubt bagasse and press mud can also be used together in co digestion process to see enhanced gas generation and organic manure generation from the experiments.

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a liquid waste from palm oil factory that pollutes the environme... more Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a liquid waste from palm oil factory that pollutes the environment but is very useful as a raw material for producing biogas. POME processing has advantages to meet environmental requirements and to produce commercialized products. Although there are already enough biogas systems installed in oil palm factories, there are handful of players in this sector who can design and install an optimal working plant on palm oil mill effluent. The design involves many parameters and quite complicated process. Apart from POME the palm oil mills also generate solid cake from their decanters which is also known as decanter muck or decanter cake. There are no biogas plants observed which were working on this decanter muck. The purpose of this study is to obtain an understanding about the biogas system utilizing solid decanter cake in Southern part of India. Various dilution rates were studied to understand the best possible feedstock to water ratio in terms of gas ...

Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and un... more Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and unadulterated innovative applications. In this paper we would be covering the use of nanotechnology in the production as well as optimisation of biogas. This paper clearly shows the potential and relationship between the both – biogas production and nanotechnology via various feedstock characterisation studies which was done during this paper. The aim of this paper is to showcase how these both technologies complement each other and how nanotechnology is applied in feedstock and convert it to biogas. Our study shows how nanotechnology is applied on pressmud and gas production is enhanced at laboratory level. The digestion of pressmud with nanomaterials were studied. Our study clearly indicates that the biogas production can surely be enhanced in case of treating pressmud by using magnetite nanoparticles which gives higher methane yields compared to normal digestion without nanoparticles. T...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Aug 3, 2023

Biogas digesters show high potential in the avenue of waste management and renewable energy produ... more Biogas digesters show high potential in the avenue of waste management and renewable energy production. However, the process can only turn out optimum biogas if it is rightfully biologically intrinsic to the digesters. This paper debates the role of process monitoring parameters in optimizing the biogas digester performance. It puts much emphasis on frequent process failures such as an organic overload, hydraulic overload, and ammonia inhibition. This paper calls for a process monitoring strategy that interprets and understands the biological activity going on in the digester. In this way, after measuring some key parameters, the operator will be able to tell instabilities in advance before this wholly results in a crash, hence saving many financial losses related to the restarting of a destabilized system. The paper presents the process monitoring benefits regarding delivery in the context of comprehensive understanding of the biogas process, giving early warnings of instability, successful digester start-up and restart , and lastly, avoiding the costs of shutdowns and restarts. The economic gains that process monitoring offers with its slightest implementation against the costly shutdown and restart of digesters are huge. It is very informative to operators and biogas researchers because proactive action can be made on improving digester performance for maximum biogas production, which will be possible through the efficient use of process monitoring parameters.

World Applied Sciences …, 2010

The total oil palm cover has increased in the last few years, with a consequent boost in palm oil... more The total oil palm cover has increased in the last few years, with a consequent boost in palm oil production. As a result, palm oil waste which is a by-product of the milling process will also increase. The palm oil production process in mills consists of several unit operations. The processing of fresh fruit bunches of oil palm results in the generation of different types of residue. Among the waste generated, palm oil mill effluent (POME) is considered the most harmful waste for the environment if discharged untreated. Palm oil mill effluent is a thick brownish liquid that contains high solids, oil and grease, COD and BOD values. Several treatment technologies have been used for POME treatment, since the direct discharge of POME adversely affects the environment. Due to the presence of high total solids in POME, attempts have been made to convert this waste into valuable products such as feed stock and organic fertilizer. Although POME is organic in nature, it is difficult to decompose in natural conditions. Earthworms can digest the POME producing valuable products such as vermicompost. Vermicompost is a useful product rich in nutrients that can be used as fertilizer in oil palm plantations. This review discusses the various ongoing treatment techniques of POME. The effective treatment of POME using vermicomposting technique is suggested as a good alternative sustainable management practice of this waste.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 24, 2022

The digestion of press mud with

The current investigation concentrated on the production of biogas from Napier grass. The utiliza... more The current investigation concentrated on the production of biogas from Napier grass. The utilization of non-competitive biomass sources for biogas generation via anaerobic digestion is designed for long-term management in biogas production via anaerobic digestion. This study investigates the Napier grass-based biogas production application, which might be used to produce more cost-effective and sustainable biogas. The laboratory-based biogas plant and a biogas plant in operation demonstrated that the laboratory test results were practical and transferrable to practice. The effect of feedstock screening on the biogas yield of Napier grass and cattle slurry was studied in mesophilic CSTR technology digester. Furthermore, the maximum methane level was between 59 percent and 64 percent. Its organic nature makes it an excellent feedstock to produce biogas. Fresh grass was taken after 5 and 6 weeks of plantation, ground in 0.5 to 1 mm diameter size, and fermented in mesophilic CSTR reactors with solid concentrations ranging from 9 percent to 13 percent. At the optimum conditions, biogas yield was 136.4 mL-142.20 mL CH 4 /g VS. The chemical composition of Napier grass (of all three samples) is shown in its approximate and ultimate forms. For a better understanding, grass collection and silage preparation are also displayed. The test was conducted in Ahmedabad, where the Arka BRENStech-Labio was installed (laboratory Biogas Digester) Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was employed as a monosubstrate in all these tests.

Feather is produced in large amounts as a waste in poultry slaughterhouses. Only 60-70% of the po... more Feather is produced in large amounts as a waste in poultry slaughterhouses. Only 60-70% of the poultry slaughterhouse products is edible for human. 16-20% of the slaughterhouse by-products contains keratin; from this 7-9% consists of feather with 50-70% moisture content. Treatment of poultry feather anaerobically is a challenge, because of the complex, rigid, and fibrous structure of keratin, the main component of feathers. Under anaerobic conditions, poultry feather degrades poorly, which is the main obstacle for anaerobic digestion. The reported value of chicken feather methane potential is 0.19– 0.20Nm3 /kg VS, which is only one third of the theoretical value. It is an excellent raw material for biogas production due to high protein content. Dried chicken feathers contain about 90% proteins with 0.2 methane potential (m3 kg-1 VS added) and 0.05 methane potential (m3 kg-1 wet weight). The keratin-content of feather is difficult to digest, so physical, chemical and/or biological pr...

Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source and a secondary energy carrier provided by anaerobic... more Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source and a secondary energy carrier provided by anaerobic digestion of biodegradable organic materials. It can be used as a fuel in a number of ways. Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the main components of biogas, with other pollutants such as ammonia (NH3), water vapour (H2O), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl siloxanes, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons present in varying amounts. H2S is a toxic and odorous compound formed by the anaerobic digestion of bio-solids and other organic materials, and it is also one of the pollutants in biogas. Hydrogen sulphide must be eliminated because it is toxic to human health, poisonous to process catalysts, and corrosive to machinery. Desulfurization, or the removal of hydrogen sulphide, is an integral part of biogas utilization efficiency. The conventional desulfurization technologies for biogas that are currently avai...

Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and un... more Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and unadulterated innovative applications. In this paper we would be covering the use of nanotechnology in the production as well as optimisation of biogas. This paper clearly shows the potential and relationship between the both – biogas production and nanotechnology via various feedstock characterisation studies which was done during this paper. The aim of this paper is to showcase how these both technologies complement each other and how nanotechnology is applied in feedstock and convert it to biogas. Our study shows how nanotechnology is applied on pressmud and gas production is enhanced at laboratory level. The digestion of pressmud with nanomaterials were studied. Our study clearly indicates that the biogas production can surely be enhanced in case of treating pressmud by using magnetite nanoparticles which gives higher methane yields compared to normal digestion without nanoparticles. T...

International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology

The result of this research is to determine the ratio of the combination (co-digestion) of Press ... more The result of this research is to determine the ratio of the combination (co-digestion) of Press Mud and Bagasse to the volume of biogas production, and for the bagasse as a single substrate. Samples were tested and used without any pre-treatment. Biogas production volume and the effect of co-digestion on biogas production are discussed further in the paper. The results showed that the digester with 9% total solids when fed considering only bagasse as a single feedstock gave good amount of biogas compared to 6% or 12% total solid. The study also investigates the different factors which affected the biogas generation from sugar industry waste bagasse. In this paper, sugarcane bagasse was used as a feedstock for biogas generation in an anaerobic type lab scale digester similarly a co digestion of bagasse and press mud was also observed. Inoculum from cow dung was used in the above experiments. The anaerobic digestion as well as the co digestion was carried out in batch mode with mesophilic temperature of 35ºC and 50 days of hydraulic retention time. The cumulative gas production achieved for both (only bagasse digestion and co-digestion of press mud and bagasse) is explained further in this paper. Temperature, pH, biogas flow etc was measured using respective meters. Bagasse is one of the suitable wastes for biogas generation through anaerobic digestion. And without any doubt bagasse and press mud can also be used together in co digestion process to see enhanced gas generation and organic manure generation from the experiments.

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a liquid waste from palm oil factory that pollutes the environme... more Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a liquid waste from palm oil factory that pollutes the environment but is very useful as a raw material for producing biogas. POME processing has advantages to meet environmental requirements and to produce commercialized products. Although there are already enough biogas systems installed in oil palm factories, there are handful of players in this sector who can design and install an optimal working plant on palm oil mill effluent. The design involves many parameters and quite complicated process. Apart from POME the palm oil mills also generate solid cake from their decanters which is also known as decanter muck or decanter cake. There are no biogas plants observed which were working on this decanter muck. The purpose of this study is to obtain an understanding about the biogas system utilizing solid decanter cake in Southern part of India. Various dilution rates were studied to understand the best possible feedstock to water ratio in terms of gas ...

Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and un... more Nanotechnology largely affects a more extensive scope of biotechnological, pharmacological and unadulterated innovative applications. In this paper we would be covering the use of nanotechnology in the production as well as optimisation of biogas. This paper clearly shows the potential and relationship between the both – biogas production and nanotechnology via various feedstock characterisation studies which was done during this paper. The aim of this paper is to showcase how these both technologies complement each other and how nanotechnology is applied in feedstock and convert it to biogas. Our study shows how nanotechnology is applied on pressmud and gas production is enhanced at laboratory level. The digestion of pressmud with nanomaterials were studied. Our study clearly indicates that the biogas production can surely be enhanced in case of treating pressmud by using magnetite nanoparticles which gives higher methane yields compared to normal digestion without nanoparticles. T...

Biogas... Organic Manure Slurry