Project Updates: Small-scale Solar-Biopower Generation For Rural Central America 1 WHA Costa Rica Project Team November, 2012 Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University Agricultural Engineering, University of Costa Rica

A Solar-Biopower Concept 2 Integrating wastes utilization with solar and biological technologies will create a novel self-sustainable clean energy generations system for small-medium scale operations Fertilizers Reduced GHG Animal Manure Other Wastes Bioenergy Solar Energy Anaerobic Digestion Biological Post-treatment Clean Water

A Solar-Biopower Concept 3 Benefits of system integration  Overcome the disadvantages of individual technologies  Unsteady energy flow for solar power generation  Low efficiency of mesophilic anaerobic digestion on degradation of organic matter  Higher energy requirement of thermophilic aerobic digestion  Provide sufficient and stable energy for small-medium sized rural community  Solar energy utilization  Improved efficiency of anaerobic digestion on degradation of organic matter  Biogas energy as chemical storage – steady energy flow

A Solar-Biopower Concept 4 System flowchart

Mass balance 5 Predicted mass balance for the integrated solar-bio system on 1,000 kg of mixed sludge and food wastes a.The calculation of mass balance was based on the expected results that will be achieved by this project. b.A kg COD destroyed produces 350 L methane gas. A Solar-Biopower Concept

Energy balance 6 Potential energy generation based on 1,000 kg of mixed influent per day Approximately 200% more net energy output (maximum) generated from solar-biopower system with the system under the optimal conditions. Time courses of maximum energy generation Time courses of potential net energy generation of solar-biopower system Maximum daily net energy generation A Solar-Biopower Concept

Objectives 7 1.Optimize local thermophilic anaerobic microbial consortia on mixed waste streams  90% completion  A publication is under preparation 2.Design and implement a solar-biopower generation system on mixed waste streams  80% completion  The full demonstration system is up and being tested 3.Evaluate the technical and economic performance of the demonstration system for rural communities in Central America  20% completion  A prototype portable unit has been designed and tested at MSU  The 500 L portable unit is under fabrication 4.Establish an outreach program in Central America  30% completion

Objective 1 8 Optimize local thermophilic anaerobic microbial consortia Microbial community in anaerobic digestion Pyrosequencing (454) analysis of six reactors. Mixed manure and fiber (50 g/L of COD, three mixture ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30) and two temp. of 25 and 45°C Unclassified bacteroidetes Distribution of phylum Bacteroidetes in bioreactors Culture at 45°C, waste ratio of 80:20 Neighbor joining tree of the unique Bacteroidetes genera (cluster 78 and 89) from 45°C culture and their closely related species in Silva database. 1 µm SEM picture of unclassified bacteroidetes

Objective 1 9 Optimize local thermophilic anaerobic microbial consortia Biogas accumulation from manure/food wastes mixture at 50°C digestion (90:10 vs. 80:20) Biogas Production on Mixed Waste Streams Biogas accumulation from manure/food wastes mixture at 35°C digestion (90:10 vs. 80:20)

Objective 2 10 Design and implement a solar-biopower generation system on mixed waste streams Major system components  (16) 2x1 m flat-plate solar collector with support  (1) 22 m 3 anaerobic digester with a 50 m 3 gas bag  (1) 16 kW combined heating and power unit  (4) 100 m 2 wetland/sandfilter cells Located at Fabio Buadrit Experimental Station, UCR Solar-bio-reactor Wetland/sandfilters

Objective 2 11 Design and implement a solar-biopower generation system on mixed waste streams Solar-bio-reactor Wetland/sandfilters

Objective 3 12 Evaluate the technical and economic performance of the demonstration system for rural communities in Central America : Heat flow : System monitor and control Portable-Scale Solar-Biopower System Design

Objective 4 13 Establish an outreach program in Central America  30% completion  1 workshop (team members from Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua attended) has been held at MSU at the end of 2011  1 seminar conference has been held at UCR in March, 2012  A meeting with industrial sector and university was held during the May visit to Nicaragua (2012)  2 undergraduate students did intern at MSU in 2012  A small-scale demonstration digester unit has been fabricated at UNAN- Leon (Nicaragua).  A group of 13 students from both MSU and UCR will visit the pilot facility at Fabio

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