 |
|
Thermochemical process converts poultry litter into bio-oil
August 20, 2007Provides safer, more environmentally friendly solution to waste disposal
Foster Agblevor, associate professor of biological systems engineering, is leading the team of researchers in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (http://www.cals.vt.edu) at Virginia Tech (http://www.vt.edu) developing transportable pyrolysis units that will convert poultry litter into bio-oil, providing an economical disposal system while reducing environmental effects and biosecurity issues.
Agblevor will present the research during the 234th American Chemical Society National Meeting in Boston on August 19-23.
Agblevor is working with poultry growers to test technology that would convert poultry litter to three value-added byproducts - pyrodiesel (bio-oil), producer gas, and fertilizer. The pyrolysis unit heats the litter until it vaporizes. The vapor is then condensed to produce the bio-oil, and a slow release fertilizer is recovered from the reactor. The gas can then be used to operate the pyrolysis unit, making it a self-sufficient system.
More than 5.6 million tons of poultry litter are produced each year in the United States. The litter consists of a mixture of bedding, manure, feathers, and spilled feed. According to Agblevor, current disposal methods, such as land application and feeding to cattle, are under pressure because of pollution of water resources due to leaching and runoff and concern about mad cow disease contamination in the food chain. There are also concerns that poultry litter can harbor such diseases as avian influenza. While avian influenza is not harmful to humans, people can spread it on their shoes, with their vehicles, or through movement of litter.
"The self-contained transportable pyrolsis unit will allow poultry producers to process the litter on site rather than having to haul the litter to a separate location," Agblevor said. "In addition, the thermochemical process destroys the microorganisms reducing the likelihood of the transmission of disease to other locations."
Poultry litter from broiler chickens and turkeys and bedding materials (wood shavings or peanut hulls) were converted into bio-oils in a fast pyrolysis fluidized bed reactor.
According to Agblevor, bio-oil yields ranged from 30 to 50 percent by weight, depending on the age and the bedding content of the litter. Bedding material that was mostly hardwood shavings yielded bio-oil as high as 62 percent by weight. The higher heating value of the poultry litter bio-oil ranged from 26 to 29 mega joules per kilogram while bio-oil from bedding material was only 24 mega joules per kilogram. The bio-oils had relatively high nitrogen content ranging from 4 percent to 7 percent by weight, very low sulfur content, below 1 percent by weight, and were very viscous. The char yield ranged from 30 percent to 50 percent by weight, depending on the source, age, and composition of the poultry litter. The char also had a high ash content, ranging from 30 percent to 60 percent by weight, depending on the age and source of litter.
"The type of poultry litter used will affect the amount and quality of the bio-oil produced and ultimately will impact the producer's profitability," Agblevor said. "Finding the right set of conditions for the poultry litter is key to the adaptation of this technology."
Virginia Tech
Agblevor is working with poultry growers to test technology that would convert poultry litter to three value-added byproducts - pyrodiesel (bio-oil), producer gas, and fertilizer. The pyrolysis unit heats the litter until it vaporizes. The vapor is then condensed to produce the bio-oil, and a slow release fertilizer is recovered from the reactor. The gas can then be used to operate the pyrolysis unit, making it a self-sufficient system.
More than 5.6 million tons of poultry litter are produced each year in the United States. The litter consists of a mixture of bedding, manure, feathers, and spilled feed. According to Agblevor, current disposal methods, such as land application and feeding to cattle, are under pressure because of pollution of water resources due to leaching and runoff and concern about mad cow disease contamination in the food chain. There are also concerns that poultry litter can harbor such diseases as avian influenza. While avian influenza is not harmful to humans, people can spread it on their shoes, with their vehicles, or through movement of litter.
"The self-contained transportable pyrolsis unit will allow poultry producers to process the litter on site rather than having to haul the litter to a separate location," Agblevor said. "In addition, the thermochemical process destroys the microorganisms reducing the likelihood of the transmission of disease to other locations."
Poultry litter from broiler chickens and turkeys and bedding materials (wood shavings or peanut hulls) were converted into bio-oils in a fast pyrolysis fluidized bed reactor.
According to Agblevor, bio-oil yields ranged from 30 to 50 percent by weight, depending on the age and the bedding content of the litter. Bedding material that was mostly hardwood shavings yielded bio-oil as high as 62 percent by weight. The higher heating value of the poultry litter bio-oil ranged from 26 to 29 mega joules per kilogram while bio-oil from bedding material was only 24 mega joules per kilogram. The bio-oils had relatively high nitrogen content ranging from 4 percent to 7 percent by weight, very low sulfur content, below 1 percent by weight, and were very viscous. The char yield ranged from 30 percent to 50 percent by weight, depending on the source, age, and composition of the poultry litter. The char also had a high ash content, ranging from 30 percent to 60 percent by weight, depending on the age and source of litter.
"The type of poultry litter used will affect the amount and quality of the bio-oil produced and ultimately will impact the producer's profitability," Agblevor said. "Finding the right set of conditions for the poultry litter is key to the adaptation of this technology."
Virginia Tech
Poultry News and Current Poultry Events RSSIowa State University experts can discuss new FDA produce irradiation rule
The Food and Drug Administration's new (Aug. 22) regulation that will allow irradiation pasteurization to be used on fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce to kill illness-causing bacteria is a step that two Iowa State University professors have long advocated.
The pandemic potential of H9N2 avian influenza viruses
Since their introduction into land-based birds in 1988, H9N2 avian influenza A viruses have caused multiple human infections and become endemic in domestic poultry in Eurasia.
New UGA invention effectively kills foodborne pathogens in minutes
University of Georgia researchers have developed an effective technology for reducing contamination of dangerous bacteria on food.
Is it time to revisit the current protein recommendations?
Current protein recommendations were established with the goal of preventing deficiency, but newer research indicates that many adults may benefit from eating more than the minimum requirement.
Study finds healthy intestinal bacteria within chicken eggs: Finding could have important implications for poultry industry, food safety
The conventional wisdom among scientists has long been that birds acquire the intestinal bacteria that are necessary for good health from their environment, but a new University of Georgia study finds that chickens are actually born with those bacteria.
Battling bird flu by the numbers
A pair of Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have developed a mathematical tool that could help health experts and crisis managers determine in real time whether an emerging infectious disease such as avian influenza H5N1 is poised to spread globally.
New vaccine may give long-term defense against deadly bird flu and its variant forms
A new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
Researchers discover gene behind devastating vitamin B12-related disorder
Swiss, British and Canadian researchers have identified the gene responsible for a rare but serious genetic disorder and have simultaneously provided more clues as to how vitamin B12 works in the body. Their results will be published April 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Chips could speed up detection of livestock viruses
Some of the worst threats to farm workers and farm animals such as bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and other emerging viruses could soon be quickly identified by using a simple screening chip developed by scientists from the Institute for Animal Health, scientists will hear today (Monday 31 March 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's 162nd meeting being held this week at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The difference in eating habits between men and women
When it comes to what we eat, men and women really are different according to scientific research presented today (March 19) at the 2008 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia.
More Poultry News Articles
 | Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide by Rick Luttmann, Gail Luttmann Your backyard can be the source of the best eggs and meat you've ever tasted. The answer is chickens--endearing birds that require but a modest outlay of time, space and food.As they learned to raise chickens, Gail and Rick Luttmann came to realize the need for a comprehensive but clear and nontechnical guide. Their book covers all the basics in a light and entertaining sytle, from housing and... |
 | Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Salatin A couple working six months per year for 50 hours per week on 20 acres can net $25,000-$30,000 per year with an investment equivalent to the price of one new medium-sized tractor. Seldom has agriculture held out such a plum. In a day when main-line farm experts predict the continued demise of the family farm, the pastured poultry opportunity shines like a beacon in the night, guiding the way to a... |
 | Gardening with Guineas: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Guinea Fowl on a Small Scale by Jeannette S. Ferguson Gardening with Guineas is a delightful and informative guide to raising guinea fowl. It covers the life of a guinea from egg throughout adult, including incubation, feeding, housing, training and common problems. In Gardening with Guineas you will learn: Reasons for raising guinea fowl, what you need to know before you buy, working with newborns and young keets, handling typical problems, and... |
 | Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds by Carol Ekarius Farmers and fanciers keep an astonishing variety of poultry breeds in North America. These birds provide meat and eggs to nourish us and feathers to keep us warm. Their quirky personalities and charming good looks make them barnyard favorites. They inspire passionate devotion from show breeders and provide a living for farmers. Presented here, breed by breed, are more than 120 barnyard fowl... |
 | The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow Packed with relevant information for all breeds and ages, this book covers nutrition, disease, immunity, and anatomy. Written for the chicken fancier and... |
 | Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit (Hobby Farms) by Sue Weaver Helps hobby farmers to become more knowledgeable about their poultry and to better appreciate the bountiful gifts they... |
 | Living with Chickens: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock by Jay Rossier Chickens-why not? Tens of thousands of people in all areas of the country enjoy raising these birds, whether for food or companionship. You can, too, with this indispensable guide. Then again, you may want to read Living With Chickens just for the sheer joy of it. Straightforward prose and dozens of clear, detailed illustrations gives any future chicken farmer the tools he needs to get started,... |
 | The Meat Buyers Guide : Meat, Lamb, Veal, Pork and Poultry by NAMP North American Meat Processors Association For well over sixty years, the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) has provided the foodservice industry with reliable guidelines for purchasing meat. The Meat Buyer's Guide: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Pork, and Poultry maintains the authoritative information professionals expect, and by including information from The Poultry Buyer's Guide in this new edition, it offers a complete,... |
 | The Best Chicken Recipes Would you roast 40 chickens to find a simple, foolproof method that results in perfectly cooked meat and beautifully browned skin every time? We did. Here are 300 exhaustively tested recipes for America's favorite main course. Chicken is the go-to main course for most Americans, but the same old recipes featuring bland, dry chicken are all too often the norm - resulting in a collective sigh... |
 | 103 Uses for Your Turkey Fryer by G&R Publishing If you don't have a turkey fryer yourself, you know someone who does. And, odds are, it sits empty and unused in the corner of your garage or basement until Turkey Day rolls around once a year. Well, it's now time to dust it off as you discover the 103 NEW recipes and ideas we have for your turkey fryer! Some of the NEW ideas and recipes on the pages of this book include making maple syrup,... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |