Combining thermal model and kinetics: Implications in dynamic simulation of anaerobic digesters

[Display omitted] •ADM1-based kinetics and an advanced thermal model were combined in a dynamic model.•Adding bioreaction energies avoided overestimating the digester heat demand.•The model was used to compare the thermal energy need at different locations.•The model can be used to evaluate structural adaptions to reduce heat losses. In this study, ADM1-based kinetics were combined with a thermal model that accounts for various heat transfers inside and through the reactor’s boundaries. Computing the energy of bioreactions based on kinetic rates prevented an overestimation of approximately 20% in the heat demand of the heat exchanger, compared to calculations using feedstock degradation heat. This also improved the representation of the digester’s thermal and reactional inertia. Simulations across different climates demonstrated the necessity to tailor digester construction. In the North West United Kingdom, biogas auto-consumption was 23% higher than that of the same reactor in South West France. Enhancing the thermal insulation of the digester reduced heat losses by 37% in the United Kingdom. Therefore, coupling the kinetic and thermal models expands the insights that can be extracted from simulations, which can be valuable in optimizing the operation and design of biogas digesters.