N2 Applied

[Slowcow]

Just seen this in a old fw , fixes nitrogen into slurry or digestate using some sort of plasma, so just electric and air.

Apparently reduces ammonia and methane emissions?

There are a few running in UK, anyone know much about them? If it stabilises slurry maybe an alternative to a cover?

Wonder if the organic bodies would approve? No artificial off farm inputs

 

[Horn&corn]

We talked to them. Required a significant electric supply (50kw I think) which would be quite a cost now. Organic bodies would be fine as it’s using slurry better.
might have got it more efficient now.

 

[Ducky]

Currently have a trial/R&D model here, does use a lot of electricity however they are working on that
Reduces ammonia by 95%
Methane 99.9%
Should be an alternative to covering lagoons, but waiting on the go ahead from the EA.
Would think organic bodies should approve, but unfortunately doesn’t look hopeful just yet.

 

[Slowcow]

Currently have a trial/R&D model here, does use a lot of electricity however they are working on that
Reduces ammonia by 95%
Methane 99.9%
Should be an alternative to covering lagoons, but waiting on the go ahead from the EA.
Would think organic bodies should approve, but unfortunately doesn’t look hopeful just yet.

That's a huge reduction, do you have any figures for consumption? ie how many units of electric per m3 it uses?
Coupled with a ad plant would be a good outfit.
Where abouts are you?

 

[Ducky]

From my understanding, that's a difficult one answer as all slurry is different, but based on a 200 cow dairy, with slurry of average consistency it will require 50kW over 8000hrs/yr, treating roughly 3000 to 5000m3 with the nitrogen content of the treated product being doubled. As the units are 50 kWh capacity larger heads would require more units.
Will work on digestate
Based in Central Scotland

 

[Horn&corn]

£120,000 per year in Elec cost on 30p/kw!

 

[Slowcow]

I'd just worked that out too!!!

 

[vantage]

£120,000 per year in Elec cost on 30p/kw!

I'd just worked that out too!!!

Looks like it’s dead in the water then!
Bit like the dewatering system installed at Gelli Aur, never heard about it once the trial money dried up.

 

[Scholsey]

£120,000 per year in Elec cost on 30p/kw!

what does a normal separator cost to run kw wise? Must use a fair bit/m3 of slurry.

 

[Ducky]

Needs windmill or solar

 

[Slowcow]

Even so the electric still costs what you could sell it for, rough sums last night, it would use more electric to treat 200 cows worth of slurry than a 200 cow digester would produce??

Does it pull 50kw all the time time or just on start up? That's hell of a lot of power

 

[Horn&corn]

Needed 50kw supply but doubt it requires this all the time. They’re continually refining the process to be more efficient but creates a significant amount of waste heat if you wanted to run an adjacent drying system etc

 

[Slowcow]

Be interesting to know, that sort of consumption be enough to boil it all! How does it work? Guess there is an arc going with compressed air blown in to make a plasma?

 

[cattow]

what does a normal separator cost to run kw wise? Must use a fair bit/m3 of slurry.

Don’t know the answer, but it depends how high you have the separater, 5kw for separater my pump has to pump 5 meters high plus reception pit depth motor is 11 kw

 

[PREES]

Looks like it’s dead in the water then!
Bit like the dewatering system installed at Gelli Aur, never heard about it once the trial money dried up.

I think you will find that GA were at the Dairy Tech show this year and the system has evolved considerably with the "waste water" now of a standard that it can be discharged through reed beds.

 

[vantage]

I think you will find that GA were at the Dairy Tech show this year and the system has evolved considerably with the "waste water" now of a standard that it can be discharged through reed beds.

Good, although originally it was touted as being able to go down the ditch straight to a stream.

 

[Slurry Solutions]

what does a normal separator cost to run kw wise? Must use a fair bit/m3 of slurry.

based on using an S855 Bauer separator using a mixer and CSP feed pump you would be using a 17kw of power for around 35 m3/hr throughput, so based on your 30p/kwh you would be looking at around 15p per cube to separate 8%DM dairy slurry.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Currently have a trial/R&D model here, does use a lot of electricity however they are working on that
Reduces ammonia by 95%
Methane 99.9%
Should be an alternative to covering lagoons, but waiting on the go ahead from the EA.
Would think organic bodies should approve, but unfortunately doesn’t look hopeful just yet.

Would be interested to read more about this. It looks as if it is cost prohibitive at the moment. Where can I find out more?

Covers look the most likely option from a grant perspective but wondering about injectors at the moment too but not sure it can be justified.