Diseño de planta para la codigestión anaerobia de residuales vinaza-cachaza de la industria azucarera /Designing a plant for anaerobic co-digestion of vinasse-filter cake waste from the sugar industry

La digestion anaerobia para la obtencion de biogas se considera una tecnologia para producir energia a partir de una gran variedad de residuos y subproductos de procesos industriales. Esta investigacion tuvo el proposito de determinar el potencial de produccion de biometano generado mediante la codigestion anaerobica de la vinaza de la destileria y la cachaza como producto de mezcla para elevar el potencial energetico. Se opto por equipos de funcionamiento continuo, para lo cual se seleccionaron los reactores anaerobicos de flujo ascendente (UASB). Se establecio el pre-tratamiento de la cachaza a partir del empleo simultaneo del tratamiento alcalino y termico, aspecto sin precedente en la literatura especializada y considerado un aporte de la investigacion. Se diseno una etapa de postratamiento para incrementar la produccion especifica de biogas, lo que constituye un aporte al diseno de instalaciones de este tipo en el pais. Palabras clave: biogas; digestion anaerobia; diseno; vinaza-cachaza; energia renovable. Anaerobic digestion to obtain biogas is considered a technology for producing energy from a wide variety of waste and byproducts of industrial processes. This research is aim to determine the production potential of biomethane generated through the anaerobic co-digestion of the distillery stillage and filter cake as a mixture product to increase the energy potential. Continuous operating equipment was chosen, for which up flow anaerobic reactors (UASB) were selected. The pre-treatment of the filter cake was established through the simultaneous use of alkaline and thermal treatment, an aspect without precedent in specialized literature and considered a contribution to research. A post-treatment stage was designed to increase the specific production of biogas, which constitutes a contribution to the design this kind of facilities in the country. Keywords: biogas; anaerobic digestion; design; vinasse-filter cake; renewable energy.