Re: DIG-L: Using various digester feedstocks

[Jane <jaturnbu@ix.netcom.com>]

on 7/21/02 2:36 PM, Tom Hall at tomhall@alum.mit.edu wrote:

> I have a question about feedstock for the digesters.  I have fund a lot
> about manure and sewage digesters and only a few hints about other
> biomass.  I would like some information, experience, and references
> about the efficiency of using such things as:
> 
> 1)  Agriculture waste (especially year round food production in green
> houses)
> 2)  Perennials grown on marginal land and buffers.
> 3)  Other crops grown for the express purpose of producing methane for
> power.
> 4)  General biomass which is disposed of like that which people take to
> the dump and pay a fee to dump including brush, grass clippings, leaves,
> wood, etc.
> 5)  Other sources?
> 
> Is there a table some where listing the efficiencies of various
> materials and plants?

Tom,

If you find a table, please let me know.  I have agreed to develop a case
study assessing the potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by
using digestion, and there certainly will be variability between the
feedstocks as well as digestion technologies.

You are right that there is a fair amount of info around related to manure
and sewage digesters, and little about other biomass.

Some good work has been done at UC Davis in terms of digestion using a
fairly high solids digestion technology with agricultural residues.  The
initial work was done using rice straw as feedstock.  Since then assorted
food processing wastes have been evaluated.  Some work better than others.
EPRI is about to publish the results of efforts to digest a mix of fish
wastes with steam-exploded wood.  And discussions are under way to look into
deploying the system to manage green wastes for an entire California county.
Thus far, no results in terms of the latter.

Jane Turnbull
Peninsula Energy Partners
650/559-1766 


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