Utilization of geothermal energy for methane production for J. A. Albertson Land and Cattle Company

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5712029

Bissell, R R; Austin, J C

To utilize the geothermal energy in the area of its 30,000-head cattle feedlot, J.A. Albertson Land and Cattle Co. is considering the development of an integrated geothermal/bioconversion system that would use the cattle manure as a feedstock for an anaerobic-digestion plant to produce methane plus a digester-residue cattle-feed supplement. The feedlot lies within a high-temperature gradient and heat-flow area associated with the Western Snake River basin in Malheur Co., Oregon. The three digesters designed for the process will operate mesophilically (at 98/sup 0/F) with a 20-day retention time. To make up the digesters' heat losses, the geothermal water source will need to be about 135/sup 0/F and have a flow rate of 120-240 gpm, depending on the size ultimately selected for the facility. If the digester residue replaces alfalfa hay in the cattle's current rations, its value will amount to $1.15 million/yr. Burning the methane in engine/generator sets would produce 985-1970 kW of electric power that could be either sold or used as a day-to-day substitute for the geothermal heat. An economic analysis of the system is presented.

• Research Organization: CH2M, Inc., Portland, OR (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5712029
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/27230-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
151000 -- Geothermal Energy-- Direct Energy Utilization
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS CONVERSION PLANTS
DIGESTION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
MANURES
METHANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
USES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES