1 / 38

Advancing Utilization of Manure Methane Digester

Hydrogen and Electrons from Manure Philip Goodrich PE Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55108 goodrich@umn.edu R. Vance Morey, David Schmidt, Paul Burns, Matt Drewitz, Dennis Haubenschild, Amanda Bilek, David Nelson, Richard Huelskamp.

beck-carpenter
Download Presentation

Advancing Utilization of Manure Methane Digester

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hydrogen and Electrons from ManurePhilip Goodrich PEDepartment of Biosystems and Agricultural EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaSt. Paul, MN 55108goodrich@umn.eduR. Vance Morey, David Schmidt, Paul Burns, Matt Drewitz, Dennis Haubenschild, Amanda Bilek, David Nelson, Richard Huelskamp

  2. Advancing Utilization of Manure Methane Digester Funding for this project was recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund ($204, 375)

  3. Outline • Background • Objective • What we have done • Why we did it our way • Some results • Where we go from here

  4. Background • Have a well operating digester on an 800 cow dairy herd • Biogas is being converted to electricity by 130 kW engine generator • Digester is producing excess biogas

  5. Haubenschild Dairy Farm Energy ProductionPrinceton, Minnesota Milk Production + Crop Production + Electrical Production + Future Hydrogen Production = Farm Income Diversification

  6. View of digester, barn and engine generator building at time of installation in 1999.

  7. Digester Winter 2005

  8. Methane Digester Breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen to biogas, which is CH4 --methane, CO2 --carbon dioxide, H2S --hydrogen sulfide, H2O --water vapor.

  9. Plug-Flow Digester - A small “plug” of slurry is pumped into one end each day, causing a comparable amount to flow out of the other end into the storage basin in the background.

  10. Engine Generator set: Internal combustion engine with 135 kW 240 VAC electrical generator. Caterpiller 3406

  11. Biogas Production Used in Generator

  12. Opportunity • Complete side-by-side testing of technology • Observe odor reduction benefits of system • Compare emissions of two technologies • Do something that had not been done before

  13. Objective • Evaluate the feasibility of a fuel cell to convert biogas (methane) to electricity. • Next step may be to produce hydrogen for farm use from biogas.

  14. Procedures to Achieve Objective • Develop biogas gas cleanup system • Install fuel cell on digester • Test the fuel cell • Monitor systems for energy, consumption and emissions

  15. Challenges • Hydrogen sulfide removal • Initial concentration ~3000 ppm • Need concentration < 25 ppb • Moisture removal • Need dry gas • Carbon dioxide removal • Need concentration < 50,000 ppm (5%)

  16. Types of Fuel Cells • Proton Exchange Membrane -Low temp • Solid Oxide -High temperature • Molten Carbonate -High Temperature

  17. Biogas

  18. A fuel cell is similar to a car battery in that it produces electricity through electrochemical reactions. A fuel cell produces electricity as long as the hydrogen fuel source and oxygen passes through it. Heat is also produced and can be utilized for space heating and hot water needs. Electricity conversion efficiency is around 25% The energy resources for hydrogen can be biogas, natural gas, propane, methanol, ethanol, and other hydrogen based liquids or gases.

  19. The building at the left houses the 135 kW engine generator and the building on the right houses the fuel cell and instrumentation. One barn is to the right rear of the picture

  20. Fuel Reformer Fuel Stack Inverter & Battery Bank 5 kW Plug Power™ Fuel Cell

  21. Comparing Electrical Generator Technologies Fuel Cell System Engine Generator System • Cost per kilowatt is very high. $10,000 -->20,000 per kW • Biogas must be cleaned up to strict specifications. Adds cost and complexity while consuming energy. • Fuel cell is an emerging technology. • Cost per kilowatt is low. $500 -->1000 per kW • Biogas can be used directly from the digester with no cleanup. • ICE is mature technology.

  22. Comparing Electrical Generator Technologies Fuel Cell System Engine Generator System • Greenhouse emissions and particulates are very low. • System is very quiet. • Few moving parts. • Greenhouse emissions of CO2, SO2, CO and particulates are significant. • Noise level is very high and sound mitigation is necessary. • Many moving parts, most moving in a hot environment needing oil and cooling.

  23. Comparing Electrical Generator Technologies Fuel Cell System Engine Generator System • Cost of maintenance is unknown. • Fuel cell technology is continuously improving at a rapid rate. • Maintenance is well known. • Technology is mature and changing slowly.

  24. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEM) • Advantages • Could buy one from a vendor with experience • Less expensive than others • Made in lower capacity • Disadvantages • Low temperature water for heating • Critical on gas quality • Lots of gas cleanup needed

  25. Biogas Clean Up

  26. Biogas Clean Up

  27. Biogas Clean Up

  28. Biogas Clean Up

  29. Gemini Gas Monitor

  30. ( 800ppmv) 4.18 g/kWh (2960ppmv) 25.5 g/kWh (277ppmv) 3.34 g/kWh (20460ppmv) 53 g/kWh ( <1 ppmv) 0.014 g/kWh (<1 ppmv) <.0023 g/kWh (<1 ppmv) <0.030 g/kWh (1790 ppmv) 14.5 g/kWh Emissions from Haubenschild Generator Compared to Plug Power™ Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Fuel Cell Engine Generator CO NOx SOX CX HY

  31. Where we are now Fuel cell runs ok on cleaned up gas Need to get more stable cleanup system Not getting value for electricity

  32. Where do we go next? • Compress, transport and sell methane • Make hydrogen and sell hydrogen • More value and less regulated

  33. Environmental and Economic Benefits • 1) reduced reliance on fossil fuels 2) reduced odors and emissions 3) reduced soil and water pollution 4) supports rural economy

  34. Project Participants • Philip R. Goodrich PE, David Nelson PE, Richard Huelskamp, David Schmidt PE, R. Vance Morey from Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Minnesota. • Dennis Haubenschild from Haubenschild Farms, Princeton MN • Matthew Drewitz, Paul Burns, from Minnesota Department of Agriculture • Other participants in this project include: • Amanda Bilik, The Minnesota Project, • Verlyn Johnson and Blanca Martinez, BAE • Henry Fischer, East Central Energy. • Rob Lowen, Plug Power, Inc. • Jamie Tooley, CES-Landtec Engineering • Don White, Donaldson Corp • David Thimsen, EPRI • Claudio Martinez & Stephan Becerra ,John Deere Co

  35. Thank you Advancing Utilization of Manure Methane Digester Funding for this project was recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund

More Related