Grantee Research Project Results
2017 Progress Report: Biomass Greenhouse-heating systems to extend growing seasons for resource-limited farmers
EPA Grant Number: SU835939Title: Biomass Greenhouse-heating systems to extend growing seasons for resource-limited farmers
Investigators: Yu, Ok-Youn
Current Investigators: Yu, Ok-Youn , Domermuth, David , Houser, James , Farrell, Jeremy , Arnold, Alex , Davis, Chelsea , Franco, Pedro , Neff, Eric , Schoonover, Christopher , Smith, Alan , Sanborn, Jared , Febos, Barry , Atkinson, Mason , Mull, Henry , Linck, Jon , Miller, Gordon , Wells, Aaron , Holder, Jordan , Phillips, Jay , Anderson, Nathan , Beshears, Tyler , Joyner, Joshua , Roden, Elizabeth , Batzko, Gabbie , White, Harrison , Toy, Jamen , Houpe, Christian , Holmes, Anna Marie , O’Neal, Johnny , Bradshaw, Aaron , Gaines, Rachel , Gaines, Rachel , Cyzman, Amy , O’Neal, Johnny , Bradshaw, Aaron , Cyzman, Amy
Institution: Appalachian State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2017 (Extended to August 31, 2019)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2016 through September 30,2017
Project Amount: $74,555
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2015) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Awards , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality
Objective:
The purpose of the Appalachian State University Nexus Project is to develop greenhouse heating technologies that provide affordable means to improve the food-growing capacities and standard of living for farmer communities in rural Appalachia while eliminating the use of fossil fuels. The student-led initiative seeks to engage both university students and the greater community in educational opportunities that will ultimately promote greater environmental awareness and economic self-sufficiency throughout the region. The Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment at Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone, NC has built a 20 feet by 30 feet greenhouse, a bio-volatilization (BV) system, and an anaerobic digestion (AD) system. This ready-to-test site called “Nexus” is located at the Watauga County Landfill, in Boone, NC. BV and AD systems already existing at Nexus have been integrated into the research as sources of biomass energy. In addition, a compost heating and a solar thermal systems have been built with funds from the Phase I grant. Therefore, our biomass greenhouse heating system involves AD, BV, compost, and solar energy sources, utilizing all of the feedstocks typically available on a small farm. AD and compost generate energy from readily digestible materials and the BV system handles relatively indigestible biomass, such as wood scrap. Phase II of the P3 award allows us to advance the technologies we have developed in Phase I to a point that full technology transfer is possible. Our multi-disciplinary team will address three critical objectives that, once met, will allow the technology to be feasibly transferred to area farmers: 1) Complete integration of heating, storage, and delivery systems; 2) Development of an innovative, appropriate-scale cleaning and storage system for on-demand use of farm gasses; and 3) Outreach to farmers to assess needs and determine new greenhouse production capacities.
Progress Summary:
The on-going work of building out the integrated heating systems as well as general improvements to the research space have been made during this reporting period.
Objective 1: Systems Integration
Each heating technology has been integrated and tested at Nexus. The main heat distribution systems at Nexus are thermal battery (TB) and aquaponics. The heat generated from various biomass technologies (e.g., biochar kiln, compost, anaerobic digester) and collected from solar collector is delivered to TB and stored in thermal mass (water). A heat exchanger at the aquaponics pond distributes the heat from TB to the pond, so the fish has adequate temperature for their living and the pond can radiate some heat to atmosphere. In addition, the warm pond water with excretion from fish is circulated to a hydroponics system, which provides heat and nutrients to plants’ roots.
Objective 2: Farm Gas Cleaning and Storage
We have been doing a lot of research on affordable small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) systems using self-constructed digester bags or systems made from Intermediate Bulk Containers that are readily available and inexpensive.
Objective 3: Farmer Outreach
Nexus research team has begun collaboration with two working farms in Watauga County. Springhouse Farm in Vilas and Against the Grain Farm in Zionville can be characterized as small farms that intensively manage less than 20 acres. These farms primarily sell to community supported agriculture, local restaurants, regional distributors and directly at farmer’s markets. These two farms are diversified, practice primarily organic production methods and are also majority women owned. They both rely on considerable amounts of human labor for management and harvest, while mechanization is reserved for cultivation and land clearing. Both farms are deeply interested in staying abreast to new techniques and have a spirit to try new things and potentially incorporate them into their farming practice. Our team conducted site visits to assess farm resources in terms of biomass for season extension and resources in terms of equipment, buildings, and space.
Conclusion:
Our main goals in this reporting period are to finalize the integration of the entire biomass greenhouse heating system and to start developing biogas gas cleaning and storage system. We have accomplished most of our goals in this reporting period. As the Nexus project continues assessing and refining our biomass technologies with local farmers to perform on-site research, we will be able to better assess the economic viability of our systems at scale. For now, our project results suggest the practical feasibility of these technologies at a test scale.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 11 publications | 1 publications in selected types | All 1 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Yu O-Y, Harper M, Hoepfl M, Domermuth D. Characterization of biochar and its effects on the water holding capacity of loamy sand soil: comparison of hemlock biochar and switchblade grass biochar characteristics. Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy 2017;36(5):1474-1479. |
SU835939 (2016) SU835939 (2017) SU835939 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase I:
Biomass Greenhouse-Heating Systems to Extend Growing Seasons for Resource-Limited Farmers | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.