Crude glycerol and swine manure are residues with exponential production in Mexico, nonetheless, they have the potential to generate hydrogen from the fermentation process. For this reason, this study has evaluated the optimization of hydrogen yield from crude glycerol and swine manure, using the response surface methodology. The response surface methodology helps in the compression of the mixture of crude glycerol/ swine manure, with the production of hydrogen as a result, which improves the yields of the process, reducing variability and time of development. A central composite design was employed with two factors, six axial points and four central points. The two factors evaluated were crude glycerol and swine manure concentrations, which were examined over a range of 4 to 10 g L⁻¹ and 5 to 15 g L⁻¹, respectively. This study demonstrated that the thermal pretreatment method is still the most suitable method to be applied, mainly in the preparation of hydrogen-producing inoculum. The maximum hydrogen yield was 142.46 mL per gram of volatile solid added. It used up 21.56% of the crude glycerol (2.75 g L⁻¹) and 78.44% (10 g L⁻¹) of the swine manure, maintaining a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 18.06, with a fermentation time of 21 days. The response surface methodology was employed to maximize the hydrogen production of crude glycerol/swine manure ratios by the optimization of factors with few assays and less operational cost.

Objetivo: identificar a los estados líderes en producción lechera en México con potencial para la producción de biogás y evaluar la rentabilidad de los sistemas de biodigestores-motogeneradores. Metodología: se calculó el potencial de biogás, energía eléctrica y reducción de CO2eq para la actividad lechera en México y se utilizó la metodología de proyectos de inversión de Baca para realizar un análisis financiero exhaustivo para cinco tamaños de establos lecheros propuesto. Resultados: México podría producir 1,649.5 millones de metros cúbicos de biogás al año, lo que se traduciría en 2,327.3 GWh de electricidad al año, suficiente para abastecer a más de un millón de habitantes y se estima una compensación de 10,044 Mt de emisiones de CO2eq al año. Además, los establos más grandes, que albergan más de 2,000 cabezas de ganado, logran una recuperación de la inversión más rápida que sus homólogos más pequeños. Limitaciones: el estudio contempla el número de vacas lecheras por entidad federativa, ya que solo se dispone de información del número total de establos en México, pero no por entidad, lo que limita la especificidad de los resultados. Conclusiones: la implementación de sistemas biodigestores-motogeneradores se presenta como una estrategia viable, rentable y sustentable, alineando las necesidades energéticas con el cuidado ambiental en México.

In Mexico, specifically in Chiapas, the dairy cattle industry plays a significant role in cheese and milk production. However, the large quantities of cattle manure (CM) and cheese whey (CW) generated as byproducts pose environmental challenges if not managed properly. To address this issue, anaerobic digestion (AD) technology offers a sustainable solution by treating organic waste and producing biogas. This research study focuses on assessing the potential of CW and CM, both individually and in co-digestion, in an anaerobic environment. The study also evaluates biogas yield and composition using an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor with different CW and CM mixtures. The findings indicate that the 30CM:70CW ratio exhibited the highest methane yield, surpassing other assays in co-digestion and mono-digestion. Furthermore, the UASB reactor showed that a mixture of 90CW:10CM produced 25.73 L of biogas per gram of volatile solids daily, comprising 60 % methane and 40 % carbon dioxide. This research demonstrates the potential for efficient and environmentally friendly treatment of CM and CW through optimized co-digestion and UASB technology, highlighting the opportunity to generate biogas while reducing waste.