Developing a Nationally Recognized Program within USDA Agricultural Research Service

1. Developing a Nationally Recognized Program within USDA Agricultural Research Service Michael Buser, Ph.D. Agricultural Engineer USDA-ARS Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit Lubbock, TX

2. Education & Experience Overview • Education • Doctorate of Philosophy - Biological and Agricultural Engineering – 2004 – • Texas A&M University • Masters of Science - Biosystems Engineering – 1997 • Oklahoma State University • Bachelor of Science - Biosystems Engineering - 1995 • Oklahoma State University • Associate of Applied Science - Animal Science- 1990 • Rogers State College • Experience • USDA Agricultural Research Service – Category I Scientist • September 2002 to present – Lubbock, TX • May 1998 to September 2002 – Stoneville, MS • Oklahoma State University – Research Engineer • January 1997 to May 1998

3. Bioenergy Machinery Engineer – Target Criteria vs. Buser’s Experience • Buser’s early career • Conduct research on equipment and machinery • Producing, harvesting, transporting, and pre-processing biomass feedstocks • Buser’s air quality program • Establish a nationally recognized research and extension program • Provide leadership • Throughout Buser’s career • Develop and deliver curricula, training , and support for educational programming • Work with extension educators, agricultural producers, and bioenergy industry • Address stakeholder needs • Work as a team member

4. Marigold Harvesting

5. Marigold Post-Harvester Processing

6. UNR Cotton Harvesting

7. Comparison Study Saw spacing, number of saw cylinders, saw diameter, etc. Capacity Study Bench Ginning Conceptual Designs (Move away from Henry Holmes design) Development of Powered Roll Gin Stand Paddle Roll Gin Saw Seed Finger Roll Cotton Gin Stand Evaluations & Enhancements

8. Lint Cleaning Studies

9. Gin By-Products Livestock Feed • Cotton gin byproducts can be processed into a high energy roughage for ruminant livestock

10. Extrusion - Chemical Residue Levels

11. Extrusion – Aflatoxin Levels

12. Resulting Questions What portion of the gossypol remains with the meal if the product is pressed? Will adding urea and/or starch prior to processing affect the levels? How good are the Official Methods of the American Oil Chemists Society for determining free gossypol? Extrusion – Gossypol Levels

13. Gin By-Products Value-Added Processing Sizing Sorting Grinding Densifying Fiberizing Machinery Wear

14. Gin By-Products Erosion Control Products • Cotton gin byproducts can be made into products for erosion control & grass seed establishment.

15. Cotton Bale Moisture Meters Manufacturer Model Approximate price ($ US) Delmhorst Instrument Co. C-2000 meter $370 30-E/C probe $85 Strandberg Engineering Laboratories, Inc. M-200C analog meter $870 LP-20 probe $190 SP-20 probe $190 M-400 digital meter $900 Aqua-Boy BAF1 meter, with cable $1250 218 screw-in probe $650 209BSM probe, with adapter $240

16. Development of an ASABE Cotton Gin Emission Factor Standard

17. Customer Education Through Gin Schools and Workshops

18. Lubbock - CRIS 6208-66000-001-00D • Project Title: Improving Air Quality of Agricultural Operations and Processes • Established: January 2005 • Vision: To become the top research laboratory for the study of particulate matter as it relates to agricultural processes and operations. • Mission:Through research, to understand the processes of air pollution emissions from agricultural enterprises and the effects of air quality upon agriculture, to develop and test control measures, and to provide decision aids that will be useful in minimizing and reducing agricultural air pollution emissions and predicting and mitigating the impacts of air quality upon agriculture. • Objectives and Approach: Dr. Buser will discuss in his presentation. • National Programs: 70% NP-203; 30% NP-306 • #SY: 1.05 {Buser 75%, Holt 15%, Vacant 10%, Pelletier 5%} • Allocated Budget: $210,837 – Gross • Rely heavily on temp and soft dollars {e.g. FY04 ~ $430,000, FY05 to 08 ~ $130,000/year, FY09 ~ $460,000}

19. Air Quality Laboratory • 1,500 ft2 laboratory • PSD analysis • 2 Coulter Counter Multisizer III • 1 LS-230 • 1 RapidVue • Environmental Chamber • Gravimetric Analysis • Particle Density Analysis • 9 workstations • 1 Biological Science Technicians • 8 Biological Science Aides

20. Environmental Chamber • Constant conditions • Temp – 21 +/- 2 oC • RH – 35 +/- 5% • 2 helium displacement particle density analyzers • Interfaces with balance • 2 Mettler Toledo balance • Accuracy +/- 0.01 mg • 2 Mettler Toledo microbalance • Accuracy +/- 1 mg • Interfaces with laptop • 2 Antistatic devices • All instruments are on marble tables to enhance stability

21. Air Quality Laboratory • PSD analysis – 2 Coulter Counter Multisizer III • Processed about 11,000 samples since June 1, 2004 • Analysis time varies as a function of filter loading • Best to use Teflon filters • RapidVue Particle Shape Analyzer • Processed about 50 samples since June 15, 2009 • LS-230 Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer • Processed about 400 samples since June 15, 2009 • Methanol Lithium Chloride • 3 Filtration systems • 0.2 mm final filter • All electrolyte is recycled

22. Air Quality Mobile Unit • Samplers • 4 – TEOMs with the Accu system • 1 – High volume PM10 samplers • 4 – High volume TSP samplers • 6 – Vertical elutriators • 2 – Method 5 stack sampling systems • 3 – Method 5 nozzle sets • 3 - Method 201 sampling heads (PM10) • 2 – CTM-027 sampling head (PM2.5) • 12 – 10 meter towers with 6 low volume PM samplers and 6 anemometers per tower • 72 sampling points • 57 – Low volume TSP samplers • 135 TSP sampler heads • 12 PM10 sampler heads • 12 PM10/PM2.5 (WINS) sampler heads • 12 PM10/PM2.5 (VSCC) sampler heads

23. USDA-ARS/TAMU Low Volume Sampler Heads

24. USDA-ARS Low Volume TSP Samplers • New design • 10 bit AD • Feedback control for flow rate • Proportional value used to regulate flow • 256 megabyte onboard storage • Wireless network • Onboard micro-controllers • Air flow, wind speed, wind direction, RH, Temperature, and Barometric Pressure recorded with one system • Reduced data handling due to software design

25. Lubbock - CRIS 6208-66000-001-00D • Project Title: Improving Air Quality of Agricultural Operations and Processes • Objective 1: Develop scientifically sound agricultural particulate matter emission factors. • Sub-objective 1A. Develop PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns) emission factors for cotton gin process stream exhausts. • Sub-objective 1B. Reduce EPA’s defined uncertainty associated with PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns) and total particulate cotton gin process stream exhaust emission factors published in EPA’s AP-42. • Sub-objective 1C. Determine the particulate matter and gaseous emissions emitted when burning various blends of typical low sulfur content diesel and PBSY (prime bleachable summer yellow) or RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) cottonseed oil. • Objective 2: Develop and evaluate abatement technologies and/or management practices for controlling agricultural particulate matter emissions. • Sub-objective 2A. Evaluate current and potential abatement technologies for reducing agricultural point source emissions based on a standardized protocol. • Sub-objective 2B. Develop point source abatement technology enhancements based on computational fluid dynamics modeling. • Sub-objective 2C. Develop an abatement technology to reduce the particulate matter emissions produced by tree-nut harvesting equipment. • Objective 3: Develop and evaluate technologies and/or methodologies for measuring, characterizing, and classifying agricultural particulate matter emissions. • Sub-objective 3A. Quantify the errors associated with PM10 and PM2.5 stack sampling methodologies when exposed to agricultural particulate matter. • Sub-objective 3B. Quantify the errors associated with PM10 and PM2.5 federal reference method ambient samplers when exposed to agricultural particulate matter. • Sub-objective 3C. Develop a robust data set for cotton gin emissions that can be used in the design, development, and evaluation of current and future air quality low-level dispersion models. • Sub-objective 3D. Develop an economic and enhanced airflow feedback control and data logging system that can be integrated in low-volume ambient sampling.

26. Bio-Diesel Project

27. Abatement Device/System Evaluations

28. Evaluation System Investigators Dr. Buser Dr. Whitelock Mr. Boykin Funding Cotton Inc. Kimbell Gin Machinery

29. Fine Collection Efficiency

30. Series Cyclone Test – Livestock Feed Supplement Processing Plant • Reduced emissions by 98.7% • Increased Revenues by • $1,889.25 per day • $470,423.25 per year (based on 249 operating days)

31. Abatement Devices forNut Harvesters

32. CFD Modeling - Nut Harvester Abatement Devices

33. National Cotton Gin Stack and Ambient Particulate Matter Sampling Campaign Michael Buser USDA-ARS, Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit Lubbock, TX Derek Whitelock USDA-ARS, Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory Mesilla Park, NM Clif Boykin USDA-ARS, Cotton Ginning Research Unit Stoneville, MS

34. Objectives • Develop PM2.5 emission factors and verify current PM10 & TSP emission factors for cotton gins. • Development of particulate matter data sets that can be used in the design, development, and evaluation of current and future air quality dispersion models. • Characterize the particulate matter emitted from cotton gins across the cotton belt in terms of particle size distribution, particle density, and particle shape. • Collect field data to further quantify PM10 and PM2.5 EPA federal reference method stack and ambient sampler errors .

35. Why such a large project?

36. Emission Factors – Stack Sampling Current Regulatory PM2.5 Estimates ~ 36% of TSP Current USDA-ARS PM2.5 Estimates ~ < 5% of TSP

37. Dispersion Modeling Current models are estimated to over-predict by a factor of 10

38. PM Characteristics

39. PM Over - 10 Source Sampling Rate Cotton Gin 181 % Cattle Feed Yard 185 % Almond Harvesting 139 % Errors Associated with PM Stack & Ambient Samplers Ambient Stack

40. Questions • Health based studies – are the PM data used in the studies comparable? • Are we comparing apples to apples? • If I stand at the property line that separates Plant A and B will Plant B’s (higher PM10 sampler based concentration) emissions more negatively impact my health? • If I’m evaluating regional PM air quality models using FRM PM sampler concentrations, how good are my modeling results? • Garbage in – garbage out • Are these plants being equally regulated? • How will you answer the same questions for PM2.5? • The PSD differences are greater C=54 mg/dscm C=60 mg/dscm

41. Cotton Gin Sampling Campaigns

42. Financial Supporters • Cotton Incorporated - $10,000 (2008) • Cotton Incorporated - $40,000 (2009) • Cotton Incorporated - $40,000 (2010) • Texas State Support Committee - $50,000 (2009) • Texas State Support Committee - $50,000 (2010) • California Air Resources Board - $45,000 • San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District - $36,000 • Cotton Foundation - $10,000 (2009) • Cotton Foundation - $20,000 (2010) - Pending • Southern Cotton Ginners Association - $15,000 • Texas Cotton Ginners Association - $7,500 • California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association - $7,500 • Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association - $7,500 • ******** LEVERAGING INDUSTRY SUPPORT ************** • USDA-ARS – personal salaries (2008, 2009, 2010, & 2011) • Estimated personnel cost for 2008-2011 ~ $700,000 • USDA-ARS – estimated overhead waived ~ $50,000 • Still Working on securing approximately $300,000

43. Collaborators • USDA-ARS Ginning Laboratories • Michael Buser – Lubbock, TX • Derek Whitelock – Mesilla Park, NM • Clif Boykin – Stoneville, MS • Texas A&M University • Texas, California, Southern, Southeastern, and National Ginners Associations • Cotton Incorporated • Primary and alternate gins selected for the study • California Air Resources Board • San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality • Missouri Department of Environmental Quality • North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality • EPA (National, Region 9, and Region 4)

44. Current Sampling Plan • Site Location • Fall 2008 – Mesa Farmers Gin – NM • Summer 2009 – 1 Gin – South TX • Fall 2009 – 2 Gins – CA (1 Saw & 1 Roller) • Fall 2010 – 1 Gin – West TX • Fall 2010 – 1 Gin – MO • Fall 2011 – 1 Gin – NC ***Tentative • Sampling Time • 12 to 15 days for stack sampling (est. 16 hrs/day) • 12 to 20 days for ambient sampling (24 hrs/day) • Ambient and stack sampling will overlap • Laboratory Analysis Time • Pre-test time (sampler repairs, filter pre-weights) ~ 65 working days/site • Post-test time (filter weights, PSD, etc.) ~ 230 working days/site • ~ 3,200 sample weights (filters & wash) • ~ 3,200 particle size analyses • ~ 200 particle shape analyses

45. Stack Sampling

46. Stack Sampling

47. Stack Sampling

48. Ambient Sampling

49. 30o ~300 feet ~300 feet ~300 feet Tower Sampler {PM sampler heads and anemometers located at 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.5, 7.25, and 10.0 meters} Stand Alone Sampler {PM sampler head located at 2.0 meters}

50. Generator (11) Electrical Service (3) Electrical Cords (~ 8,000 feet)