Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Optimization and Sustainability of Converting Agricultural Animal Wastes into Biofuels
EPA Grant Number: SU836037Title: Optimization and Sustainability of Converting Agricultural Animal Wastes into Biofuels
Investigators: Kim, Dong-Shik , Moscarillo, Alison , Bever, Bradley , Apul, Defne , Weir, Jeremy , Batt, Justin , Irving, Kelly , Seedorf, Melissa , Lautzenheiser, Rachael , LeBlanc, Steve
Institution: University of Toledo
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Run-off and seep-through water of agricultural and dairy animal wastes from lagoons and fields poses serious impacts on drinking water sources. Field application of cow manure should be reduced or should use treated (sterilized) manures to reduce the serious health hazard. Furthermore, accumulation of animal wastes in lagoons and open ponds should be reduced or even eliminated to prevent run-off water from contaminating water sources. Existing manure treatment processes such as anaerobic digesters require storages or lagoons due to the long processing time and during this storage time, up to 50 % of the nutrients can be leached to nearby water bodies. A low cost and rapid conversion process that can address social, economic, and environmental sustainability more comprehensively is needed to improve the management of manure and increase the utilization of animal wastes for biofuel generation.
To meet this goal, a rapid and energy-efficient manure treatment process is necessary. We proposed conversion of cow manure into the manure-based biosolids fuel that burns like coal. The group of senior students of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at The University of Toledo came up with an innovative design that processes cow manure into dried granules less than one hour. The process design combined advantages of highly energy-efficient superheated steam drying (SSD) technology and the heat generated from a reaction between cow manure moisture and fly ash. The residual steam after drying is used to operate an electric turbine to produce electricity. The dried cow manure can either be used for the fire heater to generate the steam, sold to a coal-fired power plant, or be applied to the field as Class A fertilizer. In order to quantify the impacts of the proposed design on environment and economy, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is investigated. Our design is compared with the existing management methods such as land application and anaerobic digestion.
The objectives of the project are summarized as: 1) Investigate new process design concepts that can convert cow manure into fuel with a rapid and energy-efficient technology. 2) Perform computer simulation and lab experiments to better design and optimize the conversion process. 3) Investigate the use of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool for environmental and economic comparison of the proposed conversion technology to existing management methods.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
- Drying cow manure with superheated steam and fly ash demonstrated its efficacy as a valid idea in our computer simulation. Compared to conventional method such as an anaerobic digester and a hot air drying, the superheated steam drying demonstrated high energy recovery (therefore, low net energy consumption) and very rapid drying time that helps reduce the accumulation of cow manure.
- According to our lab experimental results, fly ash raised the temperature of cow manure by 5-9 °C that is lower than the value predicted by the theory. The reaction heat is generated from the reaction between fly ash and water content in the manure. Therefore, it is thought that the limited contact between fly ash and water in cow manure resulted in lower heat than it does in homogenous liquid phase where the theoretical calculation is based. However, this temperature increase is regarded as a valuable contribution to saving energy consumption.
- In the lab experiments, we found that fly ash plays a very important role in enhancing the drying process. Fly ash was observed to induce coagulation of cow manure into small granules, which is thought to accelerate the drying by the orders of magnitude. We now need to find out the proper fly ash amount to add because when too much fly ash is added, the heat value of the final product decreases.
- In LCA investigation, three scenarios are set up to be compared: Direct land application of manure, Anaerobic digestion, and the propose design. In this phase, we developed the appropriate scenarios that must be used to evaluate the ‘sustainability’ of our proposed project. The functional unit has been identified as the environmental impact of management of manure from one generic dairy farm. More importantly, specific inventory items have been clarified and defined for further LCA. In our approach, the production of manure will not be included in the LCA study, and the impact categories to be analyzed were determined as global warming potential and eutrophication potential.
Conclusions:
The tasks that we proposed in the Phase I proposal have been completed. In Phase I, we obtained preliminary data, strengthened our partnership with N-Viro, developed new collaboration with an Ohio farm, and identified the issues necessary to develop a prototype system for converting cow manure to value added biofuel using drying of manure followed with combustion. Dr. Sonny Ariss with his student in the Business and Management at The University of Toledo have joined the team to help with commercialization. Phase I LCA is still on going and expected to be completed by the end of April. We came up with a very exciting design that is innovative and promising. Both computer simulation and lab experimental results showed high potential of the design. We are confident that we are ready to go further for the 2nd phase where the possibility of commercialization will be demonstrated.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 1 publications | 1 publications in selected types | All 1 journal articles |
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Hanifzadeh M, Nabati Z, Longka P, Malakul P, Apul D, Kim D. Life cycle assesment of superheated steam drying technology as a novel cow manure management method. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017;199:83-90 |
SU836037 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Cow manure, Superheated steam drying, run-off water, biosolids, renewable energy, life cycle analysisThe 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.