Software to Encourage Dairy Manure-Based Anaerobic Digester and Greenhouse Synergies

A thermophilic anaerobic digester with ultrafilter (TADU) for solids separation offers potential advantages of higher VS destruction, biomass retention, and pathogen removal. However, potential disadvantages include ultrafilter fouling, decreasing flux, and high VFA concentrations. In this study, a thermophilic anaerobic digester coupled to a sintered titanium, cross-flow ultrafilter was operated for over five months. Dairy manure was digested (HRT of 23 days). The filtrate VFA concentration was low (220 mg/L as HAc), average VS destruction was 49%, and a low average effluent fecal coliform concentration of 102 MPN/100 mL was observed. The low coliform value may be beneficial if dewatered biosolids are used for livestock bedding since low pathogen counts help prevent mastitis. Ultrafilter fluxes of 40–80 L/m2-hr were maintained by cleaning using caustic (3.5% NaOH) followed by water and acid (3% phosphoric acid). Sand from livestock bedding was found to damage the pump and ultrafilter. If TADU were implemented at full scale, then replacing sand bedding with dewatered biosolids should be considered.

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Analysis of Dairy Manure and Food Manufacturing Waste as Feedstocks for Sustainable Energy Production via Anaerobic Digestion

ASME 2012 6th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/es2012-91091 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

M. J. Rankin ◽

T. A. Trabold ◽

A. A. Williamson ◽

M. Augustine

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Liquid Phase ◽

Organic Waste ◽

New York State ◽

Dairy Manure ◽

Anaerobic Digester ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Medium Size ◽

Food Manufacturing

Anaerobic digestion is a waste-to-energy conversion process that offers potential economic and environmental benefits of organic waste diversion and renewable energy generation. However, these systems are often not feasible for small-to-medium size food processors, due to the significant capital investment involved. The key objective of this study is to identify the volume and composition of dairy manure and liquid-phase food manufacturing waste streams available in New York State (NYS) to make co-digestion of multiple feedstocks in centralized anaerobic digester facilities an economically attractive alternative. Organic waste volume and property data were obtained via Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests at the county and municipal levels for each of the 62 counties in NYS. Spatial analyses of dairy confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) locations relative to food manufacturing facility locations were analyzed using Microsoft MapPoint imaging software, which identified concentrations of high strength liquid-phase waste in the upstate corridor extending between Buffalo and Albany. The results show that if anaerobically digested, dairy CAFO manure and food manufacturing waste can contribute significantly to the State’s renewable energy portfolio. A laboratory scale two-phase anaerobic digester (bioDrillTS-AD200©) can help establish the correlation between waste properties (e.g. total solids, etc.) and quantity and quality of biogas produced.

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