1. Teaching Bioengineering: The Anaerobic Digester Scotch Plains Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains, NJ National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC-1009797 Abstract Methods Results-Digester Performance Conclusion Rutgers University Research Experience for Teachers in Engineering (RU RET-E) The project compared methane generation by anaerobic digestion of different types of animal farm waste, alone as well as comingled with other types of biomass, with potential energy and waste treatment applications for livestock, poultry and agricultural facilities. Centralized neutralization, processing, and conversion of potentially toxic biomass into usable fuel forms, holds tremendous economic, environmental and societal benefits. A batch of 21 anaerobic digesters was set up with biomass feedstock triplicates of the following compositions: horse manure, donkey manure, poultry manure, horse manure and woodchips, straw, 50/50 straw and horse manure, and pure sucrose. An innoculum of methanogenic microorganisms from the Elizabeth Waste Water Treatment Plant was added to each digester bottle. Additionally, a triplicate of control digesters was set up without a substrate. The experiments were run with 100 ml of innoculum and a back calculated ratio of Fixed Solids for each digester. Methane production was monitored following inoculation, and during incubation in mesophilic conditions at 35˚C, over the course of 17 days. Donna E. Fennell Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Department of Environmental Sciences Anaerobic Digestion of Equine Stall Waste B. Wartell, V. Krumins, R. George, J. Alt, B. Schwab, K. Kang and D. E. Fennell Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 2008 http://www.paksc.org/bio-energy/bio-gas-plant.html Acknowledgments A great thanks to Dr. Donna Fennel for her mentorship, overview of the field and integration into the daily workings of the Environmental Science Bioengineering laboratories. A great thanks to Sunirat Rattanna, Amanda Luther and Val Krumins for daily guidance, modeling and technical assistance with protocols, procedures and equipment. A great thanks to Dr. Evelyn Laffey and Dr. Kimberly Cook for their dedication to making RU RET-E program a success. The above results show that poultry waste generates more methane in early phases of anaerobic digestion, making it an economically efficient source of bioenergy. Its current uses as fertilizer might therefore be diversified to generate methane thereby also minimizing bacterial contamination. Straw and sucrose show uniform and consistent production rates, demonstrating their possible uses as additives to regulate the anaerobic digestion process. Wood chip and manure mixtures show poorer results possibly due to smaller surface areas and varied rates of lignin and cellulose break down. Finally, donkey and horse manures demonstrate significant rates of methane production supporting the development technologies for centralized and local livestock waste processing and biogas production. Our project, modeled on others in Dr. Fennel’s RU Bioengineering laboratory explores the application of anaerobic digestion as a step in centralized animal waste processing, thereby maximizing the value of this type of biomass and minimizing its negative impact on the environment. Ongoing work is examining the effects of different substrates, stimulators and inhibitors, as well as varied microbial community profiles on the processes of Methanogenesis. Additionally, the effects of combining food waste with manure to buffer acidification, and unify disposal and conversion of common agricultural waste products, are also being explored. How do different animal wastes compare in methane production? How does the addition of straw to animal manure effect methane production? manure 15.0050.7528182636.63.28E+011053.45E+013.27E+014.47E+0120503437.0626710438.5451836.775186.95E+018.07E+01191718.534.555233913.4765413.046547.07E+018.19E+01235740.742.84504popped manure 25.01740.75281916243.45E+011053.63E+013.45E+01 201049.836.3124110638.4911536.721157.12E+01192303.334.665353712.8261812.396187.26E+01217915.739.48842popped manure 35.05080.7528193238.73.48E+011976.86E+016.69E+01 197896.335.7185710236.4329434.662941.02E+02158065.428.218033710.4406710.010671.02E+02212688.238.50403popped m + sh 47.00070.6469100011.61.73E+01325.53E+003.76E+002.62E+00146371.226.01589235.9836554.2136557.98E+007.04E+00135500.223.9687871.6778141.2478142.08E+011.94E+0115939.61.454354100.145435-3.894561.69E+011.73E+01 m + sh 57.50920.646996255.61.66E+01254.14E+002.37E+00 139632.724.74697276.6816814.9116817.29E+00 145712.125.8917871.8124241.3824242.10E+01 147449.526.21895123.146274-0.893732.01E+01 m + sh 67.0270.646993202.71.60E+01223.52E+001.75E+00 143998.525.56909235.8808914.1108915.86E+00 127260.722.417261.3450320.9150321.62E+01 14260725.30706102.530706-1.509291.47E+01 poultry 73.03160.4348168576.83.02E+01popped 5.06E+01198430.535.8191719770.5637668.79376#VALUE!1.24E+02175496.831.500534213.2302212.80022#VALUE!1.36E+02189182.334.077644314.6533910.61339#VALUE!1.46E+02 poultry 82.99220.4348167126.92.99E+011785.33E+015.15E+01 202768.436.6360320274.0047972.234791.24E+02187587.733.777364214.1864913.756491.36E+0218449633.195164414.6058710.565871.46E+02 poultry 93.0390.4348167758.23.00E+011715.14E+014.96E+01 139954.724.8076popped#VALUE! 159224.928.436373810.8058210.37582#VALUE!181226.932.579566019.5477415.50774#VALUE! donkey 104.51660.6748147746.52.63E+01822.15E+011.98E+011.94E+01190389.434.3049514951.1143749.344376.91E+016.58E+01168954.630.268574012.1074311.677437.43E+017.17E+0119095234.410896020.6465416.606549.09E+018.71E+01 donkey 114.5020.67481400802.48E+01801.99E+011.81E+01 189840.934.2016614148.2243446.454346.45E+01 179389.632.233583912.571112.14117.09E+01 19073834.370595217.8727113.832718.47E+01 donkey 124.5240.6748156509.82.79E+01792.21E+012.03E+01 187939.333.8435713445.3503943.580396.39E+01 182955.532.905073912.8329812.402987.00E+01 197984.135.73515519.6543115.614318.56E+01 sucrose 250.31150727.22.68E+011423.81E+013.63E+014.00E+01170925.630.639738826.9629625.192966.15E+017.04E+01157798.728.1678205.6335615.2035617.20E+018.03E+01193550.734.900255117.7991313.759138.57E+019.59E+01 sucrose 260.31153029.22.73E+011323.60E+013.42E+01 175827.531.56289028.4065226.636526.09E+01171086.330.66999226.7473976.3173976.93E+01184128.533.125966421.2006117.160618.65E+01 sucrose 270.31187735.73.38E+011414.77E+014.59E+01 181933.232.7125613744.8162143.046218.89E+01166613.229.82766226.5620856.1320859.97E+01197657.635.673625619.9772315.937231.16E+02 straw 161.1280.98147163.42.62E+011102.88E+012.70E+013.27E+01184621.533.2188popped#VALUE! 6.68E+01177846.931.943073410.8606510.43065#VALUE!8.01E+01174928.731.393557021.9754817.93548#VALUE!1.02E+02 straw 171.00040.98153306.52.73E+011323.61E+013.43E+01 164438.829.41828525.0054723.235475.75E+01 176486.131.68682288.872318.442317.00E+01 199203.535.964736724.0963720.056379.00E+01 straw 181.24580.981633102.92E+011323.86E+013.68E+01 180861.532.5107512640.9635539.193557.60E+01 158650.128.3281339.511.1896110.759619.02E+01 193492.434.889277827.2136323.173631.13E+02 manure+ str 192.0140.8651893703.41E+011384.71E+014.53E+014.42E+01183323.132.974315049.4614447.691449.30E+018.80E+01165927.329.69853911.5824111.152419.31E+018.80E+01126231.922.2234740.888939-3.151069.00E+018.47E+01 manure+ str 202.26950.865183027.83.29E+011364.48E+014.30E+01 171720.630.7894312438.178936.40897.94E+01171074.230.667714212.8804412.450447.93E+01103748.817.9896840.719587-3.320417.59E+01 manure+ str 212.78130.865158908.12.84E+011624.60E+014.42E+01 163422.129.2267416849.1009347.330939.15E+01169886.130.443984814.6131114.183119.16E+01100516.717.3810440.695242-3.344768.82E+01 control 220 73426.21.23E+01151.84E+007.19E-02 100908.617.45484132.269130.499135.71E-01-2.76E-03107073.118.6156830.558470.12847#VALUE!-4.78E-01166887.329.87927123.585513-0.45449#VALUE!-2.94E-01 control 230 75307.81.26E+01141.77E+00-1.25E-03 82133.513.91931121.670317-0.09968-1.01E-01 80957.113.6977820.273956-0.15604#VALUE! 172702.430.97431144.3364040.296404#VALUE! control 240 77490.31.30E+01131.70E+00-7.42E-02 80741.513.65718101.365718-0.40428-4.78E-01 89109.215.232930.4569870.026987-4.78E-01 168449.730.17349144.2242890.184289-2.94E-01 g substrat%VS/100Day 5 Day 10 Day 12 Day 17 total wei PA%CH4Actual mlml CH4ml-controlAveragePA%CH4Actual mlml CH4 ml - controltotalAveragePA%CH4Actual mlml CH4ml-controlml/g VSAveragePA% CH4Actual mlml CH4ml-controlml/g VSAverage Digester Sampling and Analyses Comparing Levels of Methane for Varied Substrates Biogas Production  Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection Methane Content  Water displacement  Solid Weight Analysis References Students will complete a three week unit on bioengineering. Students will learn bioenergy vocabulary and current microorganism technologies. Students will apply complete an engineering resume detailing skills and education. Students will learn about simple third world biogas digesters. Students will diagram parts and properties of digester components using flow charts. Students will substitute Home Depot equipment for the flow chart components. Students will submit a proposal with a pricelist for their design. Design voted best will be funded, built and tested. Batch reactors in triplicate: Specific amount of horse manure volatile solids (g VS) Inoculated with municipal mesophilic anaerobic digester sludge Mixed and incubated at 35  C Methane production compared for different substrates Teaching Bioengineering RU RET-E Participant: Elena A. Podgorny Faculty Advisor: Dr. Donna Fennell Graduate Student Mentors: S. Rattana, A. Luther, V. Krumis