Turning Swine Waste into Energy, Reducing Air Pollution & Environmental Impact |
Issue
Energy consumption of fossil fuel has steadily increased over the last century due to economic development and world population growth. The limited fossil fuel reserve and world political instability in oil-producing regions cause great concern over energy cost and supplies.
Further, fossil fuel combustion produces a huge amount of carbon dioxide, widely believed to be responsible for the global climate change. To make the United State less dependent on foreign oil, improve national environmental quality, and meet the increased demand, alternative energy sources must be developed.
What Has Been Done
Recently, an integrated research project was conducted to investigate turning swine waste into bioenergy at a swine operation. Swine manure is first converted through anaerobic digestion to biogas, which is used for electricity and heat production. The resulting heat can be then be used in the swine houses, as well as in vegetable-producing greenhouses. Carbon dioxide from the biogas combustion can also be used to enhance vegetable productivity in the greenhouses. Effluent from the anaerobic digester is used to grow high-starch duckweed, which can, itself, be an efficient alternative to corn for fuel ethanol production. This integrated approach makes conversion of swine waste to bioenergy much more efficient and useful in multiple ways.
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Impact
Producing renewable “green” energy from swine waste management addresses the energy concern, has economic benefits for growers, and has positive environmental impacts. Many political leaders, environmental and agricultural researchers, government agents, and individual growers have visited the demonstration at Barham Farm, Zebulon, NC. The principal investigator has been invited to give key-note speeches at international bioenergy conferences and to present seminars on the project in the United States, and abroad, giving the project international, as well as local impact.
Funding Sources
US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
North Carolina Agricultural Research Service
Biofuels Center of North Carolina
NCSU Animal & Poultry Waste Management Center (NC Attorney-Smithfield Foods Agreement
Contact
Dr. Jiayang Cheng, Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering
email: jay_cheng@ncsu.edu
Visit Dr. Cheng's web site |
Animal Waste to Energy: Efficient Bioenergy Production & Reduced Environmental Impact |
Issue
Technical, operational, and economic feasibility of targeted technology for processing animal waste to generate energy (electricity) capable of applications for meeting requirements per the NC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (NC Session Law 2007-393 (Senate Bill 3) mandated goals.
What Has Been Done
Collaborative research completed during this reporting period with investigators here at NCSU (Departments of Poultry Science, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, and Agricultural Resource Economics) provides objective technical and cost returns analysis for a high solids–high temperature anaerobic digester technology available in the commercial sector.
Impact
The study provides objective science based information including technical performance and detail costs analysis to stakeholders (technology suppliers, investors, lending agencies, policymakers, utilities, etc.) considering implementation of this and similar technologies. Such objective data and information for applicable animal waste treatment technologies capable of generating energy from animal waste substrates is intended to enhance the goals and efficiency of the referenced NC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard to benefit citizens of NC.
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Funding Sources
Environmental Enhancement Grant Program – North Carolina Attorney General Office
NC Agricultural Research Service (NCARS)
Contact
Dr. C.M. (Mike) Williams, Department of Poultry Science and Director, NCSU Animal & Poultry Waste Management Center, Box 7608, 212 Scott Hall, N.C. State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608
Phone (919) 513-0469 / Fax: (919) 515-2625
email: Mike_Williams@ncsu.edu
Visit the Animal & Poultry Waste Management Center web page
Visit Dr. Williams' web page
More detail on this impact
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