seed grant competition

Assessing the success of anaerobic digesters in Ohios climate

Jay F. martin, Food, agricultural and Biological engineering Frederick c. michel, Food, agricultural and Biological engineering

Millions of small-scale anaerobic digesters are used by organic waste producers in tropical settings to generate renewable energy and treat wastewater. However, in temperate climates like the United States, commercial anaerobic digestion systems are highly mechanized and costly. As a result, more than 40,000 small and midsized farms and countless industries in the United States cannot benefit from this technology, which has great potential to generate energy using on-farm wastes, leading to cost savings. While laboratory experiments have demonstrated the potential of small-scale and affordable digesters in temperate regions, there is a lack of knowledge about the performance, design, and management of these digesters. Important gaps concern changes that occur in the digesters during cold weather and which management practices may be used to combat the impacts of lower temperatures. Without this information, implementing affordable digesters for smaller-scale waste producers cannot proceed, and benefits remain unrealized. This project tracked the performance and internal changes within a variable temperature digester over one year in Ohios temperate climate. A modified fixed-dome digester, the most successful and most common type of small-scale digester, was installed at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory in Columbus. The digester used manure from the on-site dairy farm as a feedstock. Since October 2009, the digester has successfully produced methane during warm temperatures. A maximum rate of over 1000 liters of biogas per day was produced in the summer of 2010. Along the way, the research team identified limitations and design recommendations, including the difficulty of maintaining an anaerobic seal and the importance of insulation. The high level of groundwater at the research site was also problematic. Insulating and burying the digester successfully increased its temperature. However, the lack of insulation on the displacement tank likely resulted in digester temperatures that were lower than

expected. Future designs should include insulation of the digester and the loading and displacement tanks.

This technology has great potential to generate energy using on-farm wastes, leading to cost savings.
The digesters performance, especially biogas and methane production, was clearly correlated with changes in temperature. The greatest production and the greatest methane concentration occurred between July 2010 and November 2010, when the digester was above 20C. Digester temperatures below 20C resulted in unstable performance, and the amount of biogas produced under these temperatures is not sufficient to permit year-round use by farmers, pointing to the need for further improvements. This study was a first attempt to adapt a fixed-dome digester to meet the demand for small-scale digesters in small and medium-size dairy farms in the United States. The temperature and organic loading rate are the key variables to be controlled. Further research and design in these areas should aid the search for simple and low-cost alternatives to produce energy with small-scale digesters in temperate climates.

Jay F. martin

www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/seeds

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SEEDS: The OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program