Kansas Farmer
www.FarmProgress.com – January 2012
51
Natural Resources
K-State research team gets patent
for phosphorus reduction system
A
TEAM of bioprocessing engineers
with Kansas State University’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute has
been issued a patent for a system that removes phosphorus from wastewater and
addresses environmental regulations.
Excess phosphate from both animal
and human wastewater is an important
environmental problem. It can pollute
water resources and cause algae blooms, a
problem that was present in many Kansas
lakes and reservoirs this summer.
The phosphorus reduction system,
called Phred for short, is an easy-to-use,
fully automated system that removes up
to 60% of phosphorus in wastewater from
cattle feedlots. The system was issued
as a patent, titled “fluidized bed precipitator with optimized solids settling and
solids handling features for use in recovering phosphorus from wastewater,” to
the Kansas State University Research
Foundation, a nonprofit corporation responsible for managing the technology
transfer activities of the university.
“In essence, the system changes the
chemistry of wastewater from the feedlot.
It runs the water through the reactor,
and the phosphorus is retained in pellet
form. A chemical reaction occurs, so the
water comes out with lower phosphate
Key Points
■ Kansas State University engineering team
is awarded a patent.
■ The system reduces phosphorus in feedlot
wastewater.
■ Phosphorus pellets can be sold as
slow-release fertilizer.
levels,” explains Sigifredo Castro Diaz, a
bioprocessing engineer with the Advanced
Manufacturing Institute, or AMI, who
helped create the patented system.
“Through this system, we can recycle
the excess phosphate, while before it
could be wasted and end up feeding algae
water in lakes,” Diaz says.
Project progress
The project started as a partnership
with Kansas Environmental Management
Associates, or KEMA. The researchers created a pilot system in the laboratory and
then used a scale version on the university’s lagoon. Finally, the team developed a
large-scale system to use at Supreme Cattle
Feeders near Liberal.
The final patented system works by
removing phosphorus from lagoons and
trapping it in pellet form, making it easier
to distribute and package. By doing so,
it addresses two important farming concerns involving irrigation.
“Without the system, if farmers reuse
the wastewater and there is too much
phosphorus in it, they can face fines by the
EPA,” Diaz says. “But during a drought, it is
not helpful to have all this water that they
cannot use because of the phosphorus
content. So with this phosphorus reduction system, farmers can remove the phosphorus and safely use the water.”
As a result, the system helps farmers
cut costs while following U.S. EPA regulations. Farmers can purchase the system
with assistance from the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program, a federal program that provides assistance to farmers.
While competitive systems exist, they are
often more expensive, less efficient and
less applicable to agricultural wastewater,
according to the researchers.
“The development of the Phred system
provides livestock farms and others with a
valuable tool to protect our nation’s lakes,
streams and estuaries, and KEMA is proud
to be the driving force behind its development,” says Kylo Heller, director of development for KEMA.
Diaz is now leading related research
projects through partnerships with
K-State and other organizations. The team
is improving the efficiency of the current
bioprocessing system by partnering with
additional AMI and university researchers,
such as Larry Glasgow, professor of chemical engineering.
Using excess phosphorus
Clamp-on
snow blade
G
OT snow and no quick-attach
hookup on your compact tractor?
That’s no problem with Worksaver’s
new clamp-on snow blade.
The economical blade is perfect
for small parking lots, driveways
and sidewalks. The attaching frame
easily slides over the cutting edge of
front-end loader buckets and extends
under the bottom of the bucket for
complete support. The blades install
and dismount easily with a chain and
turnbuckle system.
The blade features a ³⁄₈-inch thick,
5-foot- or 6-foot-long cutting edge
(depending upon the model) made
of 1044 steel. The blades have the
ability to angle right or left with simple
adjustments.
For more information before the
snow falls, call Worksaver at 217-3245973, or visit www.worksaver.com
and click on “snow blades.”
What’s New
from the shows
Mow like you
really mean it!
T
HE Rhino AGM Disc Mower series
is made for speed. The ovalshaped cutter disks include contoured
edging for greater impact resistance
in high-speed operations or rocky
conditions. The AGM mowers cut
through heavy crops without wrapping
or plugging, and handle light, thin
grass with equal ease. The mower
can be raised quickly for turning or
transport without adjusting the threepoint heights. The AGM series is
available in four models.
Suggested list price for the
AGM72, which cuts a 9-foot, 4-inch
swath, is $11,485. Call the Alamo
Group, Gibson City, Ill., at 877-4083297, or visit www.servis-rhino.com.
The researchers are discovering uses for
the phosphorus pellets that come from the
system. Kimberly Williams, a professor of
horticulture, worked on a nutrient release
study and found several important advantages of phosphorus pellets as fertilizer for
lawns and plants. For instance, the pellets
are a natural slow-release fertilizer.
Similarly, the team is looking at ways to
decrease phosphorus in cattle feed. Doing
so will prevent excess phosphorus from
entering the ecosystem.
While the current system is optimally
designed for wastewater from cattle feedlots, Diaz has been leading efforts to apply
the same method at dairy and hog farms.
The wastewater from these farms is different because it often comes from indoor
barns that produce more phosphate-concentrated wastewater. The researchers
have proved that the same system can
work with both types of farms and are now
working to fine-tune it.
Other AMI engineers who worked on
the patented system include Gina Becker,
former bioprocessing engineer, and
Michael Hanson, a K-State chemical engineering graduate and former intern.
Other partners on the project include: KansasBio, the Kansas Livestock
Association, DT Search and Designs
LLC, KLA Environmental Services Inc.,
Kansas Bioscience Authority, Kansas
Corn Commission, Missouri Life Science
Research Board, the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Kansas
Conservation Commission, Kansas Water
Office and the Kansas Department of
Health and Environment.
Source: Kansas State University News
Service
;(2,
(+=(5;(.,
6-(33;/,
(+=(5;(.,:
HEADLINE ADVANTAGE and
FINANCE ADVANTAGE are just
a few of the innovative offers BASF
has created to help growers like
you improve yield potential,
manage your fields, save money
and minimize risk.
Other offers include INVESTMENT
ADVANTAGE and INSURANCE
ADVANTAGE. They have been
developed especially by BASF,
because no one puts more on the
line for the American grower
than BASF.
Not all offers are available in all
states. Different qualifying
conditions apply for each offer.
For full terms and conditions, visit
GROWERSADVANTAGE.BASF.US.