LAUSR

The flexible production of biogas by the pulse feeding of maize silage and briquetted meadow grass was investigated using laboratory and pilot scale continuous stirred tank reactors. Results show that pulse feeding can elevate biogas production in the short term, with the maize silage presenting greater flexibility compared to briquetted meadow grass at both laboratory and pilot scales. The cumulative biogas yield when feeding with maize silage significantly enhanced the yield by 130% within 24 h, with the yield gradually decreasing over 2 days but kept producing at least 20% more gas than the control during the following 4 days. By contrast, pulse feeding of briquetted meadow grass enhanced the biogas production by 30–32% at days 1 and 2 then decreased to a value similar to that measured before the pulse feeding.