[Digestion] Small Digester and Rankine Engine Questions

Tue Jan 18 11:13:22 CST 2011

Hello, I would please be interested in the report.

Best regards

On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 4:09 AM, Nick Fellows <nick at fellowsenvironmental.com
> wrote:

> I would be very interested in this report to please??
>
>
>
> *Nick Fellows*
>
> Director
>
>
>
> M: 07760 401285
>
> T:  0161 211 6446
>
> *Fellows Environmental Ltd*
>
> *www.fellowsenvironmental.com*
>
> P *Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail*
>
> * *
>
> This email and any attachments to it may be confidential and are intended
> solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or
> opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
> represent those of Fellows Environmental Ltd.
>
> If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you must neither take
> any action based upon its contents, nor copy or show it to anyone. Please
> contact the sender if you believe you have received this email in error.
>
>
>
> Fellows Environmental Ltd Registered in England & Wales. Company number
> 7197447
>
>
>
> *From:* digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org [mailto:
> digestion-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] *On Behalf Of *Marie
> *Sent:* 13 January 2011 22:42
>
> *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>
>
> >Send Digestion mailing list submissions to
> > digestion at lists.bioenergylists.org
> >
> >To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> >
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org
> >
> >or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> > digestion-request at lists.bioenergylists.org
> >
> >You can reach the person managing the list at
> > digestion-owner at lists.bioenergylists.org
> >
> >When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> >than "Re: Contents of Digestion digest..."
> >________________ >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 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:* 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
>
>
>
> [image: Description: http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/sam.GIF]
>
> [image: Description:
> http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/emaillogo.gif]
>
> [image: Description:
> http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/email_icon.gif]
> <smwampler at avatarenergy.com>smwampler at avatarenergy.com
>
> [image: Description: http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/web_icon.gif]
> www.avatarenergy.com <http://www.avatarenergy.com>
>
> [image: Description:
> http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/cell_icon.gif]336.446.9305
> (Google Voice)
>
> [image: Description:
> http://www.avatarenergy.com/images/logos/cell_icon.gif]336.824.1389 (fax)
>
>
>
>
>
> Confidential Information
> The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
> personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. This message
> may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the
> reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible
> for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that
> you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination,
> distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have
> received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by email,
> and delete the original message.
>
>
>
>
> *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:* 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 (www.epa.gov/agstar/). They have a database of digesters, which
> includes a few small ones.
>
> They point to the Minnesota Project  (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
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Digestion mailing list
>
>
>
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
>
> Digestion at bioenergylists.org
>
>
>
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org
>
>
>
> for more information about digestion, see
>
> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
>
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
>
> and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> ********************************************************************
> Dr David Fulford CEnv MEI, 15, Brandon Ave, Woodley, Reading RG5 4PU
> d.j.fulford at btinternet.com, Tel: +44(0)118 326 9779 Mob: +44(0)7746 806401
>
> Kingdom Bioenergy Ltd, www.kingdombio.com, davidf at kindombio.com
>
> >________________ >_______________________________________________
> >Digestion mailing list > >to Send a Message to the list, use the email
> address >Digestion at bioenergylists.org > >to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your
> List Settings use the web page >
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org> >for more information about digestion, see >Beginner's Guide to Biogas >
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/ >and the Biogas Wiki
> http://biogas.wikispaces.com/ >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Digestion mailing list
>
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
> Digestion at bioenergylists.org
>
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org
>
> for more information about digestion, see
> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
> and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Digestion mailing list
>
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
> Digestion at bioenergylists.org
>
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
>
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org
>
> for more information about digestion, see
> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
> and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
>
>
>

-- 
Vianney Tumwesige
Director - Green Heat (U) Ltd  [image: Picture]
P.O. Box 10235
Kampala-Uganda
256 (0) 71 237 9889

"The more people are self sufficient in cooking fuel, the more personal and
financial freedom they have." - Emma Casson

 <http://trustvianney.wordpress.com/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20110118/ee21f7c3/attachment.html>