Geothermal source potential and utilization for methane generation and alcohol production
A study was conducted to assess the technical and economic feasibility of integrating a geothermally heated anaerobic digester with a fuel alcohol plant and cattle feedlot. Thin stillage produced from the alcohol production process and manure collected from the cattle feedlot would be digested in anaerobic digesters to produce biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, and residue. The energy requirements to maintain proper digester temperatures would be provided by geothermal water. The biogas produced in the digesters would be burned in a boiler to produce low-pressure steam which would be used in the alcohol production process. The alcohol plant would be sized so that the distiller's grains byproduct resulting from the alcohol production would be adequate to supply the daily cattle feed requirements. A portion of the digester residue would substitute for alfalfa hay in the cattle feedlot ration. The major design criterion for the integrated facilty was the production of adequate distiller's grain to supply the daily requirements of 1700 head of cattle. It was determined that, for a ration of 7 pounds of distiller's grain per head per day, a 1 million gpy alcohol facility would be required. An order-of-magnitude cost estimate was prepared for the proposed project, operating costs were calculated for a facility based on a corn feedstock, the economic feasibility of the proposed project was examined by calculating its simple payback, and an analysis was performed to examine the sensitivity of the project's economic viability to variations in feedstock costs and alcohol and distiller's grain prices.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (USA); CH2M Hill, Boise, ID (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570
- OSTI ID:
- 6085874
- Report Number(s):
- EGG-2137; ON: DE82003800
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Utilization of geothermal energy for methane production for J. A. Albertson Land and Cattle Company
Anaerobic digestion of alcohol stillage
Related Subjects
090222 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
090400 -- Solid Waste & Wood Fuels-- (-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
151000* -- Geothermal Energy-- Direct Energy Utilization
ALFALFA
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
ANIMAL FEEDS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOGAS PROCESS
CEREALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COST
DIGESTION
DISTILLERS DRIED GRAINS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
ETHANOL PLANTS
FOOD
GEOTHERMAL PROCESS HEAT
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
Geothermal Legacy
HEAT
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LEGUMINOSAE
MAIZE
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
OPERATING COST
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PLANTS
PROCESS HEAT
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING