Kaushlendra SinghKaushlendra.Singh@mail.wvu.edu

April 03, 2013

Division of Forestry and Natural ResourcesWest Virginia University

Effect of Fractionation and Pyrolysis on Fuel Properties of Poultry Litter

Authors- Singh, K., M. Risse, J. Worley, K. C. Das, S. Thompson.

Year- 2010.

Title- Effect of fractionation and pyrolysis on fuel properties of poultry litter.

Journal- Journal of Air and Waste Management,

Volume (Issue)- 60(7)

Page# 875-83.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Presentation Overview

BackgroundMethodology Results

Pyrolysis product yieldsProperties of char and condensateEfficiency of pyrolysisNutrient distribution

Conclusions

Background

http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/servlets/purl/794292-6l279H/native/794292.pdf

Georgia ranks first in the United States in production of poultry and poultry products, supplying approximately 12% of U. S. production.

EDF. 2000. Animal Waste – a National Overview. Taken from Environmental Defense Fund Scorecard (www.scorecard.org) January 15, 2000.

Problems with land application

Approximately, 39% of the P produced is potentially exported to the state’s water ways.

Risse, L. M. and S.A. Cheadle. 1996. Pollution Prevention in Agricultural Livestock Production. http://www.p2pays.org/ref/02/01305.pdf

Dark blue areas represent more than 75lbs of phosphorous loading per acre per year

Background

Poultry litter

Fertilizer Energy

Screening

Fin

e

fracti

on

Coars

e

fracti

on

Ndegwa, P. M .1990. Fractionation of poultry litter for enhanced utilization and reduction of environmental pollution. MS thesis. Clarke, GA: The University of Georgia, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

Background

Thermo-chemical Pathways

Poultry LitterPyrolysis Bio-oil

Gas

Char

Gasification Synthesis Gas

Hydrogen

Combustion

Fra

cti

on

atio

nC

oars

e fr

actio

nF

ine

frac

tion

Poultry litter

Pelleting operation

Pyrolysis

Gasification/CombustionEnergy

Bio-oil

Gas

Char

Energy

Energy

Bin

der

Fertilizer pellets

Ene

rgy

Our Vision

Objective

To document the effect of fractionation (screen size 0.85mm), pyrolysis temperature and heating

rate on production, nutrient content, and gross heating values of char and bio-oil.

Experimental Procedure

Characterized Bio-oil

Proximate Analysis Bomb Calorimeter

Characterized CharStorage

Sampling

Two Controls: Raw and coarse fraction with No Pyrolysis

Type: Raw, coarse

Heating rate: 10 and 30°C/min

Temperature: 300 and 500°C

Efficiency of pyrolysis

C, N, S Distribution

Data Quality Indicators: Precision, Bias, Accuracy, Data completeness, Data representativeness

Treatments

The various components in pyrolysis setup are: 1. Nitrogen gas, 2. Gas diffuser, 3. Thermocouple to measure biomass temperature 4. Furnace (CV Furnace model ), 5. Data logger, 6. Computer, 7. Condenser coil, 8. Condensate collector, 9. Ice bath condenser made of five cylinders identical to #8, 10. Water bubbler, 11. Filter made of dry rite, quartz wool, and glass wool, 12. Exhaust, 13. Water discharge to drain, 14. Water inlet to condenser, 15. Reactor, 16. Gasket , 17. Biomass holding basket.

Batch Pyrolysis Reactor

Results: Pyrolysis Product Yield

Only temperature had effect on product yields. The achieved heating rates were in the range of 2.5 to 2.9 degC/min against target heating rates

Results: Condensate Phases

Heavy Phase

Medium Phase

Light Phase

Results: Condensate Phase Yield

heavy5%

medium81%

light14%

Condensate phases at 500°C

No treatment factor has significant effect on condensate phase yields

Pyrolysis Product Properties

Bio-CharEnergy ContentProximate analysis

Condensate

Results: Calorific value of chars

Treatment detail Calorific Value MJ/kgRaw, No Pyrolysis 13.80 ± 0.69a

Coarse, No Pyrolysis 16.63 ± 2.24b

Raw, 10˚C/min, 300˚C 15.83 ± 2.35b

Coarse, 10˚C/min, 300˚C 17.03 ± 1.40c

Raw, 30˚C/min, 300˚C 16.26 ± 1.69b

Coarse, 30˚C/min, 300˚C 17.39 ± 1.27c

Raw, 10˚C/min, 500˚C 16.36 ± 1.69b

Coarse, 10˚C/min, 500˚C 16.57 ± 1.42b

Raw, 30˚C/min, 500˚C 16.52 ± 2.18b

Coarse, 30˚C/min, 500˚C 16.73 ± 1.61c

Note: Numbers followed by same letter are not significantly different at 95% confidence level.

Heating value of wood char is generally 28-29 MJ/kg

(Raw)

(Coarse fr

action)

(Coarse, 3

00°C, 1

0°C/m

in)

(Coarse, 3

00°C, 3

0°C/m

in)

(Coarse, 5

00°C, 3

0°C/m

in)

14.5719.40

1.52 1.94 1.81

65.30 67.50

45.00 48.17

25.5523.93 21.91

33.61 31.33

43.12

10.77 10.59

21.39 20.49

31.33

Proximate analysis resultsMoisture Volatile matter Ash Fixed carbon

Only temperature affected proximate results

Results: Condensate properties

Type Appearance Carbon Oxygen Calorific value, MJ/kg

Moisture Content

coarse fraction (screen # 20, 0.85 mm) at 500°C and 30°C/minHeavy Phase

dark black, semi solid, tar like

56.64 ± 19.13a 28.60 ± 18.79a 31.46 ± 2.99a 4.00 ± 3.22a

Medium Phase

orange-brown water like

5.42 ± 2.10b 81.35 ± 2.55b 5.35 ± 0.54*b 41.98 ± 9.09b

Light Phase

gave dark grey easy flowing liquid

66.97 ± 16.40a 15.82 ± 19.14a 25.80 ± 3.21a 12.69 ± 7.74a

Medium phase was mostly waterLight phase may be used as boiler fuels

Nutrient Distribution

CarbonNitrogenSulfurMinerals

Results: Carbon distribution

Results: Nitrogen distribution

Results: Sulfur distribution

Minerals- It Matters..

Source of arsenic is roxarsone, an antibiotic additive to poultry feed.

Excessive dissolved organic carbon enhances arsenic solubility making its way to water bodies.

Poultry litter can have maximum of 41mg/kg arsenic for land application.

Pyrolysis process reduced ammonium nitrogen by 99% and nitrate nitrogen by 95%

Results: Efficiency of pyrolysis

Char coal energy conversion Coarse fractions had lower energy conversion

efficiency than raw poultry litter (p-value= 0.0153)

Increasing pyrolysis temperature reduced energy conversion efficiency (p-value=0.0003)

Coarse fraction char prepared at 300°C and 30°C/min retained 68.71± 9.37% of the total feedstock energy

Results: Efficiency of pyrolysis

Fixed carbon yield Only temperature significantly increased fixed carbon

yield from 18.82 ± 3.30% to 24.89 ± 3.13% when raised from 300°C to 500°C regardless of poultry litter type.

Charcoal Carbon yield The charcoal prepared at 300°C captured 64.26 ±

6.35% of the total feedstock carbon; however, 51.65 ± 5.84% carbon yield was recorded when pyrolysis temperature was 500°C.

Conclusions

The highest calorific value of the char coal (17.39 ± 1.27 MJ/kg) was made from the coarse fraction pyrolyzed at 300°C which captured 68.71± 9.37% of the total feedstock energy.

The pyrolysis process doubles the ash content in char but increased fixed carbon by 2.42 times that of the original feedstock.

Conclusions

Poultry litter must be heated above 500°C if the preferred product is light phase of the condensate to produce low grade liquid fuel but it would only capture 4.90 ± 3.91% of the feedstock carbon.

The medium fraction (84.62 ± 2.25% yield at 500°C) captured 27.54% of the total feedstock nitrogen at two temperatures and may be used as fertilizer.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Sid Thompson Dr. K.C. Das

K. Singh

Dr. Mark Risse

Dr. John Worley

Jim Palmer, EPA

That’s All Folks !!!!

Background and Justification

Economics of Poultry Litter fuel

• A typical farm (100k head/year) will produce about 125 dry tons litter each year

• If we use 100 dry tons of that litter in a 75% efficient gasifier, it would be equivalent to 9300 gallons of LPG, or $10,000 in equivalent value.

• The value of the resulting 25 tons of ash would be $1250 (as a fertilizer).

• The poultry grower only uses 6000 gallons of LPG in a year (82 dry tons of litter).

Reardon, J. P., J. Wimberly, and J. Avens. 2001. Demonstration of a small modular bio-power system using poultry litter. DOE SBIR Phase-1. Littleton, CO.: Community Power Corporation.