Turning Waste Into Energy
The BioTown Technology Suite will consist of three complementary systems: an anaerobic digester, a gasifier and fast pyrolysis. A nearly self-sufficient system, the Technology Suite will take animal waste, municipal waste, corn stover and other wastes and turn them into electricity, fertilizers, thermal energy and biodiesel.
These three technologies take waste products such as livestock manure and municipal waste and recycle them into usable energy for the town. Housing the three systems together under one roof makes the processes even more efficient, because the 'waste' from one process can be used as an input for another.
- Anaerobic digestion is the breakdown of organic liquid by bacteria waste in the absence of oxygen to form biogas, similar to natural gas.
- Gasification is the breakdown of organic wastes in a reduced oxygen environment (allows some burning to provide heat for gasification), which produces syngas and ash.
Summary of BioTown Technology Suite
| Technology | Waste Input | Temperature | Outputs | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaerobic digestion | Animal and human liquid waste | ~90-130°F | biogas | energy |
| biosolids | fertilizer | |||
| Biodiesel generation | Crop residues and other dry organic matter | ~750-1100°F | bio-oil | energy/chemicals |
| char | energy | |||
| Gasification | Crop residues and other dry organic matter | ~1500-2000°F | syngas | energy |
| ash | fertilizer |
