Tag: sand separation

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Reporting 15 year’s of experience in WISE Aeration at manure and wastewater treatment ponds (updated)

Purpose

This presentation offers information about a low-energy high-performance manure and/or wastewater aeration technology.  Referred to as “Widespreading Induced Surface Exchange” (WISE) aeration, its performance is from 4 to 10 times more efficient per watt of energy used compared to traditional bubble blower technology for aeration.  Even though Aeration is well known to provide extensive odor reduction or elimination, its use has not been implemented because of the high energy costs associated with running blowers.  This explains why very little is published about other value offered by aeration.  The presentation discusses WISE aeration, many unexpected benefits, and unstudied results.

This presentation will quickly review the 2019 Waste to Worth presentation previously offered and will then offer additional information learned in the past 3 years, including approximately 20 key points.    For those wanting to visit an actual working site before or after the conference, equipment is installed at a regional composting facility approximately 1 hr away from the Waste to Worth facility, near Wauseon OH.

What Did We Do?

Different manufacturers have created “floating aerators” over the past decades. Some have different issues than others, but all are installed in one of the most hostile environments at any enterprise.  PondLift brand equipment has been installed at various farms, domestic wastewater treatment sites, and composting facilities to bring their ponds into full aerobic treatment, with most sites desiring odor elimination, while also allowing their effluent to be sent to growing crops through irrigation equipment, lowering their effluent handling costs while increasing the value of their effluent since it is often foliar fed, offering as much as 70% yield increase per unit of fertilizer.   The author has been at each site to maintain equipment and learn more of its performance and learn more about results, expected and unexpected.  Among the PondLift equipment installations, there are 3 pond installation sites in Ohio, and another at a dairy farm near Paw Paw MI, easily visited for those who would want to personally visit such sites.  Other sites are further distance from Ohio.

What Have We Learned?

The installations have confirmed that odor elimination is very much possible through low-energy-use WISE aeration, while also preparing the effluent to be used by irrigation equipment for foliar feeding.  Although Odor elimination is valuable, probably the most environmentally valuable result of aeration was the dramatic change in texture of the effluent (in both liquids and solids) so that when applied by traditional means, being “knifed in”, the treated manure was absorbed into the soil much faster than raw manure is absorbed into that soil.  The timeframe is hours instead of days, reducing the potential runoff timeframe significantly, potentially eliminating significant runoff events.  Given this observation at almost every site having WISE aeration, it became obvious that a method for quantifying the phenomena is needed, and this equipment needs to be defined so as to compare aerobically treated effluent to raw manure, preferably in a “side by side” process, while also being able to quantify manure runoff on different soil types, and different slopes of soils.  While the presentation will also offer other phenomena data, the final portion of the presentation defines this equipment and procedures that might be adopted so as to study and quantify runoff, and compare runoff quantities to traditional distribution methods.

And for those who are interested in performing foliar feeding through automated manure nutrient distribution through irrigation equipment, the presentation will expand on several items recently identified, including the stratification that results from WISE Aeration, allowing irrigation without plugging pivot/circle nozzles.  In addition, the presentation includes information about Struvite formation and its harvesting opportunity as well as control methods.

Future Plans

PondLift intends to offer equipment for use in studies focused on any phenomena of interest in manure or liquid waste treatment, as well as commercial use at farms.  The political climate in future years will insist that potential runoff issues be addressed, updating Best Management Practices.  In addition, it is now possible that manure odor be eliminated with a process which is financially feasible for farms.

A short discussion: Automation is valuable at farms.  Bringing WISE Aeration to dairies and other farms which store liquid manure can help automate the manure storage/handling/disposal process.  It is the opinion of the author that the small family dairy farm will continue to survive and thrive, given the advances in feeding/health/genetics at today’s farms, even though such farms offer a small percentage of milk products.

The fact that so many farms have limited potentially useable farm acres at small hilly locations, leads us to focus on improving their automation and reducing equipment and time spent on manure related work.  To this end, work is progressing through PondLift, on a low cost “drop-in-place” sand separator which can easily be placed between the barn and the manure storage pit, allowing operators to remove sand before it gets to storage, which then allows the storage pit to be converted to aerobic treatment, which then allows automated manure nutrient distribution methods to be considered.  Lastly, work continues through an associated enterprise on the SPEWPLI (self-propelled extremely-wide portable linear irrigator) which will be able to attach to a manure pumpers hose at a distant field, and distribute manure nutrients to the crop at the 1,500gpm rate often used by manure pumpers. This is important for farms which are more suited to pumping at high rates to distant fields.

Authors

John Ries, Managing Member PondLift LLC, retired professional engineer

Corresponding author email address

ries@iw.net

Additional Information

PondLift.com

 

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2022. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Oregon, OH. April 18-22, 2022. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

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NRCS Solid-Liquid Separation Document – It is Finally Here!!

NRCS has a new technical document entitled “Solid-Liquid Separation Alternatives for Manure Handling and Treatment.”  It was created through efforts from Dr. John Chastain, Clemson University with funding provided by USDA-NRCS.

Screw press solid-liquid separator
Screw press solid-liquid separator (Source: USDA-NRCS)

This document brings together both the theory behind solid-liquid separation and the practical application of many different separation technologies.  Several farm scale demonstration projects are also summarized in the report. Solid-liquid separation can serve to achieve many livestock operational objectives such as nutrient partitioning, improved pumping characteristics, solids removal from storage facilities and reduced organic loadings.  The use of separation technologies is essential for many operations and has become an integral part of the efficient performance of these livestock facilities. Some of the purposes and uses of this document include assisting in solid-liquid separation technology selection, evaluating separation performance, and quantifying the impact of solid-liquid separation on manure management.  This presentation provides an overview of this document including methods of solid-liquid separation, influence of manure characteristics and handling methods, fundamentals of solid-liquid separation, performance of various solid-liquid separation technologies, unique separation technologies and applications and design considerations.

What Did We Do?

Use of coagulant and flocculant to enhance solid-liquid separation
Use of coagulant and flocculant to enhance solid-liquid separation (Source: USDA-NRCS)

Extensive effort through literature searches and testing went into compiling performance and design information on various types of solid-liquid separation technologies.  Separation theory was incorporated into the document to provide an understanding of separation principles and background information to assist in technology selection for improved system performance.  To improve usability of the document, it was divided into the following chapters: Methods of Solid-Liquid Separation, Manure Characteristics and Handling Methods, Fundamentals of Solid-Liquid Separation, Measures of Solid-Liquid Separation Performance, High-Rate Solid-Liquid Separation, Unique Applications of Solid-Liquid Separation Technology, and Design Considerations.  Several examples were provided throughout to assist in the design process of the various technologies. The document also includes information on the uses and benefits of coagulants and flocculants and separation methods associated with sand laden manure. Numerous system diagrams assist in illustrating the vast array of solid-liquid separation technologies that can be implemented in an animal manure treatment system.

What Have We Learned?

Sand settling land
Sand settling land (Source: USDA-NRCS)

This work brings together fundamental information about solid-liquid separation, benefits and limitations of many separation technologies, performance measurement techniques along with design considerations into one document.  Even though there are significant differences in performance and costs between the various separation technologies, the approach selected is largely dependent on critical elements such as landowner objectives, facility size, performance goals, operation and maintenance and other factors.  This document will help designers and operators choose the separation technology or technologies that will best meet the goals established for the operation.

Future Plans

This document will be published as chapter 4 of the USDA-NRCS National Engineering Handbook, Part 637 Environmental Engineering.

Author

Jeffrey P. Porter, P.E.

Animal Manure and Nutrient Management Team Leader

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

jeffrey.porter@gnb.usda.gov

Additional information

Once published, a copy of the document can be found at https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/.

Acknowledgements

A special thank you goes out to the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU).  This Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement allowed for this work to be completed.

Additional support was provided by the Confined Animal Manure Managers Program, Clemson Extension, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2019. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Minneapolis, MN. April 22-26, 2019. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

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Overview of Solid-Liquid Separation Alternatives for Manure Handling and Treatment Document

Waste to Worth: Spreading science and solutions logoWaste to Worth home | More proceedings….

Is Solid-Liquid Manure Separation Worthwhile?
* Presentation slides are available at the bottom of the page.

Solid-liquid separation of animal manures and other agricultural products can be an integral part of a livestock operation ranging from improved facility performance to enhanced nutrient management.  A document entitled “Solid-Liquid Separation Alternatives for Manure Handling and Treatment” is being created through work by Clemson University and funding from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.  The purpose of this document is to assist in solid-liquid separation technology selection, evaluation of separation performance, and quantifying the impact of solid-liquid separation on manure management.  This presentation will provide an outline of this document including methods of solid-liquid separation, influence of manure characteristics and handling methods, fundamentals of solid-liquid separation, performance of various solid-liquid separation technologies, separation enhancement methods, and design considerations.  An overview of various farm scale separation technologies is also presented in the solid-liquid separation document.

What Did We Do?
Geobag used with metal salt and polymer to separate solids and nutrient partitioning of swine manure

In this document we have provided a detailed compilation of empirical, theoretical, and practical information related to the performance and design of solid-liquid separation systems for animal manure treatment. The information is divided into the following chapters: Methods of Solid-Liquid Separation, Fundamentals of Solid-Liquid Separation, Measures of Solid-Liquid Separation Performance, High-Rate Solid-Liquid Separation, Unique Applications of Solid-Liquid Separation Technology, and Design Considerations. Within these chapters detailed information is provided on: the influence of entrainment on the performance of mechanical separators, design of gravity settling using discrete particle settling and hindered settling theory, efficacy of combining separator methods in a single machine, benefits of using coagulants and flocculants, benefits of solid-liquid separation, and a summary of the solid-liquid separation methods that have been used with sand-laden dairy manure. The publication also provides twenty-one detailed examples such as: design of settling basins based on hindered settling velocities, calculation of the performance of a variety separator options using field data, calculation of dimensions for sand lanes, determination of chemical need to enhance mechanical solid-liquid separation, and sizing of storages for separated solids. Numerous system design diagrams are also provided to demonstrate the wide variety of ways that solid-liquid separation can be implemented into an animal manure treatment system.

What Have We Learned?
Sand settling lane for flush dairy operation

This work brings together fundamental information about solid-liquid separation, benefits and limitations of many separation technologies, performance measurement techniques along with design considerations into one document.

Future Plans

This document will be published as a USDA-NRCS technical note or as part of the National Engineering Handbook, Part 651 Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook.

Authors

Jeffrey P. Porter, P.E. Environmental Engineer     Manure Management Team USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service; e-mail – Jeffrey.Porter@gnb.usda.gov

Dr. John P. Chastain, Professor and Extension Agricultural Engineer School of Agricultural, Forestry, and Environmental Sciences Clemson University; email – jchstn@clemson.edu

Additional Information
Screw presses used on a dairy farm following anaerobic digestion

John Perkins Chastain, PhD Homepage

East National Technology Support Center Directory

NRCS on Livestock

Solid Separation Technologies for Animal Manure Webinar

Acknowledgements

A special thank you goes out to the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU).  This Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement allowed for this work to take place.

Additional support was provided by the Confined Animal Manure Managers Program, Clemson Extension, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

 

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2013. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth: Spreading Science and Solutions. Denver, CO. April 1-5, 2013. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

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