Ammonia Capture from CAFOs with Positive Economics for the Agriculture Industry

The poultry industry has long grappled with air quality challenges stemming from gaseous ammonia emissions. Scrutiny has intensified due to ammonia's role as an air pollutant contributing to the formation of harmful particulate matter known as PM2.5 and its suspected contribution to nitrogen pollution in surface water. Furthermore ammonia is a toxic gas continuously produced within poultry enclosures and often exceeds safe levels adversely affecting bird health and productivity. The project aims to advance an ammonia capture solution for concentrated animal feeding operations namely the poultry industry to reduce indoor ammonia concentrations to improve animal performance and lower environmental emissions to the atmosphere. The project proposes four objectives: (1) determine the effect of particulate matter (PM) on solution systems (2) incorporate new design constraints into the solution (3) determine the solution's operational envelope and (4) determine effect of PM on performance in a relevant environment. Through these objectives the solution will be improved to incorporate new design constraints and then be evaluated in simulated and relevant environments to define the system's operation envelope. By addressing these objectives the solution will undergo iterative enhancements to accommodate new design constraints and undergo rigorous evaluation in simulated and real-world conditions to define its operational parameters. Ultimately this project aims to deliver a viable small-scale solution vetted in practical conditions. Its successful implementation promises sustainable environmental benefits including reduced ammonia emissions enhanced animal welfare and improved production efficiency all while offering favorable economic outcomes for the industry.