Perspectives for biogas generation from manure on the farms in the Leningrad Region of the Russian Federation

E. Timofeev* and A. Erk

Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution ‘Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM’, branch in Saint Petersburg, Filtrovskoje shosse, 3 p.o. Tiarlevo, RU 196625 Saint Petersburg, Russia
*Correspondence: timofeev_ev84@mail.ru

Abstract:

The interest in biogas in the Leningrad Region is consistently growing. Biogas can replace fossil fuels in different applications and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study aimed to demonstrate the perspectives for its generation from livestock waste and further farm application. The farm energy audits identified the pattern of fuel and energy consumption. Computational and statistical methods were applied to estimate the biogas generation. First, the study considered a cattle farm with 1,800 head and manure output of 43,300 t year^-1. According to calculations, the farm can fully meet its own needs for electricity or motor fuel by converting the manure into biogas. Meanwhile, the fuel use of biogas can reduce pollutant emissions by almost 30% against conventional fuel. Secondly, the study estimated the biogas production potential from the farm organic waste in the whole Leningrad Region with the total cattle stock of 165,000 head, pig stock of 184,000 head, and poultry stock of 29,180,000 head, producing about 8 million t year^-1 of animal/poultry manure. According to calculations, the livestock waste processing will yield up to 500 million m³ of biogas. This is enough to fully cover the energy inputs of the farms in this region. However, the payback period for biogas plants is above eight years. The positive aspects of biogas application are introducing biogas in the farm energy balance as an energy resource; reducing the hazardous emissions owing to the improved processing of organic farm waste; obtaining high-quality fertilisers to consequently increase crop yields.

Key words:

biogas, electrical power, manure, motor fuel

Comparison of power consumption of a two-roll mill and a disc mill

A. Smejtkova* and P. Vaculik

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Technological Equipment of Buildings, Kamýcká 129, CZ165 21 Prague 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: smejtkova@tf.czu.cz

Abstract:

Grinding or milling is often used process, for example in the production of feed, grinding of malt in beer production, grinding of cereals on flour, etc. In order to optimize the energy intensity of the whole production process, it is necessary to know the energy consumption of individual processes. The grinding of malt influences the mashing process, the drawing-off and the boiling yield. Correct grain grinding makes the endosperm available for enzyme and physicochemical reactions during wort production. Husks affect the drawing-off process. Two-, four- or six-roll mills, in some cases a hammer mill or disc mill, are most commonly used for grinding of malt. Power consumption was monitored when light, Munich, caramel and coloring malt were grinding. A two-roll mill and a disc mill with engine speeds of 1,500 rpm and 2,800 rpm were used for grinding. The gap between the mill rollers and the mill disks was set to 0.4 mm. The fineness of the grinding was evaluated for all types of malt on all used equipment. The energy intensity of the grinding was correlated on 1.0 kg of malt and then compared.

Key words: