Covering Slurry lagoons??? Good thing or not???
- Thread starter J Magee
- Start date
Good if they can be moved to stir. Good in a heavy rainfall area, use a small pump to get the clean water off down the drain. Cost maybe a downer, although cheap in the long run.
ollie989898
Member
If that is going to stop the emissions of ammonia or nitrous oxides one jot I am a monkey.
- Location
- North Norfolk
How do you desilt? Stirring only gets you so far. I reckon that operation will be a major health and safety issue. Far better to reduce pH to about 5.5
bobajob
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Are you selling them?, is that why you are asking?!
Michael3112
Member
We cut the cover off the lagoon where i am few weeks ago to uncover true extent of not being mixed properly for 4 years of not being able to see what was going an they decided it wont be being covered again
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
What is gained by reducing the ph?
And what is the health and safety issues?
- Location
- North Norfolk
By lowering pH you move ammonia gas to ammonium ions which stay in solution rather than escape to atmosphere. The effect carries on from storage into the spreading, so you get much more N available to the crop. If you use sulphuric acid you are making ammonia sulphate fertiliser.
Health and safety - there is no way you would get me or any of the farm staff under a cover to degrit - the space would be near impossible to ventilate properly so would be a death trap. The cover would have to be removed on a regular basis for degritting, not an easy option so some might be tempted to go underneath.
That's really interesting, I have just been reading about it. Do you reduce your slurry ph at the moment and know what cost there is in doing it?
Durry cows
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
Is this the principal that slurry bugs are based on by any chance? @Great In Grass shed any light?
J Magee
Member
The rain water is a good point as I could use that rather than put it down the drain.
J Magee
Member
Yes that is why I am asking. Trying to see what people really think of them both good and bad. I am dealing with some IPPC pig farmers at the moment who are having to cover there lagoons and they are not over the moon about it. However truth be told it looks like it is something that is going to be pushed on dairy industry as well as it looks like all dairy units over 150 head will fall under IPPC rules.
J Magee
Member
- Location
- North Norfolk
I am in the process of setting a system up to inject acid into our digestate before it enters the separator. I am the only engineer here, would progress faster if I had some help - know anyone?
Homesy
Member
- Location
- North West Devon
I think the best idea is the floating balls or hexagon floats if they are acceptable. Just dump them in and forget. Stir as usual.
http://www.tramspread.co.uk/files/6114/1595/5221/hexa-cover-floating-cover-brochure-agriculture.pdf
http://www.tramspread.co.uk/files/6114/1595/5221/hexa-cover-floating-cover-brochure-agriculture.pdf
I did the same!
Ended up with a 5' crust,circulated it,blew air into it,bugs etc.. nothing worked! Admitted defeat and cut the cover off.
Ideally need a tensioned cover,not sure why they're only available for round stores.
- Location
- Cornwall.
Quote from the product information sheet on the slurry bacteria (saves a lot of typing too!);
Organic waste is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty materials and fibres, which solidify and make it difficult to liquefy and reduce them. The insoluble solids and suspensions element is particularly difficult to break down. As a result, the solid build-up and cake must be liquefied outside the bacterial cells and through the action of enzymes segregated by special bacteria.
The enzymes are protein biocatalysts produced by all living cells, which catalyse the specific biochemical reactions that turn the proteins, hydrocarbons, fats and fibres into products necessary for the cellular metabolism. Once the cellular metabolism has been produced, the bacteria multiply and segregate enzymes that digest more waste material. In essence, a biological chain reaction begins that can continue until all the organic material has disappeared.
SLURRY SOL is a compound of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria necessary for the molecular metabolism of the bacteria. Therefore, it works as a biological activator that breaks down the residual organic matter by enzymatic means.
Pits and drains do not have sufficient oxygen and have an unusually high biological demand for oxygen. As a result, they give off bad smells. With SLURRY SOL it is possible to reduce the B.O.D. by breaking down the waste thus to automatically reduce the bad smell.
SLURRY SOL contains materials that increase the activity of the enzymes, such as salts, humectants, energetic products that catalyse and accelerate decomposition reactions, and humidifiers to increase the contact between enzymes and the waste materials.
The formula of SLURRY SOL complies with the principle of waste retention until the bacteria can digest the solid materials. In this way, only the materials made soluble can flow from the pit or be easily absorbed.
SLURRY SOL contains pH buffer materials, however, it is best not to send large amounts of acids or alkalis to the pit. Temperature enhances the action of SLURRY SOL provided it does not exceed 40 ºC. The lower the temperature, the lower the speed with which the waste is broken down.
- Location
- Northumberland
What is the formula for calculating how much acid is required ?
J Magee
Member
LECA (floating balls) will allow for free agitation. However in high rain fall areas keeping rain water out will be a high priority. When it comes to effective mixing under covers it come down to the design of the lagoon and type of mixing you put in. You can put mega mix systems under the sheet or a traditional PTO driven mixer that has cage built under the cover to accommodate.
On the point of tensioned cover over a lagoon it is possible but very very expensive.
