Recent Progress in
Manure Digestion
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture 2007
Funding for this project was provided by (The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund) as recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR)
What’s New With Manure Digestion?
 Haubenschild
 LCMR’s
 Loan
Farm Fuel Cell Project
European Digester Tour
Program: How to Apply
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Haubenschild Farm Fuel Cell Project
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Background on Haubenschild Dairy:

The 900-head dairy has a well-established
manure digester

Biogas is being converted to electricity by a
130 kW engine generator

Digester produces excess biogas
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Objectives:

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.
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Procedures to Achieve Objective:




Develop biogas cleanup system
Install fuel cell on digester
Test the fuel cell
Monitor systems for energy, consumption
and emissions
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Challenges:



Hydrogen sulfide removal
- Initial concentration ~ 3000 ppm
- Need concentration < 25 ppb
Carbon dioxide removal
- Need concentration < 50,000 ppm (5%)
Moisture removal
- Need dry gas
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Haubenschild Equipment Rooms
 Building
on
right houses
the fuel cell
 Building on
left houses
the
generator
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Emissions from Haubenschild Generator Vs.
Plug PowerTM Proton Exchange Membrane
(PEM) Fuel Cell
Engine Generator
CO
NOX
SOX
CXHY
g (800 ppmv) 4.18 g/kWh
g (2960 ppmv) 25.5 g/kWh
g (277 ppmv) 3.34 g/kWh
g (20460 ppmv) 53 g/kWh
Fuel Cell
_
g (<1 ppmv) 0.014 g/kWh
g (<1 ppmv) <.0023 g/kWh
g (<1 ppmv) <0.030 g/kWh
g (1790 ppmv) 14.5 g/kWh
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Problems:
 Need
to receive more money for
the electricity produced
 Need a more stable gas cleanup
system
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
What Do We Do Now?
 Compress,
transport and sell
methane
 Make and sell hydrogen
 Get more value and less
regulation
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Benefits
 Reduces
odors and emissions
 Promotes rural economy
 Reduces reliance on foreign fuel
 Reduces soil and water pollution
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
LCMR’s European
Digester Tour
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
European Digesters:
-Most are mesophilic
-All are aboveground
-Have stirring devices
-Most are larger than
Haubenschild’s digester
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Alternate Waste Stream in Europe
 Many
digesters use alternate waste
streams of slaughterhouse wastes,
other waste fats, or crops such as
corn silage.
 Corn silage is said to generate
plenty of heat to operate the
digester.
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Community Digesters in Europe:



Community digesters receive manure from
18-60 farms.
Regulations encouraged community digesters
by requiring 6 to 0 months of manure storage.
Storages were located in the fields where
manure would be applied.
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Loan Programs: How to Apply
 First
determine the
appropriateness of a certain
system for your farm
 Fill out loan or grant
application
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Checklist to Evaluate the Likelihood of
Heated Manure Digestion System Success
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Checklist to Evaluate the Likelihood of Heated
Manure Digestion System Success (Continued)
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Grants and Loans Available:
 Section
9006 Renewable Energy
Systems and Energy Efficiency
Improvements Grant Program
 Minnesota Department of Agriculture
(MDA) Methane Digester Loan
Program
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Section 9006: Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Program
Purpose: To assist projects in purchasing
renewable energy systems and energy
improvements
 How: It offers grants and guaranteed loans
 More Info and Application:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/

Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
MDA Methane Digester Loan Program



Purpose: Provide financial assistance for
the construction of a system that produces
electricity from manure
How: Revolving loan fund
More Info and Application:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us
/grants/loans/digester.htm
Produced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture