Separation Of Slurry Research Articles

Estimation and Attribution of Nitrous Oxide Emissions Following Subsurface Application of Animal Manure: A Review

Abstract. Field studies demonstrate increased ammonia (NH3) abatement efficiencies (up to 90%) of subsurface application and incorporation of animal manures compared to conventional surface application methods. However, a portion of the nitrogen (N) conserved may come at the expense of increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions produced during denitrification and nitrification processes in the soil. Research of N2O emissions subsequent to subsurface manure application is limited (particularly in the U.S.) and results are variable. Cumulative N2O emissions typically range from 0.1% to 3% of the total N applied following manure injection; however, only a few studies indicate a statistical difference in N2O emissions when compared to surface application methods. Circumstances attributed to increased emissions vary among studies and include the concentration of readily metabolizable water-soluble carbon (C) in manure slurry compared to background levels in the soil, soil moisture conditions pre- and post-subsurface application that drive nitrification and denitrification processes, localized N form and oxygen (O2) concentration at the injection site, and injection depth, which can dictate the length of the diffusion path of N2O to the atmosphere. Research also draws correlations of N2O emission rates with subsurface application method, atmospheric conditions during and subsequent to application, and solids separation and dilution of manure slurry. Results thus far suggest that increased N2O emission is not an inevitable consequence of NH3 abatement strategies and should not dissuade subsurface manure application practices. Furthermore, potential reductions in indirect N2O emissions may be realized with subsurface application methods when compared to high NH3 volatilization and N deposition associated with surface application methods. Considering these tradeoffs and the ongoing debate on the role of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as N2O and their role in climate change warrants more investigation of the factors that contribute to N2O emissions. This review synthesizes the available research on N2O emissions following subsurface application of animal manure to both grassland and arable land, compares results from different application techniques, and examines the conditions and circumstances that lead to N2O emissions.

A low-cost solid–liquid separation process for enzymatically hydrolyzed corn stover slurries

Solid–liquid separation of intermediate process slurries is required in some process configurations for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to transportation fuels. Thermochemically pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed corn stover slurries have proven difficult to filter due to formation of very low permeability cakes that are rich in lignin. Treatment of two different slurries with polyelectrolyte flocculant was demonstrated to increase mean particle size and filterability. Filtration flux was greatly improved, and thus scaled filter unit capacity was increased approximately 40-fold compared with unflocculated slurry. Although additional costs were accrued using polyelectrolyte, techno-economic analysis revealed that the increase in filter capacity significantly reduced overall production costs. Fuel production cost at 95% sugar recovery was reduced by $1.35 US per gallon gasoline equivalent for dilute-acid pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed slurries and $3.40 for slurries produced using an additional alkaline de-acetylation preprocessing step that is even more difficult to natively filter.

Recovery efficiency of nitrogen from liquid and solid fractions of pig slurry obtained using different separation technologies

AbstractThe characteristics of solid (SF) and liquid (LF) fractions resulting from solid–liquid separation of pig slurry depend on the separation technique used. It can be assumed that the separation technique will also affect the nitrogen (N) availability to plants. A pot experiment was performed with ryegrass to compare the N‐recovery efficiency of SFs and LFs obtained with four frequently used separation techniques (centrifugation [Cent], sediment settling during 20 h [Sed], enhanced settling during 20 h by addition of cationic polyacrylamide [Sed+PAM], sieving [Siev], sieving followed by treatment of the resulting liquid fraction by PAM addition [Siev+PAM]) with the untreated slurry (US) and an unfertilized control. Increases (2–17%) of ryegrass dry matter yield (DMY) were obtained in LF treatments relative to US. However, this increase was statistically significant only for the Siev+PAM‐L treatment. A significant decrease of ryegrass DMY was observed in SF treatments relative to US. All treatments with SFs led to similar values of DMY while only small differences were observed between treatments receiving LFs. A significant correlation (R2 = 0.968) was observed between the total DMY and the NH$ _4^+ $ ‐ N : Ntot ratio of the fraction applied suggesting that this is a major parameter to be considered when comparing separation techniques. Overall, the separation techniques showed only a weak effect on the dry matter yields and on the N ‐ recovery efficiency from LF and SF although they strongly affected the nutrient concentration and speciation in each fraction.

Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Effect of Reducing Agent for Aqueous-Phase Synthesis Over Ru Nanoparticle and Supported Ru Catalysts

The effect of the reducing agent on the performance of a ruthenium nanoparticle catalyst was investigated during aqueous-phase Fischer–Tropsch synthesis using a 1 L stirred tank reactor in the batch mode of operation. For the purpose of comparison, the activity and selectivity of NaY zeolite supported Ru catalyst were also studied. NaBH4 and hydrogen were used as reducing agents in this study, and hydrogen reduced catalysts exhibited higher activities than the NaBH4 reduced catalysts, because of higher extent of reduction and a relatively lower tendency toward agglomeration of Ru particles. The Ru nanoparticle catalyst displayed higher activities than the NaY zeolite supported Ru catalyst for both reducing agents. NaBH4 reduced catalysts are less active and the carbon dioxide selectivity is higher than the hydrogen reduced catalysts. Nevertheless, the activity of the supported Ru catalyst (Ru/NaY) was 75 % of that of the Ru nanoparticle catalyst, and has the benefit of easy wax/catalyst slurry separation by filtration. The hydrogen reduced supported Ru catalyst exhibited superior selectivity towards hydrocarbons (higher C5+ selectivity and lower selectivity to methane) than all other catalysts tested.

Improved pig slurry mechanical separation using chitosan and biochar

The efficient separation of pig slurry into its solid and liquid components is useful on a farm where the removal of excess nutrients is desired. This study investigates the effectiveness of two pre-treatments (chitosan, and biochar) in separating pig slurry using two methods of mechanical separation (screw press SP and centrifugation CENT). Several indicators—high dry matter and phosphorus in solids, and low P, Cu, and Zn content in liquids—informed the evaluation. Overall, results showed that chitosan addition changed the elemental content in both fractions of the SP group, but not in liquid fractions of the CENT group. Chitosan produced loosened flocs sensitive to SP pressure, but more resistant to centrifugation. Added biochar increased mass efficiency by 2–3% in both separation methods, but had little effect on the chemicals tested, except for the elemental content of solids produced in the SP group. The combination of chitosan and biochar performed worse than when treated with chitosan alone. Based on simple and reduced separation indices, no treatments affected the separation efficiency of the mechanical separators. Despite pre-treatment failures, there is some indication that under different experimental conditions, these pre-treatments may be beneficial when separating manure.

Fractionation of oats into products enriched with protein, beta-glucan, starch, or other carbohydrates

A modified wet method was developed to fractionate ground oat groats into 4 fractions enriched with beta-glucan (BG), protein, starch, and other carbohydrates (CHO), respectively. Effects of defatting oats and centrifuge force for separation were also investigated. Results show that, depending on the two factors, nutrient concentrations in the corresponding fractions ranged 28.53–44.84% (dry matter) for BG, 72.41–92.62% for protein, 79.13–81.69% for starch, and 37.47–42.16% for other CHO. Nutrient recoveries from each fraction were 39.82–51.20% for BG, 60.36–72.08% for protein, 77.04–87.25% for starch, and 24.87–29.68% for other CHO. For the protein fraction, defatting improved the protein content but did not on its recovery. For the starch fraction, the effect of defatting was just opposite, improving the starch recovery but not the starch content. Centrifuge force increased the BG content in the BG fraction when the defatted sample was used. The cumulative recovery of each component in the combined fractions was not affected by oil removal or centrifuge force. Overall, the wet method described was relatively effective in recovering the major nutrients from oats into their respective fractions, while it alleviated the problems of viscous slurry upon mixing ground oat groats with an alkaline solvent and the difficulty of slurry separation.

Performance and techno-economic assessment of several solid–liquid separation technologies for processing dilute-acid pretreated corn stover

Solid–liquid separation of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass slurries is a critical unit operation employed in several different processes for production of fuels and chemicals. An effective separation process achieves good recovery of solute (sugars) and efficient dewatering of the biomass slurry. Dilute acid pretreated corn stover slurries were subjected to pressure and vacuum filtration and basket centrifugation to evaluate the technical and economic merits of these technologies. Experimental performance results were used to perform detailed process simulations and economic analysis using a 2000tonne/day biorefinery model to determine differences between the various filtration methods and their process settings. The filtration processes were able to successfully separate pretreated slurries into liquor and solid fractions with estimated sugar recoveries of at least 95% using a cake washing process. A continuous vacuum belt filter produced the most favorable process economics.

Anaerobic digestion of pig manure fibres from commercial pig slurry separation units

The composition of manure fibres (MF) from 17 commercially separated pig slurries and seven raw pig slurries were characterised in terms of dry matter (DM), volatile solids (VS), protein, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. The average lignocellulose concentration in manure fibres and pig slurries was 790 and 370 g kg−1 [VS] respectively. Biochemical methane potential was ascertained after 60 days, revealing a trend in biochemical methane potential between the different separation technologies used: pig slurry > shaking filter and screw press combined ≈ decanter centrifuge > flocculation, belt and screw press combined ≈ screw press. The maximum methane yield of manure fibres from decanter centrifuges and the combined shaking filter and screw press was approximately 330 l [CH4] kg−1 [VS] at standard temperature and pressure (STP), while manure fibres from a screw press and a combination of belt press and screw press on average produced approximately 220 l [CH4] kg−1 [VS]. Initial methane production can be described using a first-order kinetic model. The average rate constant for manure fibres was 0.030 d−1 and for pig slurry 0.071 d−1, showing that pig slurry is digested much faster than manure fibres.

생물학적 호기성필터를 이용한 소규모 하수처리시스템에 관한 연구

The biological aerated filter (BAF) reactor is regarded as an effective biological wastewater treatment method. It can remove pollutants by carrier filtration and biodegradation. Due to its advantages, which include high biomass retention, tolerance to toxicity, excellent removal efficiency, and slurry separation, BAF has been widely used to remove COD, NH4 + -N, phosphorus, and other harmful organic substances. In this study, the BAF reactor was used to remove organic contaminants of domestic wastewater of Korea at both the benchand pilot-scale. The main objectives of this study are to: (i) investigate the removal efficiency of organic contaminants (ex. COD, nitrate, phosphorus) in BAF reactors at both scales; (ii) characterize the small-scale wastewater treatment plant using the BAF reactor. The concentration of COD in the influent increased from 69 to 246 mg/L. During the operation period, the final effluent concentration of COD remained maximum 4.0 mg/L, and the average removal efficiency was above 88%. The present study investigated the removal efficiencies of COD, TN, TP and NH4 + -N from smelting wastewater by BAF system. When treating wastewater in both bench and pilot-scale reactors, the BAF worked well.

Effect of Livestock Slurry Ozonation and Separation on pH, Particles, and Phosphate.

Applying slurry to arable land as fertilizer increases the risk of phosphorus (P) runoff and thereby increases the risk of eutrophication. Solid-liquid separation can reduce the excess application of P, and this study focused on the use of ozonation as an alternative chemical pretreatment for separation to improve P separation efficiency. Sow and cattle slurries were separated by screw press and flocculation+filtration. The screw press and flocculation liquid fractions and raw slurries were treated with no ozone or with low-, medium-, or high-ozone doses and then separated by centrifugation. The pH, particle size distribution, dry matter, and dissolved phosphate (PO) concentrations were measured. For separations without ozonation, pH increased by 0.15 to 0.87 pH units, and correlation analysis showed that the dissolved PO concentration decreased with increasing pH and particle removal efficiency. During ozonation, pH increased, and a shift in particle size distribution in the liquid fraction combined with an improved dry matter separation indicated particle aggregation. Ozonation thus affected the parameters found to affect dissolved PO separation, and at the highest ozone dose, dissolved PO separation efficiency increased by 7 to 81%. An ozonation pretreatment may therefore promote removal of dissolved PO from the liquid fraction during separation.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Replacement Value of the Liquid Fraction of Separated Livestock Slurries Applied to Potatoes and Silage Maize

Separation of livestock slurries followed by reverse osmosis yields mineral concentrates (MCs) in which almost all nitrogen (N) is ammonium (NH4)-N. The ability of MCs to substitute calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), a common conventional mineral N fertilizer, was tested in two trials on a silty loam soil (ware potatoes, 2009 and 2010) and four trials on sandy soils (starch potatoes, 2009 and 2010; silage maize in 2010 and 2011). The N fertilizer replacement value (NFRV) of spring-injected MCs ranged from 72 to 84%, slightly less than their share of ammonium-N (90–100%). The fate of N that was apparently unavailable to crops was not fully disclosed, but there were indications that ammonia loss may have played a role.

Modelling the potential of slurry management technologies to reduce the constraints of environmental legislation on pig production

Limits on land applications of slurry nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are used to restrict losses of nutrients caused by livestock production. Here, we used a model to assess technologies that enable a more even geographic distribution of slurry nutrients to land. Technologies included were screw press slurry separation, with or without solid fraction composting, centrifuge separation with or without liquid fraction ammonia (NH3) stripping, and anaerobic digestion. Regulatory constraints were placed first on the application in slurry of N, then P, then N and P both on the producing (donor) and receiving (recipient) farms. Finally, a constraint preventing an increase in donor farm NH3 emissions was imposed. Separation had little effect on N losses per unit mass of slurry, but NH3 stripping led to a reduction. Centrifuge separation allowed a greater increase in pig production than a screw press, especially with P regulation. NH3 stripping was only advantageous with N regulation or when combined with NH3 scrubbing of pig housing ventilation air, when donor farm NH3 emissions were a constraint. There was a production penalty for using composting or anaerobic digestion. The choice of appropriate slurry management option therefore depends on the focus of the regulation. Nuanced and therefore complex regulations are necessary to take advantage of synergies and avoid cross-policy conflicts and incongruencies.

Separation of swine slurry into different concentration fractions and its influence on biogas fermentation

The raw swine slurry was separated into low solids content liquid and high solids content liquid in the experiment, and the influence of the concentration of raw slurry on separation effects was investigated based on evaluation index, such as recovery rate, concentration multiple and separation efficiency. The higher the concentration of the raw swine slurry, the higher the recovery rate of organic matter from the raw slurry to the high solids content liquid, the lower the concentration multiple for the organic matter. However, the separation efficiency of organic matter from the raw slurry with an intermediate solids content was higher than that from the raw slurry with either a high or low solids content. In terms of biogas production, separation efficiency increased as the concentration of the raw slurry declined. The high solids content liquid, whose volume accounted for 9.72–28.5% of that of the raw slurry, contained 52.7–70.6% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), 57.6–80.1% of the biological oxygen demand (BOD5). In particular, it produced more than 75% of the total biogas yield. When heated using limited energy, the high solids content liquid, with lower volume, could achieve higher digestion temperature than the raw slurry. The high solids content liquid had 2.48–5.42times greater COD content and 2.81–5.92times greater BOD5 than the raw slurry and had a quicker degradation rate according to the kinetics equation. These two factors: enhanced digestion temperature and increased concentration of the substrate, could improve the efficiency of the entire biogas fermentation system in winter.

Energy and pressure requirements for compression of swine solid fraction compost

The excessive amount of pig slurry spread on soil has contributed to nitrate water pollution both in surface and in ground waters, especially in areas classified as vulnerable zones to nitrate in accordance with European Regulation (91/676/CEE). Several techniques have been developed to manage livestock slurries as cheaply and conveniently as possible and to reduce potential risks of environmental pollution. Among these techniques, solid-liquid separation of slurry is a common practice in Italy. The liquid fraction can be used for irrigation and the solid fraction, after aerobic stabilization, produces an organic compost rich in humic substances. However, compost derived from swine solid fraction is a low density material (bulk density less than 500 kg􀀀m–3). This makes it costly to transport composted swine solid fraction from production sites to areas where it could be effectively utilized for value-added applications such as in soil fertilization. Densification is one possible way to enhance the storage and transportation of the compost. This study therefore investigates the effect of pressure (20- 110 MPa) and pressure application time (5-120 s) on the compaction characteristics of compost derived from swine solid fraction. Two different types of material have been used: composted swine solid fraction derived from mechanical separation and compost obtained by mixing the first material with wood chips. Results obtained showed that both the pressure applied and the pressure application time significantly affect the density of the compacted samples; while the specific compression energy is significantly affected only by the pressure. Best predictor equations were developed to predict compact density and the specific compression energy required by the densification process. The specific compression energy values based on the results from this study (6-32 kJ􀀀kg–1) were significantly lower than the specific energy required to manufacture pellets from biomass feedstock (typically 19-90 kJ􀀀kg–1).

Prediction of changes in important physical parameters during composting of separated animal slurry solid fractions

Solid-liquid separation of animal slurry, with solid fractions used for composting, has gained interest recently. However, efficient composting of separated animal slurry solid fractions (SSFs) requires a better understanding of the process dynamics in terms of important physical parameters and their interacting physical relationships in the composting matrix. Here we monitored moisture content, bulk density, particle density and air-filled porosity (AFP) during composting of SSF collected from four commercially available solid-liquid separators. Composting was performed in laboratory-scale reactors for 30 days (d) under forced aeration and measurements were conducted on the solid samples at the beginning of composting and at 10-d intervals during composting. The results suggest that differences in initial physical properties of SSF influence the development of compost maximum temperatures (40–70°C). Depending on SSF, total wet mass and volume losses (expressed as % of initial value) were up to 37% and 34%, respectively. After 30 d of composting, relative losses of total solids varied from 17.9% to 21.7% and of volatile solids (VS) from 21.3% to 27.5%, depending on SSF. VS losses in all composts showed different dynamics as described by the first-order kinetic equation. The estimated component particle density of 1441 kg m−3 for VS and 2625 kg m−3 for fixed solids can be used to improve estimates of AFP for SSF within the range tested. The linear relationship between wet bulk density and AFP reported by previous researchers held true for SSF.

Energy and pressure requirements for compression of swine solid fraction compost

The excessive amount of pig slurry spread on soil has contributed to nitrate water pollution both in surface and in ground waters, especially in areas classified as vulnerable zones to nitrate in accordance with European Regulation (91/676/CEE). Several techniques have been developed to manage livestock slurries as cheaply and conveniently as possible and to reduce potential risks of environmental pollution. Among these techniques, solid-liquid separation of slurry is a common practice in Italy. The liquid fraction can be used for irrigation and the solid fraction, after aerobic stabilization, produces an organic compost rich in humic substances. However, compost derived from swine solid fraction is a low density material (bulk density less than 500 kg􀀀m–3). This makes it costly to transport composted swine solid fraction from production sites to areas where it could be effectively utilized for value-added applications such as in soil fertilization. Densification is one possible way to enhance the storage and transportation of the compost. This study therefore investigates the effect of pressure (20- 110 MPa) and pressure application time (5-120 s) on the compaction characteristics of compost derived from swine solid fraction. Two different types of material have been used: composted swine solid fraction derived from mechanical separation and compost obtained by mixing the first material with wood chips. Results obtained showed that both the pressure applied and the pressure application time significantly affect the density of the compacted samples; while the specific compression energy is significantly affected only by the pressure. Best predictor equations were developed to predict compact density and the specific compression energy required by the densification process. The specific compression energy values based on the results from this study (6-32 kJ􀀀kg–1) were significantly lower than the specific energy required to manufacture pellets from biomass feedstock (typically 19-90 kJ􀀀kg–1).

Anaerobic digestion of acidified slurry fractions derived from different solid–liquid separation methods

Batch assays investigating the ultimate methane yields (B0) of acidified slurry fractions produced with different solid–liquid slurry separation techniques were done. The result showed that the anaerobic digestion (AD) process was inhibited when raw and liquid fractions of sow, pig and dairy cow acidified slurry are digested, but AD treating solid fractions (SF) acidified slurry showed no sulphide inhibition. The B0 of SF acidified sow slurry increased significantly with increasing screen size in the screw press. No significant effect of acidification processes on B0 of SF dairy cow slurry (DCS) was observed. The ultimate methane yields of SF acidified DCS and SF non acidified DCS were 278±13 and 289±1LkgVS−1, while in term of fresh weigh substrate were 59±2.8 and 59±0.3Lkgsubstrate−1, respectively.

Persistence and leaching potential of microorganisms and mineral N in animal manure applied to intact soil columns.

Pathogens may reach agricultural soils through application of animal manure and thereby pose a risk of contaminating crops as well as surface and groundwater. Treatment and handling of manure for improved nutrient and odor management may also influence the amount and fate of manure-borne pathogens in the soil. A study was conducted to investigate the leaching potentials of a phage (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteriophage 28B) and two bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species, in a liquid fraction of raw pig slurry obtained by solid-liquid separation of this slurry and in this liquid fraction after ozonation, when applied to intact soil columns by subsurface injection. We also compared leaching potentials of surface-applied and subsurface-injected raw slurry. The columns were exposed to irrigation events (3.5-h period at 10 mm h(-1)) after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of incubation with collection of leachate. By the end of incubation, the distribution and survival of microorganisms in the soil of each treatment and in nonirrigated columns with injected raw slurry or liquid fraction were determined. E. coli in the leachates was quantified by both plate counts and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to assess the proportions of culturable and nonculturable (viable and nonviable) cells. Solid-liquid separation of slurry increased the redistribution in soil of contaminants in the liquid fraction compared to raw slurry, and the percent recovery of E. coli and Enterococcus species was higher for the liquid fraction than for raw slurry after the four leaching events. The liquid fraction also resulted in more leaching of all contaminants except Enterococcus species than did raw slurry. Ozonation reduced E. coli leaching only. Injection enhanced the leaching potential of the microorganisms investigated compared to surface application, probably because of a better survival with subsurface injection and a shorter leaching path.

Phosphorus, copper and zinc in solid and liquid fractions from full-scale and laboratory-separated pig slurry

Pig slurry separation is a slurry treatment technique that can reduce excess loads of P, Cu and Zn to the arable land. This study investigated the effects of different commercial and laboratory separation treatments for pig slurry on P, Cu and Zn distribution into solid and liquid fractions. Solid and liquid separation fractions were collected from two commercial separators installed on the farm. Five different separation treatments were performed (polymer flocculation and drainage; coagulation with iron sulphate addition and polymer flocculation and drainage; ozonation and centrifugation; centrifugation only; and natural sedimentation) on sow and suckling piglet raw slurry. Particle size fractionation was performed on raw slurry and all separation fractions by sequential wet sieving and P, Cu and Zn concentrations were then measured in the particle size classes. Dry matter and total P, Cu and Zn were separated with higher efficiency when chemical pretreatments with flocculants and coagulants were introduced before mechanical separation at both commercial and laboratory scale. When solid fractions are utilized as crop fertilizer (primarily as P fertilizer), the loads of Cu and Zn to the soils are not markedly different than the loads applied with raw slurry. When liquid fractions are used as crop fertilizer (primarily as N fertilizer), the loads of Cu and Zn are markedly lower than those supplied with raw slurry. The loads of Cu and Zn introduced to the soil were lowest on application of the liquid fraction produced by optimized separation treatments that included flocculation and coagulation.

Effect of the pig slurry separation techniques on the characteristics and potential availability of N to plants in the resulting liquid and solid fractions

Solid–liquid separation of slurry is used to obtain a solid (SF) and liquid fraction (LF), both used as organic fertilisers. Previous works showed that the separation technique used influences the composition of the resulting SF but no data are available relative to the LF. Four commonly used separation processes were considered – centrifugation, sieving, enhanced settling by the addition of cationic polyacrylamide (PAM-), and sediment settling as well as a recent sequential process – sieving followed by PAM addition to the resulting LF. The resulting LFs and SFs were comprehensively characterised and the amount of N potentially available for plants after incorporation to soil was also evaluated. Except for slurry that was only sieved which was very similar in composition to whole slurry (WS), the SFs and LFs had, respectively, higher and lower, concentrations of nutrients and organic matter (OM) than the WS. The ratio of ammoniacal to total N in the LFs varied from 0.33 to 0.92 whereas the values in the SFs varied between 0.16 and 0.31. The N:P:K ratio was also significantly influenced by the separation technique. Less than 10% of the total N applied in the WS, SFs or LFs was found to be potentially available for plants and, in some LFs, N immobilisation occurred after soil application. Since separation technique strongly influences nutrient distribution between LF and SF, as well as N speciation, the choice of the technique has to consider the final use of the resulting fractions as well as acquisition and operating costs.