Farm & Ranch
[AgriLife Today] Cotton gin trash finding new life for electrical power
By: Blair Fannin
Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Sergio Capareda, 979-458-3028, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION – Finding sustainable markets for gin trash, wood chips and other waste products could be viable in producing more electrical power for a growing global population, according to researchers.
A demonstration was held recently on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station showcasing a biomass-fueled fluidized bed gasifier, utilizing cotton gin trash and wood chips to power an electric generator. The fluidized bed gasification system was developed in the 1980s when a patent was issued to Drs. Calvin Parnell Jr. and W.A. Lepori, who were both part of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station now Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
The fluidized bed gasification system was developed in the 1980s when a patent was issued to (left) Drs. Calvin B. Parnell, Jr. and (far right) W.A. Lepori, part of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (now Texas A&M AgriLife Research). Cotton gin trash and other biomass feedstocks have been used as fuel to generate heat energy for power production. The technology has been a focal point for (center)Dr. Sergio Capareda, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research agricultural engineer in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M, who researched the technology while working on his graduate degree during the late 1980s. Parnell and LePori were Capareda’s graduate advisors. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin)
Cotton gin trash and other biomass feedstocks have been used as fuel to generate heat energy for power production. The technology has been a focal point for Dr. Sergio Capareda, AgriLife Research agricultural engineer in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M, who researched the technology while working on his graduate degree during the late 1980s. Parnell and LePori were Capareda’s graduate advisors.
Cotton gin trash is produced in abundance at cotton gins across Texas and usually left unutilized, Capareda said. During harvest season, piles of cotton gin trash can be found at gins throughout the state.
“The process is gasification,” Capareda said. “We limit the amount of air to thermally convert the biomass so the products are combustible gases. These are collectively called synthesis gas. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen, plus a little methane, ethlyene, these are a combustible mixture. Combustible in a sense that you can feed it into an internal combustible engine coupled with a generator so you can turn this fuel into electrical power.”
“It’s easier said than done, because you have to remove the biochar and all the tar in the syngas before it goes into the engine. We have cleaned up the gas very well in this technology.”
The technology converts biomass into electrical power, making it an attractive opportunity for the ag, processing industry and electric utilities.
“For this particular demonstration, we used the conversion of cotton gin trash into electrical power,” Capareda said. “We also used wood waste and turned it into electrical power. With the price of electrical power at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, the economics are very simple. If you run a 1 megawatt system and sell power for 10 cents per kilowatt an hour, your gross revenue is $1 million. If you find some countries overseas where power is very high, this technology is very attractive.”
A demonstration was held recently on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station showcasing a biomass fueled fluidized bed gasifier, utilizing cotton gin trash and wood chips to power an electric generator. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin)
Cotton gin trash and other biomass feedstocks have been used as fuel to generate heat energy for power production. The technology has been a focal point for Dr. Sergio Capareda, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research agricultural engineer in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M, who researched the technology while working on his graduate degree during the late 1980s. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Blair Fannin) Capareda said the biomass used in the system has to be consistent, meaning whether you are using cotton gin trash or wood chips, it has to be relatively dry and clean without soil, rocks or metals.
“That’s how you begin, make sure it is dry and consistent,” he said. “Then you can run this system 24/7. We need 1.5-2 tons per hour or about 36 tons a day to generate 1 megawatt depending on the type of biomass. High-energy content biomass would need a little less than that. It also depends on heating value and moisture content of biomass.”
Bob Avant, director of corporate relations for AgriLife Research, said
“(This technology) has taken a very evolutionary approach going from a very basic system to one that is computerized. We’re very excited about it and think it has some good applications. We have a number of very big companies interested in this intellectual property.”
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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