[Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions

Fri Jan 14 07:30:01 CST 2011

I would be interested in the report.

Thank-you

Ted Mathews

E3 Biofuels

________________________________

From: digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Marie
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 4:42 PM
To: For Discussion of Anaerobic Digestion
Cc: digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions

All,

I am currently doing a report on approximately 20 small scale UK farm
digesters, looking at various parameters and what makes a successful
digester installation. Current 'industry' thinking is that digesters at
this scale are not economically viable.  However, the smallest of these
has been running successfully for 20 years on an organic farm with 65
cows, saving thousands by using the gas to heat the house and diary
washings.  The average Uk dairy herd is about 112 cows.  Another one
here has been running for more than 20 years, heating a very large manor
house. Another interesting digester running for more than two years
digesting slurry from cows bedded on woodchip and sand,, as well as
chicken muck. It has an automatic degritting system and the digester
does not have to be stopped. 

At this scale, the reason for the success of these systems are that they
separate the digestate which comes out of the digester, they use
inexpensive and easily maintained gas mixing which means a low parasitic
load (one is as little as 1watt/cubic meter), the loading is typically
simple auger or gravity feed straight into the digester, the control
system is very simple and the digester is integrated into the farmyard.
Suitable cast iron boilers have lasted for 20 years and are still
running. 

If you are interested in the report, let me know and I can send a
link/copy when it is published. 

Regards

Angie Bywater

On 13 Jan 2011, at 17:16, <armoss at umd.edu>un wrote:

	Charles-
	There's at least one small-scale digester of that size currently
operating in the U.S. - at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research
Center in Beltsville, MD.  The dairy's herd size is roughly 125-130,
with ~100 milking and producing manure at any given time (dry cattle are
let out to pasture).  The digester was built in 1994 and was constructed
as a continuous stirred-tank reactor.  I have tentative plans to conduct
research on this digester simultaneously with a low-cost, pilot-scale
digester project operating on the same waste-stream that's being
constructed by our lab group at the University of Maryland.  I don't
have intimate knowledge of the USDA CSTR's history, but I can tell you
what I know.

	The digester was originally constructed for odor control as an
upright, cylindrical concrete tank (I'm not sure enough of the designed
HRT to give you information on it), and was later insulated with
gunnite-coated styrofoam.  It operates on mechanically screw-press
separated, scraped waste, and utilizes the biogas produced to power a
boiler that circulates hot water through a conveyance system installed
within the digester for heating;  a combined heat and power electric
generator was installed in the mid-2000s, but it has never been brought
online.  The digester's had a number of problems come up, including
repeated clogging of the supply lines (originally 3-4" ID, now 6"), the
break down of the screw-press separator and supply pumps, and the
corrosion of the boiler due to inadequate scrubbing.  To be fair, many
of the problems associated with the digester are the result of
fluctuating research interest, funds, management, and the lack of an
effective biogas scrubbing system, but they exist all the same.
Currently, the digester is up and operating... although obviously not
ideally.

	Although most of the digestion systems are covered lagoons, the
AgSTAR website <http://epa.gov/agstar/projects/index.html>  contains a
link to a Excel file detailing the digesters currently registered in the
EPA's system (look under "Farm Project Profiles").  A few of them
approximate the herd numbers you're interested in.

	As a side note, our research at the University of Maryland,
together with research at Ohio State and the University of Wisconsin, is
attempting to introduce smaller-scale, lower-cost systems in the U.S.  I
gave a presentation in October on small-scale digestion and some of the
current efforts that you can find here
<http://www.jgpress.com/biocycleenergy/pres_tue/Moss_bcre10_s.pdf> .

	Good luck hunting!

	-Andy 

	Andrew R. Moss
	Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Fellow
	University of Maryland Dept. of Environmental Science and
Technology
	1445 Animal Sci./Ag. Engineering (Bldg. 142)
	University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
	Phone:  (865) 363-5535

	---- Original message ----

	Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:00:06 -0800
	From: <digestion-request at lists.bioenergylists.org>
	Subject: Digestion Digest, Vol 5, Issue 5
	To: <digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org>

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	>________________ >Today's Topics: > > 1. Small Digester and
Rankine Engine Questions (Gould, Merrill) > 2. Re: 250kW hot water
biogas boiler (Ian Bywater) > 3. Re: Small Digester and Rankin Engine
Questions (Randy Mott) > 4. Re: Small Digester and Rankin Engine
Questions (Sam Wampler) > 5. Re: Small Digester and Rankine Engine
Questions (David Fulford) >________________ >Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011
17:07:41 +0000 >From: "Gould, Merrill" <gouldm at anr.msu.edu> >Subject:
[Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions >To:
"digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org"
<digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org> > 

	Greetings:

	I have two questions I am hoping someone has answers for:

	1.       Are there small farms with digesters in the United
States? When I say small farm I don't mean 2-3 cows, I mean a farm with
around 125 dairy cows, which is the average herd size in Michigan. If
so, where are they and what has been their experience with their
digester? I suspect there probably are no small farms with digesters in
the US, but I would really like to know. I have had numerous inquiries
from farmers with small farms in West Michigan about putting in a
digester on their farm. If my assumption is correct that there are no
small farms with digesters, are there farms with comparable numbers of
dairy cattle with digesters outside of the United State? If so, where
are they and what has their experience been with their digester?

	2.       Has anyone had experience using a Rankine engine as
part of an energy producing system?

	Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide me.

	Charles Gould

	Michigan State University Extension

	West Olive, Michigan

	>________________ >Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2011 20:51:07 +1300 >From:
Ian Bywater <ian.bywater at naturalsystems.co.nz> >Subject: Re: [Digestion]
250kW hot water biogas boiler >To: For Discussion of Anaerobic Digestion
<digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org> > 
	Hi Edward,

	I know a boiler expert here in Christchurch, New Zealand that
I'm sure has the right expertise and can help.

	Ian Bywater

	On 7/01/2011, at 8:42 PM, Edward Matos wrote:

	A milk processing company in our vicinity (Tanga, Tanzania) has
had a lasting interest in converting its milk pasteurising process from
running on propane to running on biogas. I am doing them a little favour
by helping them to make a feasibility study and find the right people
that will make this happen. Unfortunately I have very little experience
in biogas combustion and would like to find out if anyone here is/knows
someone who could help us on this subject.

	_________________

	Director, Natural Systems Limited

	(Unit 5B/ 3 Settlers Crescent)

	PO Box 41032

	Christchurch 8247

	New Zealand

	T +64(0)3 376 5549

	M +64(0)27 579 6333

	F +64(0)3 365 4146

	S bywateri

	W <http://www.naturalsystems.co.nz> www.naturalsystems.co.nz

	The Most Exciting Green Technology Company in New Zealand (NBR
2008)

	Bayer Innovators Award finalist, 2010, Agriculture and
Environment category

	NZ patent 530362

	>________________ >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:50:57 +0100 >From:
"Randy Mott" <randymott at ceeres.eu> >Subject: Re: [Digestion] Small
Digester and Rankin Engine Questions >To: "'For Discussion of Anaerobic
Digestion'" <digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org> > 

	We don't do projects in the US, but my understanding is that 500
cows is a rule of thumb. I have some literature....

	On Rankin cycle engines, we have followed it closely in Europe
and the US. There is about 15% more electricity that can come from the
heat exhaust of the initial generators. The capex is about 1250 Euro/kW.
We don't have much incentive to do it in Poland since we sell the heat
and also obtain a co-generation certificate for each MWe. 

	GE Jenbacher is doing some development in Europe and eventually,
I believe, will be trying to offer this as an option on its generators.

	Randy Mott

	CEERES

	Warsaw

	From: digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Gould,
Merrill
	Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 6:08 PM
	To: <mailto:digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org>
digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org
	Subject: [Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions

	Greetings:

	I have two questions I am hoping someone has answers for:

	1.       Are there small farms with digesters in the United
States? When I say small farm I don't mean 2-3 cows, I mean a farm with
around 125 dairy cows, which is the average herd size in Michigan. If
so, where are they and what has been their experience with their
digester? I suspect there probably are no small farms with digesters in
the US, but I would really like to know. I have had numerous inquiries
from farmers with small farms in West Michigan about putting in a
digester on their farm. If my assumption is correct that there are no
small farms with digesters, are there farms with comparable numbers of
dairy cattle with digesters outside of the United State? If so, where
are they and what has their experience been with their digester?

	2.       Has anyone had experience using a Rankine engine as
part of an energy producing system?

	Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide me.

	Charles Gould

	Michigan State University Extension

	West Olive, Michigan

	>________________ >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:20:28 -0800 >From:
Sam Wampler <smwampler at avatarenergy.com> >Subject: Re: [Digestion] Small
Digester and Rankin Engine Questions >To: For Discussion of Anaerobic
Digestion <digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org> > 

	Nick,

	Why don't you have Kevin answer the below question about a small
digester.

	Sam

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	From: digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Randy
Mott
	Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 2:51 AM
	To: 'For Discussion of Anaerobic Digestion'
	Subject: Re: [Digestion] Small Digester and Rankin Engine
Questions

	We don't do projects in the US, but my understanding is that 500
cows is a rule of thumb. I have some literature....

	On Rankin cycle engines, we have followed it closely in Europe
and the US. There is about 15% more electricity that can come from the
heat exhaust of the initial generators. The capex is about 1250 Euro/kW.
We don't have much incentive to do it in Poland since we sell the heat
and also obtain a co-generation certificate for each MWe. 

	GE Jenbacher is doing some development in Europe and eventually,
I believe, will be trying to offer this as an option on its generators.

	Randy Mott

	CEERES

	Warsaw

	From: digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Gould,
Merrill
	Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 6:08 PM
	To: <mailto:digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org>
digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org
	Subject: [Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions

	Greetings:

	I have two questions I am hoping someone has answers for:

	1.       Are there small farms with digesters in the United
States? When I say small farm I don't mean 2-3 cows, I mean a farm with
around 125 dairy cows, which is the average herd size in Michigan. If
so, where are they and what has been their experience with their
digester? I suspect there probably are no small farms with digesters in
the US, but I would really like to know. I have had numerous inquiries
from farmers with small farms in West Michigan about putting in a
digester on their farm. If my assumption is correct that there are no
small farms with digesters, are there farms with comparable numbers of
dairy cattle with digesters outside of the United State? If so, where
are they and what has their experience been with their digester?

	2.       Has anyone had experience using a Rankine engine as
part of an energy producing system?

	Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide me.

	Charles Gould

	Michigan State University Extension

	West Olive, Michigan

	>________________ >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:22:12 +0000 >From:
David Fulford <davidf at kingdombio.com> >Subject: Re: [Digestion] Small
Digester and Rankine Engine Questions >To: For Discussion of Anaerobic
Digestion <digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org> >Cc: "Gould, Merrill"
<gouldm at anr.msu.edu> > 
	Charles and listers,

	The best source of information on AD in USA is the AgSTAR
project run by EPA ( <http://www.epa.gov/agstar/> www.epa.gov/agstar/).
They have a database of digesters, which includes a few small ones. 

	They point to the Minnesota Project  (
<http://www.mnproject.org/index.html> www.mnproject.org)  which is
trying to concentrate on biogas for small farms (125 cattle or less).

	Regards,

	David F

	On 11/01/2011 17:07, Gould, Merrill wrote: 

	Greetings:

	I have two questions I am hoping someone has answers for:

	1.       Are there small farms with digesters in the United
States? When I say small farm I don't mean 2-3 cows, I mean a farm with
around 125 dairy cows, which is the average herd size in Michigan. If
so, where are they and what has been their experience with their
digester? I suspect there probably are no small farms with digesters in
the US, but I would really like to know. I have had numerous inquiries
from farmers with small farms in West Michigan about putting in a
digester on their farm. If my assumption is correct that there are no
small farms with digesters, are there farms with comparable numbers of
dairy cattle with digesters outside of the United State? If so, where
are they and what has their experience been with their digester?

	2.       Has anyone had experience using a Rankine engine as
part of an energy producing system?

	Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide me.

	Charles Gould

	Michigan State University Extension

	West Olive, Michigan

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4PU 
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	for more information about digestion, see
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	and the Biogas Wiki <http://biogas.wikispaces.com/>
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