Using Anaerobic Digestion to Produce

Renewable Energy

VBN Annual Conference 2013

Farmville, VA
September 10, 2013

Jactone Arogo Ogejo, Ph.D., P.E.

Assoc. Professor and Extension Specialist
What is Anaerobic Digestion

A fermentation process mediated by bacteria in

oxygen free environments resulting in the
production of methane (CH4) carbon dioxide (CO2)
and other minor gases

Process occurs naturally in:

marshes; sediments; wetlands; guts of
ruminants and some insects

Engineered systems are used at WWTP, farms,

landfills
Feedstock and products of
anaerobic digestion Products and Use
Feedstock Fertilizer
(organic matter) 90% less odor
Reduce P & K (separation)
N form bioavailable to plants
Manure (dairy, swine) On-farm use and/or sold
Technology Water Quality (e.g. reduction in
pathogens, leaching of N)

DIGESTER

Animal Bedding
Food waste Locally generated

Revenues
Electricity for on-farm use (avoided
GENERATOR cost)
Electricity to grid
REC & Carbon Credits
Horticultural and pet food Nutrient trading
Tipping Fees
Sale of separated liquid and solids

Environmental benefits

Reduced odor
Capture of potent GHG
Types of Anaerobic Digesters

Wet type Dry type

Low solids < 15% TS High solids 15 50 % TS
Anaerobic digesters are currently used at
wastewater treatment plants and on farms
around the US including some installations
in Virginia
The potential to generate renewable energy from
wastewater is significant

According to (http://www.biogasdata.org)

In the U.S.

1238+ plants produce biogas

837+ use biogas for energy
292+ generate electricity from biogas
74+ deliver electricity to the grid
25+ deliver biogas to pipelines
In Virginia..

Biogas is produced in about 18 wastewater

treatment facilities with daily flows > 2 MGD

Smallest: Town of Christiansburg - 2.2 MGD

Largest: Henrico Co. Water Reclamation facility - 40

MGD
 Listing of anaerobic digester installations at wastewater treatment plants in Virginia with indications of how the biogas produced is used
(source: biogasdata.org).

Plant flow Digester

Facility Biogas use
(MGD) Temp
Alexandria combined sewer system, Alexandria 35.0 Mesophilic Flared, drive machinery, heat digester, HVAC, injected in pipeline
Chesapeake-Elizabeth WPCF, Virginia Beach 20.8 Mesophilic Flared
Town of Christiansburg, Montogemery 2.2 Mesophilic Flared, heat digester, electricity from micro turbine
Falling Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, Chesterfield 7.5 Mesophilic Flared, heat digester
Henrico County Water Reclamation Facility, Henrico 40.0 Mesophilic Flared
HRSD-Atlantic Sewage Treatment Plant, Virginia Beach 34.65 Mesophilic Flared
HRSD-Nansemond Sewage Treatment Plant, Suffolk City 17.0 Mesophilic Flared, heat digester, HVAC,
James River WPCF, Newport News 13.99 Mesophilic Flared
Leesburg Water Pollution, Bath 5.0 Mesophilic Heat digester, HVAC
Moores Creek Regional STP, Charlottesville 10.0 Unknown Unknown
North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rockingham 12.0 Mesophilic Drive machinery, heat digester
Peppers Ferry STP, Pulaski 4.5 Mesophilic Flared, drive machinery, heat digester, HVAC, injected in pipeline
Proctors Creek WWTP, Chesterfield 16.0 Mesophilic Flared, heat digester, HVAC
UOSA Centreville, Fairfax 30.0 Thermophilic Flared, heat digester, HVAC, injected in pipeline
Waynesboro STP, Waynesboro 2.45 Mesophilic Flared, heat digester, electricity from combustion engine
Western Virginia Water Authority, Roanoke City 35.0 Mesophilic Flared, drive machinery, heat digester, electricity from combustion engine
York River WPCF, York 6.66 Mesophilic Flared
About 200 on-farm anaerobic digesters in the US
Only one dairy farm has a digester in Virginia
 On-Farm Anaerobic Digester

Chatham, VA 1,200 milking

1st AD installed on dairy farm in VA

 Evaluation Criteria
Objectives Association of State Energy Research
Technology Transfer Institutes
(ASERTTI) protocol
Evaluate AD over 1 year ~

Waste stabilization
Total and soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Total (TS) and volatile solids (VS)

Quantity & quality of biogas produced

Volume
Composition
Use
Document operation & maintenance of AD
 Evaluation

Period: May 2011 August 2012

bi-weekly May 2011 to September 2011
monthly October 2011 August 2012

The Dairy Energy INC. Digester

 Material Flow
Every 30 min.

Every 90 min.

Solids
 Digester
75 ft

Chamber
Methane
Chamber
Methane

158 ft
Design Parameters
Type: 2-Stage mixed plug flow
Temp: mesophilic ~ 101 F
Design HRT: 28 days
Acid Design by DVO Inc. WI
Chamber
Depth: 14 ft liquid and 2 ft gas storage
Effluent

Influent
Products: Biogas is converted to electricity using a
GENSET and fed to the grid (360 KW)
Every 30 min.

Every 90 min.

Solids
Products: sometimes the biogas is used in a boiler

Every 30 min.

Every 90 min.

Solids
Products: Any excess biogas or when engine or
boiler is not running is flared
Every 30 min.

Every 90 min.

Solids
 Products Digester effluent
Every 30 min.

Every 90 min.

Solids
 Waste Stabilization

Influent

Effluent
Separated
32% Liquids

45%
Influent

Effluent Separated
Liquids
55%
51%
Waste Stabilization

TS: 7.5%

TS: 5.3%

VS: 6.8% TS: 4.2%

VS: 3.9%
VS: 2.9%

Solids reduction
Total: 30%
Volatile: 42%
Biogas Production
Biogas Use & Quality
Nutrient content of manure fed to digester

Consistent solids content,

pH, and nutrients
Average pH of the raw
manure is about 7.7
Total nitrogen to phosphorus
(P2O5) is 2.6 (wet wt)
Ammonia nitrogen is about
42% of total nitrogen
The digester
effluent

The digestate is sent to the solids separator

The N, P, and K concentration consistent values following digestion.
The ratio of total nitrogen to total phosphorus is about 2.7 (wet
weight) basis, similar to raw manure N:P
No change in total N and P concentrations between raw and
digested manure.
Ammonium-N is 51% of the total nitrogen in digested manure
increase of 10% compared to raw manure
Solids Separator
Mechanical screw press separator
with 0.5 mm slot openings

Separated solids have 25-30% dry

matter and used as animal bedding
or fertilizer (contains some nutrients)

For every 1000 gal (approx. 8,300

lbs.) of digestate processed,
760 lbs. (wet basis) of solids are
produced.

The separated liquid is used as

liquid fertilizer.
 Liquids

Separated liquid and

solids nutrient content

Solids

Nutrients Partitioning
Solids: 18, 23, & 9% of N, P,
and K, respectively.
Liquid: 82, 77, and 91% of
N, P, and K, respectively
 Service & Maintenance

Oil Change every 550 hours of engine run time

( 45 minutes)

450 KW Capacity

10% electricity 350 KW Produced

consumed by
digester operations
(pumps, separator) 10% Consumed by
Digester
Operations

Routine daily monitoring 20 minutes

The evaluation showed .

Successful AD performance

Monitoring & Evaluating ADs necessary to assure

effective waste treatment & biogas production

Recommendations

Investigate co-digestion (dairy manure + other feedstocks)

Why is there only one digester on a dairy farm
in VA?

Size of dairy farms: 700 Dairies in VA, average

herd size of ~90

High capital cost: On-farm systems are not

cost effective for the size of farms in VA

Green energy and carbon credits: Policies not

well established
 AD in VA What is the Answer?

Co-Digestion/Comingling/Blending feedstocks

Centralized AD System

Improved process efficiency

New technology
To make AD work in small farms in Virginia
we have set goals
1. To determine the optimum mix of selected
organic residuals to produce maximum quality
and quantity of gas
2. Best digester configuration for maximum gas
production
3. Figure out what will make the economics work
for anaerobic digesters in small farming
communities
Feedstocks have different biogas yield
 The idea is .

individually

Combined
Studies in our laboratory have shown that blending dairy
manure (DM) with poultry processing wastewater (PPW)
increases the quantity and quality of biogas produced

A 100% DM; B 33% DM; C 50% DM; D 67% DM; E 100%PPW

Examples of High Solids Anaerobic Digestion
Systems (HSAD)
Based in California handle a diverse mixed
feedstock of up to 50% Total Solids
Source. R.H. Zhang, UC Davis
Source. R.H. Zhang, UC Davis
Source: W. Beadle, BIOFERM
Source: W. Beadle, BIOFERM
Source: ORBIT website
Some challenges and barriers to the use of
anaerobic digesters

Economics: high capital cost, limited capital

resources, economics (real and perceived) does
not justify the investment
Working with public utilities: electric and gas
Separation/sorting organic feedstock for dry
fermentation digesters
Air permitting and transportation and use of
mixed substrates in specific localities
Lack of community and utility leadership or
interest in green power
 Thank You

Contact:
Jactone Arogo Ogejo
Biological Systems Engineering
Virginia Tech
(540) 231 6815
arogo@vt.edu
Source: Moffatt B., AgStar Conference 2007