Transcript Bio-Energy in Cumberland County

Bio-Energy and P2 in
Cumberland County
Virginia
Bio-Energy in Cumberland, Virginia
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What we are told:
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We are addicted to oil
This situation demands we find alternative energy sources quickly
Bio-Energy can help
Poultry-Cumberland’s largest revenue source creates potential pollution problems
What we know:
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Our addiction is based on technology over the past 120 years
Like any addiction it is going to take a great effort by many people to change
People don’t like change unless they see the benefits- first change the way we think
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Unified effort- to move past the present patterns of behavior
Think win-win not win-lose
What we don’t know but need to find out
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How do we go about change so it will benefit everyone?
Who are the stakeholders that need to participate to bring about change?
When is the right time to change?
Local Concerns
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Soil
Crop profitability –tobacco, peanuts
Poultry competition - limited
Increasing tax burden on the Farmer- 61%
revenue from Agriculture, over 80% of
that comes from poultry
Land value increasing
Increasing restrictions on land use
Increase in farm regulations- more to
come
Pollution Prevention!
Energy resources are available in
Cumberland
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Animal Waste- Poultry, Cattle, Swine- Large
number of Poultry Broiler Houses
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Crops- Corn, Soybeans, Switch Grass?
Landfill Gas-
Grants Visionary Leadership, Education,
Research
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Va Tech- Research, Cooperative Extension
Va Dept Agriculture & Consumer Service
Benchmarking with others- WVU project, and other projects discussed today
DMME- Robin Jones
How can we locally utilize Poultry
Waste?
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Application on land- fertilizer, limits and
concerns about run-off into streams
Burning- air pollution
Anaerobic Digestion- let’s look at this option
Crops - Fuel and Food
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Soybean oil can go on the grocery shelf or into biodiesel in your diesel truck or car
Production of Bio-Fuels in 2005 equal nearly 2 per
cent of world gasoline use.
From 2000 to 2005, ethanol production nearly tripled,
from 4.6 billion 12.2 billion gallons
The trigger in 2000 was the $40/barrel price of oil
Bio-diesel starting from a small base of 251 million
gallons in 2000, climbed to an estimated 790 million
gallons in 2005
Crops to Energy-Net yield** and
gallons/acre
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Switch Grass- to Ethanol (x) …. 500-750 gallons/acre
Corn- to Ethanol 1.5 ………….. 300-400 gallons/acre
Sugar Beets* to Ethanol 1.9 ….. 500-714 gallons/acre
Sugar Cane* to Ethanol 8.0 ….. 650-665 gallons/acre
Soybeans to Bio-diesel (3.24) …… 50-60 gallons/acre
*France- Beets, Brazil-Sugar Cane
**Net Yield is the represents the units of product for each unit invested
Grants
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Governments support bio-fuels production because
of concerns about climate change and the possible
shrinkage of the flow of imported oil
Brazil using sugarcane produces 4 billion barrels a
year or 40% of it’s automotive needs as of 2004
The US using corn produces 3.4 billion barrels or
just under 2% of it’s automotive needs as of 2004
Cumberland County Bio-Energy
Strategy- 3 key parts
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Develop a solution to the Poultry waste
problem
Encourage develop of new energy crop (s)
with an increasing value tied to escalating
energy prices
Review Grant opportunities
We were convinced that a Poultry
Digester was the best option
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Questions:
Would it work in removing or reducing
pollutants?
Is it feasible
What are the considerations and sensitivities
Can we make money?
Public Health and Anaerobic
Digestion-Pathogen Removal
Dr David Stafford
Enviro-Control Ltd
Agricultural Purpose in using
Manures for Fertilizers.
Maintain organic status of soil, .
Sustainable management
practices include minimum
tillage and Organic Agriculture.
Impacts of Manure Discharges
The most serious impacts are with
Slaughterhouse and hog farm
discharges.
Topography, soil structure and shallow
aquifers increases the problem of
water quality.
Pathogens Identified
Pathogens present in sewage sludges and
animal manures are a potential hazard when
used as fertilizer or where discharges to
water-courses may infect humans and
animals. Protozoan parasites (i.e.Giardia,
Entamoeba) and bacteria (e.g.Salmonella) are
shed by livestock or humans and acquired by
humans through reservoir and recreational
water.
Pathogens of Concern.
The fate and transport of human pathogens
from manures will require research followed
by development of appropriate methods and
information to livestock and poultry
producers. Animal manures are a potential
source of human and animal pathogens.
Among the pathogens of concern are
Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Entamoeba,
Giardia, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium.
Amoebiosis
Entaboeba histolytica is found in
polluted water in warm climates.
It is a disease of large intestine
and can invade the blood stream
and liver forming abscesses. It is
transmitted through drinking water
contaminated from feces.
Highly infectious.
Survival of E. histolytica in water courses
Grows well in warm waters
especially if rice grains or E.coli
are present as substrates.
Discharge of sewage into river
waters encourages growth of
the disease agent.
Are pathogens present in
animal manures
and human sewage
destroyed by Anaerobic
Digesters?
Fate of Entamoeba histolytica
Survival of Entamoeba hystolytica at 55oC.
120
100
% Survival
80
% Survival in AD at 55oC
% Survival in Saline at 55oC
60
40
20
0
0
5
10
15
Hours
20
25
Acetate reduces E. histolytica metabolism
Increasing acetate concentrations
inhibit uptake of E. coli and rice starch
grains by host cells.
Also inhibits metabolism of starch
grains.
Cryptosporidium
and disease
The incidence of Cryptosporidium parvum in
manures requires that removal is effective
before use as fertilizer on land. Thermophilic
anaerobic digestion offers such a potential.
The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium
parvum has increased in incidence in drinking
waters worldwide and requires development
of control systems.
Question: Does Thermophilic A D
remove the infective stages of
Cryptosporidium and
Giardia spp. from animal wastes?
Removal of Cryptosporidium
300
250
200
150
100
50
Time in Days (T0-T20)
Theoretical Total Number of Oocysts
Actual Total Number of Oocysts
9/
3/
01
9/
1/
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1
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30
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28
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1
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Total Number of Oocysts (in
Millions)
350
Removal of Cryptosporidium muris
oocysts from a Thermophilic Anaerobic
Digester
Removal of Giardia
Removal of Giardia muris using Thermophilic
Anaerobic Digestion
Number of Cysts (in
millions)
500
400
300
200
100
0
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3
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Sample Day
15
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Cysts added to Digester (number calculated to be added)
Actual number of cysts recovered)
Conclusions
DNA Detection of Giardia muris and
Cryptosporidium muris
• Low end detection in positive controls ranged from 1-1000
cysts
• No DNA signal has been recovered from digested samples for
either species
•Does the action of Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion remove
the infective stages of Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp. from
animal waste streams?
YES
Salmonella Removal and
Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion
Figure 1. Influent Salmonella
21%
79%
Positives Negatives
Liquid Effluent Salmonella
0%
100%
Positives Negatives
Acetate Influence on Coliform Reduction
Total Coliform Reduction
Total Coliform Reduction After Commissioning Phase
100000000
10000000
1000000
100000
10000
1000
100
10
Influent Total Coliform
Liquid Effluent Total Coliform
06/12/1997
06/11/1997
06/10/1997
06/09/1997
06/08/1997
Date
06/07/1997
06/06/1997
06/05/1997
06/04/1997
06/03/1997
06/02/1997
06/01/1997
1
06/12/1996
Total Coliform (CFU/100ml)
1000000000
Plant Pathogens.
Use of digester material as fertilizer must
be free of plant pathogens.
Fusarium oxysporum -wilt fungus affecting
tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco. Killed in
Digesters in 4 days at mesophilic
temperatures.
Corynebacterium michiganense -bacterial
pathogen causing vascular wilt in
Solanaceae plants. Killed in 24 hours in AD.
Survival of Potato Root
Eelworms in Digesters
No. of Potato Root Eelworm Cysts in Anaerobic Digester
at 37oC.
10,000
No. of Globodera cysts
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
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0
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Hours
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60
Carbon Balance
Conversion of organic carbon in waste
materials using microbial anaerobic
digestion processes enables the carbon
to be released as CO2 and CH4. About
90% of the carbon energy locked in
organic molecules transfer to methane
during methanogenesis, (McInerney,
Bryant and Stafford, 1980).
Anaerobic Digestion of
Poultry Litter- It began with a
visit to WVSU
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On our visit to WVSU we met Dr.
Mark Chatfield and John
Bombardiere
We also learned quite a bit about
digesters
Daryl Bishop, CEM General
Manager Pepco Energy Services
also attended the trip (taking pic)
WVSU Digester
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10,000 gallon
Anaerobic
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Thermophilic
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No Oxygen
125 -140º F
10 Day HRT
We learned that Anaerobic Digesters
Are………..
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are producers of clean, renewable energy
A component of waste and nutrient
management systems
Pathogen and odor killers
Biological systems- managing the “bugs”
Proven/Mature technology for processing
organic wastes, including poultry litter
Feedstock- Litter from Poultry
Houses is a great feedstock
Products of Anaerobic Digestion
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Biogas-below being flared, we will produce
electricity- methane is 21 times worse than
carbon in destroying the ozone
Solid fertilizer and compost
Liquid fertilizer
Poultry Litter Results
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Litter Conversion to Biogas
Material
scf biogas/ton litter
Crust/Cake
8,000 - 9,000
Cleanout after one flock
8,000 - 9,000
Litter Shed for 4 months 5,000 - 6,000
Cleanout after six flocks 7,000 - 8,000
CH4%
60
65
56
58
Biogas Components
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Methane CH4
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Carbon Dioxide CO2
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33% - 43%
Hydrogen Sulfide H2S
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55% - 65%
removed
Water
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removed
Feasibility Study Grant!
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Working through the Cumberland Farm
Bureau we have obtained a $37,000 grant to
determine the feasibility of building such a
digester facility in Cumberland, Virginia
Many of the questions we want answers to
related to the business case for the facility that
would require less than 10 acres
Uses of Biogas
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Electricity – sold as green power for a
premium
Boiler- to preheat the digester to 134 degrees
and clean trucks for bio-security
Direct use as Natural Gas substitute- direct
sale to co-located businesses or neighbors
Potential Revenue
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Gas or electric sales – premium prices 7cents per
kWhr- recent increase noted
Fertilizer sales- liquid effluent is high in nitrogen
and no pathogens- solid as much as $125/ton
Certified organic compost- pots, pellets (golf
course gold)
Tipping fees – located near landfill where we
could get green waste for the digesterCarbon Credits
ECL Digester Plants- Cumberland Plant
similar scale as picture on right