composting and thermal energy systems

8/7/2019 Composting and Thermal Energy Systems

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Composting and Thermal Energy

Systems for Manure, Bedding

and Biomass Handling

Session: Making and Saving Energy

on the Farm

Northeast Renewable Energy

Conference August 26, 2008

Brian Jerose, WASTE NOT Resource Solutions

(802) 933-8336 and [email protected]


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Hot, Hardworking Decomposition

157 F, 9/7/06


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General Concept and Questions

Composting is taking place on many farms,

by businesses and municipalities but not universally adopted

Rising energy costs, awareness of soil quality, and efforts to

reduce waste promote some composting applications also odor and bedding concerns Can improving composting system cost-effectiveness include

recovery of heat energy from decomposition?

Is this a viable option compared to expanding or creating new

liquid manure pits?

Can composting be efficiently integrated into greenhouseoperations and reduce heating costs?

Is this viable practice for food processors, slaughterhouses,

communities and institutions? Use of hot water to preheat process water or heat radiant floors (shops, barns, etc)


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What is Composting? The process of rapid decomposition of raw organic

materials such as food scraps, leaves and manure in

a primarily aerobic (with oxygen) manner.

Can be managed to encourage thermophilic (heat-loving) microorganisms that generate temperatures

from 120 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Encourages

rapid degradation of raw materials and the

destruction of weed seeds and pathogens. Can also occur at lower temperatures and/or

utilizing earthworms (red wigglers or Eisenia

foetida) as decomposers


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Windrow Turner


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Compost Ingredients/ Feedstocks

Anything biodegradable (breaks down into water, carbon

dioxide or humus)

Typically nitrogen rich ingredients include food scraps,fresh grass clippings, manure, seaweed and food

processing waste.

Carbon rich ingredients include leaves, wood chips, old

hay, sawdust, wood shavings, and paper residuals.

No plastic, metal, glass or other inert substances.


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The Compost Recipe

Carbon (C) to Nitrogen (N) ratio ideally is 30 C: 1 N

(dry weight basis)

Typical volume estimate 3 parts brown (carbon-rich) to1 part green (nitrogen-rich)

Homogenize, stir or mix as much as possible (connect the

browns and greens)

Starting moisture should be about 60-65% (squeezing a

handful of compost should get one drop of water - no less,

no more)


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Building Your Compost Heap

Think structure - let air and moisture in and out of your

compost, think fluffy not packed.

Good structure imparts porosity, mixing in wood chips orother coarse materials leaves space to breathe

Fine sawdust or paper may seal or crust over the outside of

compost pile, blocking air and moisture

A good mix of particle sizes is ideal and if you cant mix thematerials regularly, ALWAYS COVER YOUR GREENS

WITH BROWNS (make a compost sandwich)

Minimum 3 x 3 x 3 to generate heat from pile


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Troubleshooting Problems Odors - Too much green, needs more browns and/or pile

may be too moist. If mixing in more browns is difficult,

cover outside of pile with more browns. Addressing odor

problems should address most issues with scavengers.

Cold compost - too little or too much moisture and/or

high amount of browns to greens. Mature compost is cool

but looks like forest floor soil/duff and has earthy scent.

Moisture leaking from pile - too moist, need more browns

COMPOST HAPPENS - Youre just encouraging faster

decomposition without nuisances.


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Why Compost? Recovers valuable resource of manures, bedding, spoiledfeed and converts residuals into a valuable soil amendment

Avoids wasteful practices pushing into ditches or over

banks, energy used to chop/agitate in pit and haul as liquid

Potential economic savings from reducing fertilizer, labor

and hauling/spreading costs

Composting above 130 F destroys pathogens (E.Coli,

Salmonella, Johnes) and most weed seeds

Can conserve nitrogen versus N losses in liquid application

if certain practices are used (high C:N, reduced turning)

50-90% of manure N is lost in liquid handling systems


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Why Compost?

Recovers valuable resource and converts residuals into a

valuable soil amendment

Avoids wasteful practices of landfilling where foodscraps only turn into leachate, methane, other odors and

seagull food; or incineration making smoke and ash

Potential economic savings from reducing trash disposal

and manure handling and hauling costs

Natures recycling! One of best examples to teach

recycling and microbial ecology in action.


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Compost Six Months From Manure


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Vermont Case Study

January 2004, met with Terry Magnan to discuss options for

using composting manure to reduce heating costs

Discussed needs of farm for animal housing, manure

management, labor and site constraints, etc. Applied for USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant

Received $196,000 from USDA, $50,000 from VT Agency of

Agriculture, $50,000 from Agrilab, division of Acrolab of

Windsor, Ontario in-kind engineering, monitoring equipment andpatent license for nearly $500,000 in planning to construction

VT NRCS Alternative Manure Management Program grant to

monitor P, N, C, heat generation and uses in erosion control


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Farm Background Terry and Joanne Magnan, Town of Sheldon, VT

Diamond Hill Custom Heifers, since 1991 have no milking

only calves and heifers, boarded for 15 local dairy farms

Up to 2000 animals, own and rent 1000 acres in towns of

Sheldon, Enosburg, Berkshire and Fairfield

900 acres hay, 100 acres corn

Multiple barns with different housing for various animal agegroups, resulting in varied manure and bedding characteristics,

typically calf manure drier with more bedding

Goal of reducing liquid manure to 50% of total volume


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Diamond Hill Custom Heifers


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Project Timeline

Composting Barn and Calf Barn constructed in 2005

Composting for heat energy recovery starts January 2006

Compost nutrient and organic matter sampling, compostutilization sites started April 2006

November 2006 compost production and compost product

utilization tour

November 2007 Vermont Alternative Manure Management

project final report

August 2008 on-going monitoring of system performance


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Planning and Design

Terry Magnan, Diamond Hill Custom Heifers, Sheldon, VT

Brian Jerose, WASTE NOT Resource Solutions, Fairfield, VT

Joseph Ouellette, Agrilab, Windsor, ONT

Bruce Fulford, City Soil and Greenhouse, Boston, MA

Aaron Robtoy, Bakersfield, VT

Many others supporting in answering numerous questions


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Agrilab Demonstration, Ontario


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The Company

Agrilab Technologies Inc. is a memberof the Acrolab Group of companies.

Acrolab was established in 1948, and is

a world leader in providing innovativetechnological heat transfer solutions.


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City Soil and Greenhouse

Operated 2 greenhouses at Revision House, in Boston, MA

since 2002 provided regional example

Greenhouse 1 loaded with municipal chipped brush and

leaves, bedded horse manure and food scraps

Greenhouse 2 growing salad greens and other vegetables in

raised beds (soil and mature compost mixture)

Air blower draws hot moist vapor through active compostfrom Greenhouse 1 into raised beds of Greenhouse 2

Conducted additional outreach and trials in New England via

SARE grant project


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Developing Compost Feedstock

Recipes


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Compost Feedstock Recipes


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Other Feedstocks


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Mixing


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Mix Loaded on Aeration Floor


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Galvanized Metal Gutter Covers


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Thermal Energy Utilized

System monitoring has tracked 1 to 5 million Btu/day of utilizedthermal energy

150 to 800 tons of active compost at one time

Radiant floor slabs - largest demand for heat is for two 120 x 8concrete sections in new calf barn

Preheats hot water for eventual 155 F, process water (tap water)

well water intake at 45 F

Summer peak temperature 142 F, winter preheater 75 to 80 F

Fuel use tracked for winter 2006 vs. winters 2007 and 2008

Capacity to increase Btu yield exhaust vapor for greenhouse


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Heat Energy Equivalents

3,000,000 (3 million) BTUs produced equally over a 24hour period can be expressed as:

1) 125,000 BTUs/Hour continuous

2) 125,000 Kilojoules/Hour continuous3) 125,000 X 0.293 = 36.6 Kilowatts/Hour continuous

4) 36.6 X 1.34 = 49 Horse Power/Hour continuous

5) 3mil BTUs/day /100,000 = 3 Therms/Day continuous

6) 125,000 /3.96 = 31,566 Kilocalories/Hour continuous


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After 10 20 weeks active

composting, curing in shed


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BehindBarn after

construction


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Views

east

behind

barn


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During and after

compost

applications


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Revegetation

fastest onconservation mix

plot, second on

compost plot,third on seed only

plot, fourth onbare no treatment

plot


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Plots now

vegetated, mostdense growth on

conservation

mix, thencompost, then

seed only, then

bare (mostly

weeds)


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Compost as Soil Amendment Used on farm fields, gardens, exposed slopes, lawns, in

agricultural, commercial, municipal and residential areas.

Builds soil organic matter, provides slow steady release of

macro and micronutrients Improves soil porosity, root penetration, moisture and

nutrient holding capacity.

Boosts microorganisms in soil - promotes fertility

through soil organisms making nutrients available to

plants versus a chemical input

Imparts soil-borne disease resistance


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What compost does for the soil

GOOD TILTH


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Other Composting Heating

Applications/Opportunities Greenhouses, Farm Buildings, Hot Water

Institutions, Municipal/Commercial/IndustrialComposting

Feb. 2007 calculations of 200,000 Btu/hour and

1000 Btu/hour per active ton of compost

Sizing of heating systems based on peak demandscomposting energy system provides consistent

moderate intensity heating


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100 Holstein Scenario

6 tons manure/day (10% solids)

3 tons/day bedding/amendments to achieve proper

porosity, C:N, and moisture content (40% solids)

52 tons/week could equate 220 tons/month for

active or hot composting with 100% composting (no

liquid storage or raw field application) 220,000 Btu/hr with current system performance

should be improved with optimized designs


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30 Jersey Scenario

100% manure composted could yield 45,000 Btu/hr

1.5 tons of manure and bedding/day equal 45

tons/month

45,000 Btu/hour potential

Additions of calf manure, spoiled feed, other drier

amendments can reduce amount of bedding necessary

Other Scenarios?


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Payback Period

Tracking fuel savings for 2007 2400 gallons, then $4800

@ $2.20/gallon, 2008 3100 gallons @ $3.19 = $10,000

Dedicated heat exchanger components, patent license,

estimated $10K to $50K depending on scale

Most practical/economical when integrated with need to

change manure storage and management to composting

Aerated composting system can be labor efficient vs. othermanure management practices to justify infrastructure costs

Savings from reduced manure handling/spreading and

ventilation provided initial financial justification


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Return on Investment

Diamond Hill Custom Heifers Total Project Cost $450,000,

Magnan Investment $125,000, Annual Savings and New Revenue

$46,500

Total Project without cost-sharing 6.86 years

Magnan Investment with cost-sharing 2.69 years

Segregated ROI for Isobar system (w/o cost-share) 5 years

Quinn (calf/heifer farm) without cost-sharing 4.02 years

Quinn proposal with cost-sharing 2.24 years


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How to Evaluate Potential Farm

Savings and Energy Value Establish baseline energy costs for farm heating and

manure handling activities

Project existing and future costs for operating in currentmode or alternative handling systems

How can thermal energy be used to improve efficiency or

add value to farm activities?

Is compost more valuable on-farm to build soil organicmatter, conserve manure N or as additional farm product

for sale?

What to consider when looking at


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What to consider when looking at

composting or other manure

handling options What are current labor costs, availability and reliability?

What is complexity of manure handling system to operate? Where are other value streams for producing energy

(electrical or thermal), soil fertility or bedding?

Can multiple technologies be integrated anaerobic

digestion then composting?

Ability to invest in capital expense of facilities for reduced

on-going operating costs?


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Obstacles to Implementing

Composting to Energy Systems Need to integrate with animal housing and bedding systems,

farm equipment, farm energy use and cropping practices

most recent investments are for liquid manure handling Limitation of bedding availability or other carbon-rich

feedstocks hay, straw, shavings, wood chips, sawdust

Microbe husbandry attention is required to create optimal

conditions for C:N, moisture and aeration in good composting

Calculating return on investment requires calculating

savings or values in multiple farm activities and practices


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Old Technology/New Technology

Reports of Chinese using compost heat over 2000 years ago

Increased knowledge of composting science and heat

transfer systems Potential to integrate with other benefits of composting and

compost use

Alternative to exclusively handling manure in lagoons/pits

Opportunity for considerable refinement in efficiency


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Contact Information Brian Jerose, Partner, WASTE NOT Resource Solutions;1662 Pumpkin Village Road; Enosburg Falls, VT 05450;

(802) 933-8336; [email protected];

www.farmcomposting.com

Joseph Ouellette, President; Acrolab and Agrilab

Companies, Windsor, Ontario, (519) 944-5900;

[email protected]; www.acrolab.com

Terry and Joanne Magnan, Diamond Hill Custom Heifers;

4692 East Sheldon Road; Enosburg Falls, VT 05450; (802)

933-2071; [email protected];

www.diamondhillcustomheifers.com
mailto:[email protected]://www.farmcomposting.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.acrolab.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.acrolab.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.farmcomposting.com/mailto:[email protected]


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