Design of Anaerobic Co-Digestion and Integrated Fuzzy Logic Method for Optimization of Biogas Production from Mixed Livestock Waste
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Abstract
Anaerobic co-digestion of livestock waste presents a viable approach for addressing environmental challenges and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in semi-urban and rural contexts. This study focuses on the development of an optimised anaerobic digestion system for treating cow, sheep, and goat manure in the small Bnaslawa village, located in the Erbil Governorate of Iraq. Quantitative assessments of daily manure production were conducted to evaluate feedstock availability and guide the design parameters of the digester. The resulting system was engineered with a total volume of 836.96 m³ and an organic loading rate of 4.42 kg volatile solids (VS) per cubic meter per day. To improve operational performance and enhance predictive reliability, a fuzzy-logic-based modelling framework was implemented in MATLAB R2023a. This computational model facilitated the identification of optimal process conditions and projected a daily biogas yield of approximately 2436.25 m³, of which methane constituted 1461.75 m³. The integration of systematic engineering design with intelligent modelling techniques underscores the potential of this approach for renewable energy production and sustainable waste management. The fuzzy logic model improves methane output estimation, supporting informed decision-making in waste-to-energy applications.
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