Our 1,000 m² experimental platform

The area dedicated to anaerobic digestion offers all the analyses and tests required to study this value chain:
- BMP using the conventional biological method: 200 reactors for carrying out BMP and RMP,
- Methanogenic potential test using a rapid method: Flash BMP NIR,
- anaerobic digestion pilot reactors: 15 pilot reactors from 5 L to 500 L. All technologies: completely mixed, continuous and batch dry digestion in mesophilic and thermophilic modes,

- Part of the laboratory and the pilot reactors (20 L and 300 L) are equipped for the study of biological methanation.
These instrumented reactors are combined with state-of-the-art analytical tools for monitoring these processes (gas chromatography (GC, µGC), liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV and near-infrared spectrophotometry, etc.)

The area dedicated to studying composting processes offers reactors covering a wide range of scales:
- 70 laboratory-scale (3 L) composting reactors,

- 20 reactors from 60 to 200 L,
- Option for windrow simulation with aeration (from 1 m3), electromechanical composters.

APESA has all the cultivation and monitoring tools required to carry out activities related to microalgae (cultivation, harvesting and valorization) and effluent treatment:
- An experimental laboratory dedicated to carrying out and monitoring cultures (sterile hood, microscope, spectrophotometer, shaker, etc.) and an experimental greenhouse,
- experimental units useful for effluent treatment (adsorption columns, stripping unit, activated sludge reactor, jar test, etc.),
- A collection of several species of microalgae and cyanobacteria,

- A temperature-controlled culture cabinet equipped with more than 30 reactors (V ≈ 200mL),
- Several laboratory-scale photobioreactors of the flat panel and raceway types (V ≤ 10 L),
- pilot-scale photobioreactors of the raceway, bubble column and tubular reactor types (V = 100- 1000 L),
- Various equipment for harvesting, concentrating and drying biomass (flocculator, centrifuge, sieve, freeze-dryer, etc.),
- Treatment units for cell extraction (enzyme bioreactor, ultrasound probes, etc.).

This area provides the facilities required for the study of biodegradability in home composting, industrial composting and anaerobic digestion:
- Certification applications to TUV AUSTRIA,
- Verification of compliance with applicable standards,
- Product development.

Our tools and pilot units also enable studies, beyond standard protocols, of the behaviour of products and materials under conditions representative of industrial treatment value chains: windrow composting simulation, electromechanical composting, continuous anaerobic digestion pilot units…

Biodegradability in composting:
- Biodegradation in composting: 70 reactors (respirometry) at 30°C and 58°C with monitoring by gas chromatography,
- Disintegration in composting: 20 reactors from 60 to 200 L,
- Ecotoxicity study: phytotron growth chamber and experimental greenhouse.

Biodegradability in anaerobic digestion:
- Biodegradation in anaerobic digestion: 200 mesophilic or thermophilic reactors,
- Disintegration in anaerobic digestion: batch reactors and continuous anaerobic digestion pilot units.

APESA has a laboratory dedicated to the study of land application of organic by-products in order to assess the quality of by-products (compost, digestate, etc.).
We have developed various analyses to study the different ecological compartments of soil:

- Study of plant germination and growth: in a growth chamber (phytotron) or in an experimental greenhouse,
- Study of ecotoxicity to earthworms (chronic, acute, avoidance), daphnia, freshwater algae.