Thesis topic:
Biological conversion of energy-rich gases to biomethane and its integration into biogas plants and wastewater treatment plants
Motivation
Recent development in the sewage sludge treatment are heading towards the onset of thermochemical processes and significantly reduction of applying sludge to the soil. Due to the limitation of subsidies for cogeneration of biogas, it is also necessary to look for new solutions at biogas plants to promote sustainable growth and the circular economy. One of the options is to interconnect the technology of anaerobic digestion of sludge and organic waste, and products of thermochemical processes (gasification or pyrolysis). Biogas and syngas can be biologically converted to biomethane, compatible with natural gas and it can be used in the natural gas distribution system or used as a fuel in transport.
Solution
In this PhD topic, we will study biological methods for upgrading biogas to biomethane as an alternative to the already established physico-chemical processes that are energy and economically challenging. The study will focus on the operation of laboratory scale models of anaerobic digestion, operated in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. A suitable gas (e.g. syngas or hydrogen) with reducing equivalents will be fed into these bioreactors to convert carbon dioxide to methane. The aim is to adapt the mixed anaerobic culture to dosed gases and optimize the technological parameters for full-scale conditions.
Education
- 2019 - present: ICT Prague, FTOP, Department of Water technology and environmental engineering, PhD. Student
- 2017 – 2019 ICT Prague, FTOP, Department of Water technology and environmental engineering, diploma thesis: „Biomethanization of carbon dioxide to biomethane using hydrogen“
- 2014 – 2017 ICT Prague, FTOP, bachelor thesis: “Biological conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen to biomethane“.
Other area of interest
- Veolia Summer School in France (Jouy-le-Moutier) – Creating Solution for Sustainable Community
Participation in teaching
- Laboratory Course in Water Technology (UCT Prague)
- Laboratory Course in Water Analysis (UCT Prague)
Publication
Articles:
- Andreides, D., M. A. Lopez Marin and J. Zabranska (2024). "Selective syngas fermentation to acetate under acidic and psychrophilic conditions using mixed anaerobic culture." Bioresource Technology 394: 130235.
- Andreides D., Pokorna D., Zabranska J. 2022. Assessing the syngas biomethanation in anaerobic sludge digestion under different syngas loading rates and homogenisation. Fuel, accepted
- Andreides, D., Fliegerova, K.O., Pokorna, D., Zabranska, J. 2021. Biological conversion of carbon monoxide and hydrogen by anaerobic culture: Prospect of combination anaerobic digestion and thermochemical processes.Biotechnol. Adv., 107886.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107886
- Andreides, D.; Bautista Quispe, J. I.; Bartackova, J.; Pokorna, D.; Zabranska, J., A novel two-stage process for biological conversion of syngas to biomethane. Bioresource Technology 2021, 327, 124811.
- Andreides, D.; Varga, Z.; Pokorna, D.; Zabranska, J., Performance evaluation of sulfide-based autotrophic denitrification for petrochemical industry wastewater. Journal of Water Process Engineering 2020, 40, 101834.
- Pokorna, D.; Varga, Z.; Andreides, D.; Zabranska, J., Adaptation of anaerobic culture to bioconversion of carbon dioxide with hydrogen to biomethane. Renewable Energy 2019, 142, 167-172.
Posters:
- Varga Z., Andreides D., Pokorna D., Zábranská J. Biomethane from biogas or waste carbon dioxide: Adaptation of the hydrogenotrophic methanogens; BioTech 2017 and 7th Czech-Swiss Symposium with Exhibition, 13. - 17.6. 2017