What is new is the concept of reclaiming the nutrients or the fiber back from the manure, and turning them into "value-added" products. Digesters essentially oxidize organics in manure (which is 90 percent water) and remove the odor, so that the organic matter effectively "cooks" itself within several days. ![]() The use of anaerobic digesters is not new in fact, the concept has been around for decades. The largest system was built in 1982 - for 15,000 dairy animals all on one site - which paid for itself within two years. "Our study examined the feasibility of a centralized facility in the York area, which would be able to generate electricity from the methane, and return the digested, stabilized material back to the farm."Ĭurrently, there are over 100 anaerobic digesters, as the central plant is called, in operation on farms in this country - and nearly half use design information generated at Cornell, Jewell said. "The dairy industry is being challenged more than ever to provide better waste management in the areas of pollutant run-off, volatilization of methane and carbon dioxide, and odor control," Jewell said. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service. Peter Fleszar, former Cornell research support specialist and Amy Safinski and Adam Zucker, Cornell undergraduate students in agricultural and environmental engineering. Wright, Cornell senior extension associate in agricultural engineering N. presentation will be for the general public. presentation will be for dairy producers and individuals closely associated with dairy production. York is located north of Geneseo, N.Y., in Livingston County.ĭue to space limitation, the 10 a.m. William Jewell, Cornell professor of agricultural and biological engineering, will present a report "Evaluation of Anaerobic Digestion for Groups of Dairy Farms in Upstate New York," at an open meeting March 24 at the City of York Town Hall, 2668 Main St. All this, and it would more than pay for itself, too. The community around York will hear a report on Monday, March 24, on the feasibility of a central plant that would remove manure odor, recycle manure for value-added products, improve dairy waste management and perhaps provide energy back to the community. But with the help of Cornell University agricultural engineers, the community literally may soon clear the air. ![]() In a 20-mile radius of York, N.Y., more than 30,000 dairy cows on 100 farms produce as much sludge as 1.5 million people.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |