Looking to develop an efficient renewable electricity technology for coffee-processing plants, The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota is working with Wynntryst, LLC, an energy solutions company based in South Burlington, Vermont.
“The first step of the project is to demonstrate that we can gasify the complex mixture of waste and produce clean synthetic gas, or syngas, by utilizing the EERC's novel advanced fixed-bed gasifier (AFBG) system on the biomass--residue mixture," said Project Manager and Research Scientist at EERC, Nikhil Patel in a company press release.
The syngas will either be converted to high-value biofuels or chemicals or be utilized in an internal combustion engine (or a fuel cell) for efficient production of electricity and heat. The pilot-scale tests will evaluate the quality of syngas that can be produced from the Green Mountain waste. To meet the highest environmental standards possible, EERC researchers will fine-tune the technology. To propose a full-scale commercial demonstration system for installation at various Green Mountain sites, the EERC will use the outcome of the pilot-scale efforts.
The company has stated that this project will focus on the waste from the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) plant. GMCR is a Wynntryst client based in Waterbury, Vermont, and is best known for its Keurig brand of individual coffee cups. To companies around the world, including Starbucks and McDonald's, the company also distributes many other coffee products. The waste stream includes coffee residues, plastic packaging, paper, cloth or burlap, and plastic cups, the company stated in a press release.
In September 2010, the center partnered with Cummins Power Generation, Inc., said it has begun a project to demonstrate the production of heat and power from high-moisture biomass. EERC said that Cummins Power Generation, a company focused on the design and manufacture of power generation equipment, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., has provided the electrical generator for the project, a key component in producing 35-40 kilowatts of power a day, enough for one home.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Raju’s articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
