An apparatus for the fixed-film anaerobic digestion of flushed livestock
manure includes an enclosed digester tank (fixed or flexible roof),
internal media for biofilm development, a biogas collection and flare
system, various pumps, and hydraulic control systems. The preferred media
has substantially vertically-oriented, uninterrupted channels to promote
enhanced bacterial attachment and biofilm development. The immobilization
of microbial biomass within the reactor as a biofilm allows effective
treatment of the wastewater at ambient and higher temperatures, as well
as reasonable hydraulic retention times. The composition and
concentration of bacterial groups in the biofilm developed on the media
in the fixed-film digester result in a significantly enhanced anaerobic
degradation process. This novel fixed-film digester design expands the
potential application of anaerobic digestion to dilute livestock waste
with significant levels of suspended solids. This holistic manure
treatment system not only stabilizes the wastewater but also produces
energy (biogas), controls odors, reduces pathogens, minimizes
environmental impact from waste emissions, and maximizes fertilizer and
water recovery for reuse.