Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 11/23/17
 

Subjecting poultry litter to a process of hydrothermal carbonization — a laboratory process that mimics the creation of coal out of biomass under heat and pressure — creates an energy-dense material that could replace up to 10 percent of the planet’s use of coal, according to researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 

In an article published in the journal, Applied Energy, researchers note that growing amounts of poultry litter call for improved treatment solutions; it is a primary reason for communities rejecting plans for new or expanded chicken farms. However, its conversion to renewable energy can offer a solution while also reducing environmental impact and reliance on fossil fuels. 

Researchers compared the production and combustion of biochar by slow pyrolysis — heating it in an environment deprived of oxygen — to that of hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in terms of char behavior, energetics and gas emissions. Overall, hydrochar was seen to convert poultry litter more efficiently into a solid fuel that can potentially replace 10 percent of coal in the generation of electricity, thereby significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation and agricultural waste.

Still, they noted, poultry litter is significantly different from other feedstocks when treated by slow pyrolysis and HTC, and requires a detailed study of its combustion behavior before it can be used in large-scale energy generation.

To read how Wampler’s Farm Sausage Co. is using pyrolysis to reduce its dependence on outside sources of energy, and to significantly diversify the company’s revenue streams, read “Game Change,” the company profile feature in the December 2017 print issue of Meatingplace. 

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