BioCycle September 2011, Vol. 52, No. 9, p. 63
Fuel Flexible Biogas Engine
Expanding the company’s lineup of biogas engines for a wider range of power outputs, General Electric (GE) recently unveiled its 1 MW APG1000 gas engine at SWANA’s 2011 WASTECON Conference. The Waukesha unit’s expanded biogas capabilities are the result of an 18-month redesign and testing initiative that included modifications to the combustion chamber, a new spark-plug design and a new fuel-control system that simplifies engine startup and operation. For example, the engine’s greater fuel tolerances allow it to handle fluctuations in the thermal quality of the biogas with little or no manual intervention. “The APG1000′s new biogas fuel system has made a significant improvement to the engine’s load stability, despite fluctuations in the heating value of the fuel gas,” said Bob Weston, managing director of New Zealand-based energy supplier Entec Services Limited. “This is particularly beneficial on smaller digester and landfill sites, which, by their nature, are more prone to varying fuel quality.” www.ge.com
New Recycling Station
CleanRiver Recycling Solutions, a division of Midpoint International, introduces a new waste and recycling station that can be configured – and reconfigured – to meet current and future requirements. CleanSort Transition Series Recycling Stations use stream-specific, interchangeable openings and internal dividers to accept multiple types of waste and recyclables in a single unit. These modular units can adapt to waste stream changes thereby extending their life cycle and contributing to the return on investment and efficacy of a recycling program. www.cleanriver.com
Small-Scale Dry Digester
Zero Waste Energy (ZWE) announced expansion of its Kompoferm technology license to include SmartFerm, a small-scale, shop-fabricated modular system capable of processing between 4,000 and 10,000 tons/year of organic waste. The technology features include a thermophilic process for increased gas production and pathogen reduction in the digesters in a 21-day cycle. Both the SmartFerm and Kompoferm digesters are manufactured by Eggersmann Anlagenbau. www.zerowasteenergy.com
Good Production From Low-Speed Shredder
A Komptech Terminator 5000 shredder and Multistar 3SE star screen are used by AIM Environmental Group at the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada composting facility it manages that processes over 60,000 metric tons of source separated organics. The Terminator works at the beginning of the process, shredding waste to 7-inch minus and breaking open bags and containers. The low-speed, high-torque design of the shredder helps keep contaminants in the material from shutting it down. AIM says the Terminator has much higher efficiency than high-speed shredders it has used, giving four times the throughput with less than half the power consumption. After composting, material passes through a Komptech Multistar 3SE star screen with throughput of 160 cubic yards/hour. www.komptechusa.com
Big Green Conveyor
Well known for selling high-quality new and used recycling equipment, GrinderCrusherScreen.com introduces the Big Green Machine Radial Stacking Conveyor for feeding and stockpiling high volumes of mulch and soil. It comes equipped with a large 10-yard hopper and an extra-wide 54-inch variable speed feeder that discharges onto a heavy-duty 90-foot conveyor that can reach heights up to 47 feet. Another application for the Big Green Machine is to stockpile wood chips as they come off of a wood grinder. Most radial conveyors are not large enough to carry the volume of mulch that a large grinder can process, says the company. The Big Green Machine feeder/conveyor can transport up to 500 yards/hour. www.GrinderCrusherScreen.com
Digester Project Proceeds
A $23 million facility that plans to take in regional food and green waste from a variety of sources in and around Columbia, South Carolina was announced recently by W2E Organic Power, a digester developer, Ciycor, a construction company and codeveloper of the project as well as financial partner, and Eisenmann, the anaerobic digester technology provider. Power produced by the 48,000 metric ton per year, 3.2 MW facility will be fed into the electrical grid and purchased by Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility. Project completion is expected in 2012. www.waste2energynow.com
