Demonstration of Modular Biopower System Using Poultry Waste

65569 The use of poultry waste for power generation often involves transporting the poultry waste to centralized power stations and pelletizing facilities. However, siting, financial, and feedstock supply issues have led to pending legislation to control the disposal of the waste, which could have significant financial impact on the poultry industry, especially on small and medium growers that comprise the majority of operations. Small, modular biopower units that convert poultry waste to heat and power at small and medium size operations would address this situation, but such technology does not exist in the U.S.. This project will develop small modular biopower options so that poultry waste can be used to generate electricity and heat for on-site applications. In Phase I, analyses of poultry waste were conducted, its fuel properties were characterized, and its ash was evaluated as a source of fertilizer. The poultry waste was successfully converted to utility-grade AC power, and commercial options were identified for local biopower solutions to the poultry waste problem. Phase II will perform sub-scale tests of alternative small biopower generation technologies. Then, an on-farm modular biopower system will be designed and constructed, and field trials will be conducted. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Local, distributed power solutions to the poultry waste problem should resolve siting, economic, feedstock transportation, and supply issues raised by large central power plants. With a conservative 20% market penetration in the U.S. market, sales of biopower equipment should exceed $500 million. The value of the electricity, heat, and fertilizer would comprise an additional $90 million per year.