Recent Progress in Manure Digestion

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture 2007Funding for this project was provided by (The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund) as recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR)

What’s New With Manure Digestion?

Haubenschild Farm Fuel Cell Project

LCMR’s European Digester Tour

Loan Program: How to Apply

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Haubenschild Farm Fuel Cell Project

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

The 900-head dairy has a well-established manure digester

Biogas is being converted to electricity by a 130 kW engine generator

Digester produces excess biogas

Background on Haubenschild Dairy:

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Objectives:

Evaluate the feasibility of a fuel cell to convert biogas (methane) to electricity.

Next step may be to produce hydrogen for farm use from biogas.

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Procedures to Achieve Objective:

Develop biogas cleanup system Install fuel cell on digester Test the fuel cell Monitor systems for energy, consumption

and emissions

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Hydrogen sulfide removal- Initial concentration ~ 3000 ppm- Need concentration < 25 ppb

Carbon dioxide removal- Need concentration < 50,000 ppm (5%)

Moisture removal- Need dry gas

Challenges:

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Haubenschild Equipment Rooms

Building on right houses the fuel cell

Building on left houses the generator

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Emissions from Haubenschild Generator Vs. Plug PowerTM Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell

Engine Generator Fuel Cell _

CO (800 ppmv) 4.18 g/kWh (<1 ppmv) 0.014 g/kWh

NOX (2960 ppmv) 25.5 g/kWh (<1 ppmv) <.0023 g/kWh

SOX (277 ppmv) 3.34 g/kWh (<1 ppmv) <0.030 g/kWh

CXHY (20460 ppmv) 53 g/kWh (1790 ppmv) 14.5 g/kWh

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Need to receive more money for the electricity produced

Need a more stable gas cleanup system

Problems:

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Compress, transport and sell methane

Make and sell hydrogenGet more value and less

regulation

What Do We Do Now?

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Benefits

Reduces odors and emissionsPromotes rural economyReduces reliance on foreign fuelReduces soil and water pollution

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

LCMR’s European Digester Tour

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

-Most are mesophilic

-All are aboveground

-Have stirring devices

-Most are larger than Haubenschild’s digester

European Digesters:

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Many digesters use alternate waste streams of slaughterhouse wastes, other waste fats, or crops such as corn silage.

Corn silage is said to generate plenty of heat to operate the digester.

Alternate Waste Stream in Europe

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Community digesters receive manure from 18-60 farms.

Regulations encouraged community digesters by requiring 6 to 0 months of manure storage.

Storages were located in the fields where manure would be applied.

Community Digesters in Europe:

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Loan Programs: How to Apply

First determine the appropriateness of a certain system for your farm

Fill out loan or grant application

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Checklist to Evaluate the Likelihood of Heated Manure Digestion System Success

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Checklist to Evaluate the Likelihood of Heated Manure Digestion System Success (Continued)

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Grants and Loans Available:

Section 9006 Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grant Program

Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Methane Digester Loan Program

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Purpose: To assist projects in purchasing renewable energy systems and energy improvements

How: It offers grants and guaranteed loans

More Info and Application: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/

Section 9006: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Purpose: Provide financial assistance for the construction of a system that produces electricity from manure

How: Revolving loan fund More Info and Application: http://

www.mda.state.mn.us /grants/loans/digester.htm

MDA Methane Digester Loan Program

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture