BioCycle July 2011, Vol. 52, No. 7, p. 47
Fast Backyard Composting
A new 65-gallon compost tumbler from Lifetime Products, a manufacturer of blow-molded lawn and garden products, features a large internal aeration system that accelerates and simplifies the composting process, according to the manufacturer. The tumbler’s design allows it to turn on an axis using built-in handles. During each turn, the large aerated internal bar mixes the compost, enabling air to flow through the unit. A spring-loaded locking pin prevents the tumbler from rotating during filling. The Lifetime tumbler is constructed of black, double-wall high-density polyethylene (HDPE) panels specifically designed to absorb and retain heat. Visit www.lifetime.com.
Hre Partners With Achor Anaerobic
Homeland Renewable Energy recently announced that its anaerobic digestion (AD) division, Homeland Biogas Energy (HB Energy), has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Achor Anaerobic LLC, a provider of innovative AD technology. Under the agreement, HB Energy will use Achor’s unique achorlytic enzyme and digestion-inoculating technology to increase biogas production from digestible materials – including animal and food wastes – in its projects. HB Energy will also work with Achor to license the technology to third parties. Large-scale tests of the inoculating system are being conducted at AD facilities operated by HB Energy in Wisconsin. Visit www.homelandbiogasenergy.com and www.achoranaerobic.com.
Partnership Brings Biogas Technology To Canada
Canadian biogas company Carbon Control Systems (CCS) has teamed with German technology provider agriKomp with the goal of becoming Canada’s first turnkey anaerobic digestion system provider. CCS-agriKomp’s reference plant is a 135-kW on-farm digester in Millbrook, Ontario. The facility processes dairy manure, corn silage and grease from nearby restaurants.Vancouver-based Octaform Systems is a stay-in-place PVC concrete forming system used for the tanks, eliminating the need for secondary seals or treatments. The biogas provides enough energy to dry grain in a 180-metric-ton batch dryer, power CCS-agriKomp’s 7,600-square-foot headquarters and provides electricity to more than 50 homes. Visit http://ccs-agrikomp.ca.
Consciously Combating Corrosion
Through a combination of research and turning to nature, Cortec Corporation has developed new technologies to create biobased alternatives that offer complete corrosion control. Its BioCortec product line includes: EcoEmitter corrosion protection for electronic and optical equipment and components; EcoAir air-powered aerosol replacement to traditional chemical propellants; EcoLine canola- and soy-based VpCI technology; foam devices made from soy vegetable oils and bio-based fibers that enable corrosion protection by emitting VpCI molecules that adsorb onto metal surfaces, and; Migratory Corrosion Inhibitors (MCI), concrete additives derived from sugar beets and soybeans used to prevent corrosion of rebar. Visit www.cortecvci.com.
Grinder Runs Cleaner
Vermeer Corporation has redesigned the HG6000 horizontal grinder with enhancements including a Tier 4i/Stage IIIB engine to meet both wood waste processors’ needs for productivity and government emission standards. The redesigned engine meets all U.S., Canada and European Union tier regulations while producing 755 horsepower (563 kW), a 20 percent increase over the previous Tier 3 engine, according to Vermeer. A dual-screen system allows screens to be mixed and matched to attain the desired end product. The screens are also reversible and interchangeable to obtain maximum usage of the wear portion of the screen. The transition area between the anvil and screen was eliminated, increasing the screen area on the HG6000 by 20 percent, which allows for more throughput. Visit www.vermeer.com.
Residential Customer RNG
FortisBC, a natural gas and electric utility in British Columbia, is making its renewable natural gas (RNG) product available to residential customers in several regions of the province. Eligible customers have the option of designating 10 percent of their household’s natural gas usage as RNG. FortisBC will then inject an equivalent amount of RNG into its distribution system from local projects, such as farm digesters and landfill gas. Households will pay an additional $4 per month, based on average annual consumption of 95 gigajoules. FortisBC created a video to market the RNG with the theme, “Bacteria Make Yuck Useful.” Visit http://fortisbc.com/renewablenaturalgas.
Digester Gas Conditioning
Guild Associates, Inc. supplied its Molecular Gate Adsorption Technology to Ameresco, Inc. for conditioning raw digester gas from the San Antonio (Texas) Water System (SAWS) into pipeline gas quality. The Guild pressure swing adsorption system (PSA) is capable of processing 1,300 scfm of raw gas at the SAWS plant. After compression to 100 psig, the gas is introduced to the PSA system where water vapor, C02, H2S, VOCs and siloxanes are removed. The product gas is delivered at 90 psig and then further compressed to 750 psig for injection into a high-pressure sales gas pipeline. Visit www.moleculargate.com.
