Compost as Bio-Fuel

Those of you who have been following my posts on Renewable Energy will have seen that I focus primarily on Solar and Wind power generation projects. I have a passing interest in hydro-generation, but it is merely a curiosity for me. Today, my web-trolling took me in a new direction !

The French Innovator, Jean Pain, pioneered a new form of bio-fuel, which he used to provide all the energy he required to run his modest farm. At the heart of his system was compost !
Composting is the biological process by which organic matter is broken down. It can then be used as a rich soil additive and natural fertilizer.

Pain was not a scientist - rather, he was a keen observer. He realized that if he reached into the center of his compost heap, the temperatures were high enough to burn his skin. Further, he found that a bi-product of the composting process was methane gas. He then used a little gonzo engineering and devised a process to capture both the heat and the methane, so that he could harness their energy on his little farm.

It should be noted that his yield was not insignificant. He could produce some 500 cubic meters of methane gas in just 90 days. Enough to power two gas ovens and a three-burner stove for a year. He also made a simple carburetor modification to his truck so that it too could be methane-powered. Lastly, he had a methane-powered generator to produce electricity for his farm. For clarity's sake, methane is more commonly referred to as Natural Gas.

His was an interesting contraption: the heart was a hermetically-sealed tank, filled three-quarters full with organic matter (macerated tree limbs and brush) which had been steeped in water for 60 days. As the contents decomposed, creating methane which he siphoned off, the heat byproduct was captured by a 200 food coil of tubing - a crude heat-exchanger. The whole works was buried in a 50 ton compost heap, which in turn generated it's own heat. The main "plant" (sorry, but I really couldn't resist !), was some six meters wide and three meters tall.

The compost heap itself was a mix of all sorts of organic matter, including finely chopped tree limbs, brush, clippings and the wastes from their kitchen - all of which was freely available on his farm. He built his contraption using tools and equipment commonly found on his farm, including some 24 truck inner-tubes, which served as the bladder he collected the methane gas in.

Pain was a scientist and an engineer. He was also a conservationist. He is the modern inspiration of the so-called green movement.

*** Author's Note :: Astute readers will note that I have highlighted the term "organic matter" a number of times. The proper definition is that of matter which is capable of decay. In the last year or so, Marketing-types have tried to create a definition to mean "free of pesticides and fertilizers". I personally despise that term & challenge any and all marketing types to show me a NON-organic carrot ! ***

The opinions expressed are purely those of the author. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one, and they are entitled to it !

Conservationism and Renewable Energy - What can YOU do ?

In a conversation recently with a colleague, he was very interested in the theme of renewable energy. But he tempered his enthusiasm, stating that he really couldn't contribute to the field. Rather, he was looking for ways to take advantage of advances in the field.

We can't all live on acreages, giving us lots of space to build high towers for wind-turbines. Nor do we all have access to a flowing river or stream to take advantage of hydro-power. Finally, most municipalities frown upon the erection of solar panels in urban settings (although this trend is changing).

"So how can I participate ?" asked my urbanite friend.

Depending on what your goals are, you have many options, but they all fall back to a single definition - Conservationism. By not contributing to the problem, you are still participating in the solution. Whether your goals revolve around lessening your carbon footprint, or lowering your hydro bills, you need to minimize (conserve !) the resources you use.

So what are some simple steps that each and every person could do to contribute ? He is my top 10 List (with apologies to Mr. Letterman) :

10) change the set point on your thermostat. If you live in a cold climate, setting the thermostat to 19C in the winter will reduce your heating bills by up to 17% ! if you live in a hot climate, running the AC less (set it to 24C) will keep the temperature comfortable, while saving you money.

9) switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Here in Canada, you cannot buy incandescants anymore. They use roughly 10% of the energy of standard incandescent bulbs, and last 7 times longer on average.

8) turn down your hot water heater. Setting it at 49C rather than 60C will make a 30% difference on your energy bill, and lessen your carbon footprint significantly.

7) install a "green" toilet. They have two flush modes, depending on whether you need to expel liquid or solid waste. These toilets use 60% less water, as measured on a household of four people.

6) turn off the darn lights ! If you're not in the room, what do you need to see ?

5) wrap your hot-water heater in an extra layer of insulation. Your hot-water heater is the single largest energy consumer in your household. Give it every chance you can to be as efficient as possible.

4) check the seals around your windows and doors. When they are closed, a lit candle will flicker if air is sneaking past. That flicker means you are trying to heat or cool the entire neighborhood !

3) turn the water off while you brush your teeth. All that clean water going straight down the drain...

2) fix dripping taps & leaky fixtures quickly. A tap dripping slowly for one day can waste as much as 29 litres of water !

1) install a 7 day programmable thermostat. It will remember to lower the temperature at night, and during the day when nobody is home.

These simple changes can be done in any property, whether you own or rent. If you do these 10 things you will achieve your goals - you'll be contributing to the solution, rather than the problem. Oh, and you'll enjoy lower energy and water bills, too !

The opinions expressed are purely those of the author. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one, and they are entitled to it !

Hydro-Powered Batteries ?

In previous blogs, you have heard me talk extensively about my interest in renewable energy. Keen observers will have noted that I pay particular attention to both wind and solar sources of renewable energy, but I spend very little time talking about the use of hydro-power. I guess this has been due in part to the fact that I have always equated hydro power with some sort of hydro-electric dam or ocean-wave generation facility.

Further, I had written about using a flywheel to store the kinetic energy as a form of "battery". An astute commenter pointed out that the "excess" energy could be put to more practical use in the form of pumping water. I missed it. What was the value in that, I wondered.

Since then, I have been spending a little more time looking at hydro power. The commenter was trying to point out that falling water provides a higher energy potential, which is of a much more steady state. Consider that the flywheel will continually slow down. There's no such thing as a perpetual-motion machine, right ? But water falls at a steady rate, thanks to gravity. The variable would be volume, which is easily controlled via the diameter of the pipe !

So excess energy created that exceeds demand can be entirely spent in pumping a volume of water uphill. Then when demand exceeds production, that same water could flow back downhill, activating a hydro turbine, generating electricity. The only real loss would occur interms of "friction" - having the water turn corners in the piping, for example.

I am continuing my research, but with one simple goal in mind - my interest lies in small-scale projects. Specifically, projects which I could explore in my own shop, here in Western Canada. You won't see me exploring solutions which generate electricity from the motion of waves - there are no tides on the Prairies !


The opinions expressed are purely those of the author. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one, and they are entitled to it !