DIG-L: Anaerobic digestion of horse manure questions

[Dan Bentler <dbentler@uswest.net>]

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Here in the Seattle areaa concern with composted horse manure has
increased as a result of a pile sliding into a creek.  The County has
started a pilot project with a waste contractor to drop off garbage type
dumpsters to contain horse manure and truck it to the next county for
composting.  Seems to me anaerobic digestion would help solve some of
this problem.  I need some input for a project I am starting to provide
digestors to the horse owners.  Here is what I have in mind:

1.  These would be designed for "average size" saddle horse.

2  These would be a modular design.  Each module would have 5 horse
capacity (so you would need 3 modules for 15 horses).

3  Modules would be designed so that they could be easily connnected
("plugged") together

4  Modules can be handled by standard container handling equipment to
allow marine, rail and truck shipping.

5  The USDA NRCS design standard (code 354i) would be used.

6  These would be a complete mix digester using 3 tanks per module to
provide redundancy and allow for maintenance without shutting entire
system down.

7  Operating temperature would be 100F.  Compressed natural gas would be
used for heat in startup and produced gas would be used after that.

8  Input would allow for separation of wood chips, hay, stone, etc.

QUESTIONS

What is the weight and volume of manure from the "standard size" saddle
horse?

What is the volume of gas that could be obtained from the manure
produced by the "standard size" saddle horse?

What would the ratio of CO2 and CH4 be in the produced mixture?

What would the heat value of the gas be (CO2 and CH4 mixture as
produced)?

Total volume of digester for 1 horse?

What is the reduction in volume as the manure is digested --  ie what is
input volume and what is the output volume?

If you have the data for dairy cows I could use it also for the same
questions.

Do you think AsStar would be interested in this project?   Who would I
call in Seattle?

Thank you for your time

Dan Bentler
Recovered Energy Resources
8522 Dallas So Box C
Seattle Wa 98108
dbentler@sttl.uswest.net
206 768 9363

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