Related News
Animal excrement to power buses
May 9, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A recent collaboration between Chinese and US businesses and universities is using technology that will ultimately benefit the planet. Hu Min hears how cow dung is being treated to create fuel to power public transport.
Over 500 cows at a farm in Jinshan District's Langxia Town produce more than milk. A state-of-the-art environmental treatment program under the cooperation between China and the United States turns their dung into biogas, and more magically, into biological diesel fuel that will power buses in the town.
The project is being implemented at the Chuangye Cattle Farm on Tianyang Road, involving local enterprises as well as universities and companies from Utah in the US.
The facility can generate 600 to 700 cubic meters of methane every day by treating 15 tons of cow dung from 506 cattle and 37 tons of waste water.
Thanks to the key technology provided by Andigen LC, a Utah-based company which designs and builds high-rate anaerobic digester systems for animal waste streams, the Induced Blanket Reactor (IBR) can reduce the content of carbon dioxide of methane and remove hydrogen sulfide, water and contaminants.
The clean methane will be used to fuel buses in Langxia after being compressed.
It will be turned into organic fertilizers as well.
The facility includes a waste-water pit, a substrate pit, a hydration pit, an effluent pit, an input pit, a grinder, an input pump, reactors, a gas-conditioning system, a residue pit, a gas-storage system, solids separator, a bolter and a biogas compressor.
"The most difficult part of the project lies in how to put these installations together in an efficient manner, which involves both Chinese and US personnel," said Brad M. Vierig, associate dean of the school of business of the University of Utah.
The first phase of the project, namely, the methane-producing stage, is being implemented, while the second stage is under research and development.
Buses in Langxia are expected to be powered by clean methane in October, said Jiang Hui, general manager of the Shanghai Honde Rural Environmental Management Co Ltd, one of the local companies participating in the project.
The investment is 5.49 million yuan (US$845,000), with about 90 percent coming from enterprises and 10 percent injected by the Jinshan District government.
The project aims to combine waste treatment with new-energy development and provide a new solution to environmental treatment and climate change, Jiang said.
It took only two months for the whole facility to be completed, which went into operation in February.
It is initiated by the Shanghai Rural Environmental Technology Innovation and Strategic Alliance, which was founded in Jinshan last August.
Rural environmental management, manure usage and soil restoration are some of the key words of the alliance and the target is to enhance the industrial technological innovation.
It has found a partner in Utah - the Utah Clean Technology Alliance, which was initiated by four Utah companies, Andigen, AD Technologies, Cosmas and Ceramatec. The Brigham Young University, University of Utah and Utah State University provide the technology.
In April, the State of Utah and the Jinshan District government signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the areas of renewable energy, green technology, new energy, new materials, fine chemicals, bio-medicine, education, automobile and aviation parts, food processing, health care and industry-innovation incubation.
On April 20, a 70-member delegation from the school of business of the University of Utah visited Jinshan.
Besides the farm, they visited the Shanghai Torch Innovation Park of Fine Chemical Industry and Zhonghong Village in Fengjing Town, known as Jinshan Farmers' Painting Village.
The innovative park highlights electronic chemicals, bio-chemical industry and new pharmaceuticals, among others. Covering 35,779 square meters, it targets start-ups.
Fengjing water town, hidden in Shanghai's southwest in Jinshan, is more than 1,500 years old and is known for its old stone bridges, well-preserved architecture, some with delicate carving on the windows and eaves. The walls are whitewashed and topped by black slate eaves.
Many families in Jinshan have a tradition of painting and now it is taught in schools and can be ordered online.
In the 1970s the paintings began to attract attention for its touching countryside scenes. They combined traditional Chinese elements, such as paper cutting, paper folding, wood carving, dyeing and embroidery.
Over 500 cows at a farm in Jinshan District's Langxia Town produce more than milk. A state-of-the-art environmental treatment program under the cooperation between China and the United States turns their dung into biogas, and more magically, into biological diesel fuel that will power buses in the town.
The project is being implemented at the Chuangye Cattle Farm on Tianyang Road, involving local enterprises as well as universities and companies from Utah in the US.
The facility can generate 600 to 700 cubic meters of methane every day by treating 15 tons of cow dung from 506 cattle and 37 tons of waste water.
Thanks to the key technology provided by Andigen LC, a Utah-based company which designs and builds high-rate anaerobic digester systems for animal waste streams, the Induced Blanket Reactor (IBR) can reduce the content of carbon dioxide of methane and remove hydrogen sulfide, water and contaminants.
The clean methane will be used to fuel buses in Langxia after being compressed.
It will be turned into organic fertilizers as well.
The facility includes a waste-water pit, a substrate pit, a hydration pit, an effluent pit, an input pit, a grinder, an input pump, reactors, a gas-conditioning system, a residue pit, a gas-storage system, solids separator, a bolter and a biogas compressor.
"The most difficult part of the project lies in how to put these installations together in an efficient manner, which involves both Chinese and US personnel," said Brad M. Vierig, associate dean of the school of business of the University of Utah.
The first phase of the project, namely, the methane-producing stage, is being implemented, while the second stage is under research and development.
Buses in Langxia are expected to be powered by clean methane in October, said Jiang Hui, general manager of the Shanghai Honde Rural Environmental Management Co Ltd, one of the local companies participating in the project.
The investment is 5.49 million yuan (US$845,000), with about 90 percent coming from enterprises and 10 percent injected by the Jinshan District government.
The project aims to combine waste treatment with new-energy development and provide a new solution to environmental treatment and climate change, Jiang said.
It took only two months for the whole facility to be completed, which went into operation in February.
It is initiated by the Shanghai Rural Environmental Technology Innovation and Strategic Alliance, which was founded in Jinshan last August.
Rural environmental management, manure usage and soil restoration are some of the key words of the alliance and the target is to enhance the industrial technological innovation.
It has found a partner in Utah - the Utah Clean Technology Alliance, which was initiated by four Utah companies, Andigen, AD Technologies, Cosmas and Ceramatec. The Brigham Young University, University of Utah and Utah State University provide the technology.
In April, the State of Utah and the Jinshan District government signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the areas of renewable energy, green technology, new energy, new materials, fine chemicals, bio-medicine, education, automobile and aviation parts, food processing, health care and industry-innovation incubation.
On April 20, a 70-member delegation from the school of business of the University of Utah visited Jinshan.
Besides the farm, they visited the Shanghai Torch Innovation Park of Fine Chemical Industry and Zhonghong Village in Fengjing Town, known as Jinshan Farmers' Painting Village.
The innovative park highlights electronic chemicals, bio-chemical industry and new pharmaceuticals, among others. Covering 35,779 square meters, it targets start-ups.
Fengjing water town, hidden in Shanghai's southwest in Jinshan, is more than 1,500 years old and is known for its old stone bridges, well-preserved architecture, some with delicate carving on the windows and eaves. The walls are whitewashed and topped by black slate eaves.
Many families in Jinshan have a tradition of painting and now it is taught in schools and can be ordered online.
In the 1970s the paintings began to attract attention for its touching countryside scenes. They combined traditional Chinese elements, such as paper cutting, paper folding, wood carving, dyeing and embroidery.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
