Abstract
The separation efficiencies of four mechanical solid-liquid separation technologies and their effect on the reduction of methane production potential from dairy lagoons were studied using on-farm separator measurements and laboratory biomethane potential tests. The studied technologies included 1-stage sloped dual-screen, 2-stage sloped dualscreen, 1-stage horizontal scraped screen, and 1-stage sloped single-screen separators. The technologies were evaluated across various seasons on four dairies in California. On-farm sampling and measurements of the influent of flushed manure and the mass of the solids separated, as well as in-laboratory measurements of methane (CH4) production potential, were carried out. A mass balance approach was employed to determine the removal efficiencies of total and volatile solids (TS and VS) and nutrients, as well as methane emission reduction potential. The performance of the separators depended on manure characteristics, system design (e.g., screen size and orientation), separator operation and management (e.g., manure flow rate), and manure processing pit type and configuration. Among the four studied separator systems, the 2-stage sloped dual-screen separator showed the highest average TS and VS removal efficiencies, and methane emission potential reduction of 52.5%, 59.7%, and 55.8%, respectively. The 1-stage horizontal scraped screen separator had the lowest TS and VS removal efficiencies, and methane emission reduction potential of 6.3%, 9.3%, and 4.9%, respectively. The results have potential implications for nutrient and greenhouse gas management strategies and/or policies in agriculture.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 689-701 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of the ASABE |
Volume | 66 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture [Grant #15-0610-SA]. We would like to express our gratitude to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the collaborating dairies, and the following individuals for their contribution to the research: Steve Zicari, Xing Jun Lin, Stephen Kaffka, Marsha Campbell, Casey Walsh Cady, Mike Francesconi, JP Cativiela, Paul Sousa, Sousa Family, and Frank Silva.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Keywords
- Greenhouse gas
- Lagoon
- Manure management
- Separation efficiency
- Settling basin
- Solid-liquid separation
- Sustainable agriculture
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Forestry
- Food Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Soil Science