Phil Stanley from Clean Power Systems describes it as a novel design for bio-digesters and he is seeking the capital to build a pilot programme.
The computerised design has multi-cells working together, with each cell assigned its own task in the process to heat the effluent and turn it into power and clean fertiliser.
Each stage can be controlled to optimise methane output and shorten the time for the process, with the ability to add more cells when needed.
“The first step is where it comes up to a temperature and the bugs are introduced to it. The first bug breaks the effluent down to a compound that the next bug can work on.
“You can programme the system to operate on different modes, like slowing the process down or speeding it up, or changing the temperature. Each stage is an autonomous digester on its own.”
The cells are made from stainless steel with plastic bearings and the modular design means it can be built to suit the size of the farm.
Stanley says bio-digesters are widely used overseas, though many of the systems use technology that is about 30 years old.
Many need millions of gallons of waste to work efficiently, he says, whereas his system uses a small tank that gives off gas quickly and efficiently.
Ideally, his bio-digester, or line flow converter as it’s called, suits a dairy farm of 500 cows or more, he says.
Five cells would cater for a 500-cow farm and cost about $300,000 to install. It would take about four days for the effluent to travel through a system of that size, with methane taken off used as a fuel for a modified diesel generator. The effluent can then be spread over the farm free of pathogens.
“So farmers get brownie points for capturing methane and cleaning up their effluent. And the solids have more uses because it’s clean.”
Larger farms could potentially produce income by exporting the excess electricity to the national grid, he says.
“It becomes another revenue stream for the farm. You can use it yourself or sell what you don’t use.
“The rest of the world has been taking bio-digesters on big time, including turning dairy waste into power. There’s some working very well in New Zealand but we’re still way behind.”
The company hopes to have its first bio-digester running within a year.
