Biogas yield of the residues from the cardoon seeds milling: results of the preliminary laboratory experimentations

The Biomass Research Centre of the University of Perugia has recently developed a vegetable oil plant, consisting in the storage tanks of the seeds and of the oil; the sieving and milling systems; the separation section of solid and liquid byproducts. The plant is integrated within a historical building where classrooms and bedrooms for summer schools students were recently restored. The thermal needs and the cooling requirements (via and absorption chiller) are completely covered by the heat recovered by the cogenerator engine, fed by the produced vegetable oil. To increase the sustainability of the pathway, new crops were grown such as the cardoon ones. In addition, the biomass residues of the milling facilities were sampled and characterized in the CRB laboratory; furthermore BMP (Biochemical Methane Potential) tests in the biogas batch reactors were performed in order to define the biogas yield of the cardoon seeds milling residues in co-digestion with biomass found in the surrounding area. The results are described in the present work.