June 12, 2009
ATI Petroleum develops new bioreactor for poultry farms
The American Technologies Inc. (ATI) Petroleum has developed a newly patented bioreactor technology that will be used on poultry farms in Georgia to decompose waste, with the resulting methane being used to produce electricity for use on the farms.
ATI Petroleum conducted trials at five locations; one at Bakersfield, Georgia, US, and four in Vietnam. The trials showed that all five pilot plants were able to generate clean energy and reduce greenhouse gases and leakage from landfills to nearly zero, the company said.
The aerobic bioreactor technology uses less odorous components than anaerobic digestion and decreases sludge, according to Alicia McDonald, director of research for ATI's Clean Energy Division.
Microbes degrade the waste mass, which could include animal manure, agricultural and forestry waste, food waste, paper and other organic biodegradable products. The feedstock is broken down into a safe, easy to handle, odour-free and nutrient-rich organic fertiliser, McDonald said.
She added that promoting optimal conditions necessary for bacteria to thrive increases the extent of organic waste decomposition and increases conversion rates and the effectiveness of the process.
McDonald said the company is developing up to 30-year contracts with Vietnamese poultry farmers near Atlanta, Georgia.
Besides being environmentally friendly and producing a less putrid fertiliser than ones on the market, the bioreactor eliminates the problems of waste storage and groundwater contamination, and saves farmers money on removal and tipping fees.
The bioreactor can run on wood chips, manure and carcasses from the poultry farms. Running 5.5 10-week cycles per year, the bioreactor can decompose 504 tonnes of chicken manure, 1,500 tonnes of wood chips and 54 tonnes of defeathered chicken carcasses per cycle, McDonald said.
The manure can produce about 30,240 cubic metres of methane, which converts to about 317,000 kilowatt hours of energy, and the wood chips can produce about 15,120 cubic metres of methane, converted to about 159,000 kilowatt hours of energy, she said.
Poultry farmers can use that energy to power their farms and homes. Any extra energy may be sold to the grid and ATI is in discussions with some utility companies to develop agreements.
