The BioCapsule®’s innovative digestate separation and pumping system

In order to ensure a truly circular approach to the management of bio-waste within a region, it is essential to ensure that the material is returned to the soil in the form of high-quality digestate. These organic fertilisers, produced through the anaerobic digestion process, have great potential to replace synthetic fertilisers, provided that this high-value material is processed optimally. 

Thanks to the integration of an innovative system for pumping and separating digestate, the BioCapsule® ensures this circularity in an accessible and hyper-local way. 

Digestate: a complex product to be utilised 

As an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers, digestate comes in both liquid and solid forms. However, its use is often hampered by significant technical constraints. Upon leaving the digester, raw digestate is a heterogeneous, paste-like substance that is particularly prone to clogging. To harness its full agronomic potential, it is essential to separate the liquid fraction (easily absorbed by plants) from the solid fraction (rich in organic matter for soil improvement). 

Separation technologies used in conventional anaerobic digestion plants are often very costly and ill-suited to the realities on the ground, as well as to the very specific characteristics of digestates.

Arkeale’sinnovationin the pumping and separationof digestate  

Our engineers have adopted an innovative, low-techapproachto ensure optimal utilisation of digestate whilst meeting technical constraints, with a clear objective: to design a simple, robust and efficient system. 

     ⋅ The PTE pumpgently conveys the raw digestate to the separator using vacuum action. This system ensures greater robustness by significantly reducing the risk of blockages.

⋅ Once the digestate has been conveyed, the separator separates the two phasesusing a screen-press effect. 

What are the advantages of this innovative system? 

     ⋅ Energy efficiency:Thesystem’slow-techdesignminimises the unit’s electricity consumption.

⋅ Reduced maintenance:The system’s robustness, which limits the risk of blockages, drastically reduces maintenance costs. 

     ⋅ Optimised utilisation:The efficient separation of the phases means the digestate is immediately ready for spreading. 

By making digestate management smoother and less costly, we enable theBioCapsule® to fulfil its primary mission: to make the ecological transition of local areas accessible and local.