PILOT-PLANT RESULTS FOR PARTIAL OXIDATION OF CATTLE FEEDLOT MANURE

A small pilot plant (capacity, 450 kg/day) has been constructed to evaluate gasification of manure by partial oxidation. The reactor operates as a countercurrent, fluidized bed in which an air-steam mixture is the fluidizing medium and manure is the only solid phase present. The product gas from this process contains a significant amount of hydrocarbons (CH4 ~10%, C2H4 ~6%) in addition to normal partial oxidation products. The net heating value of the dry gas exceeded 8.6 MJ/m3 (1 atm, 0 °C) in all cases. The net heating value of the C02-free gas (still containing nitrogen) exceeded 11.2 MJ/m3. The pilot plant design and operating procedure are described as are the results of the heat and material balances. This work confirms the technical feasibility and potential scale-up for producing a medium heating value gas suitable for fuel or for feed to a petrochemical production process at relatively high yields from cattle feedlot manure. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.