Need a lot of fertilizer, Anaerobic Digestion

[Zygote]

I had a problem! I needed a lot of fertilizer. The fertilizer needs to be better than what I can buy, needs to be clean pathogen free.

I fond a solution; waste from a Biogas Digester.
What is so cool about this is; the output of nitrogen is grater then the input of nitrogen.

http://www.biostarsystems.com/whitepaper/Paper_No_1.pdf

More info on: Anaerobic Digestion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_digestion

I hope you read the links so we are on the same page. :thumbs:

The digestion process begins with bacterial hydrolysis of the input materials. Insoluble organic polymers, such as carbohydrates, are broken down to soluble derivatives that become available for other bacteria. Acidogenic bacteria then convert the sugars and amino acids into carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and organic acids. These bacteria convert these resulting organic acids into acetic acid, along with additional ammonia, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Finally, methanogens convert these products to methane and carbon dioxide.
There are four key biological and chemical stages of anaerobic digestion:
1. Hydrolysis
2. Acidogenesis
3. Acetogenesis
4. Methanogenesis

I want to make a lot of fertilizer not methane. Slow down methanogens by stopping the anaerobic digestion early.

Byproducts dissolved in the water from the anaerobic digestion are: organic acids, acetic acid, alcohol, ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide.

Byproducts that are gases: ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide.

In aquaponics they use a "rock filter bed" to convert organic acids and ammonia in to forms that plants can use.


Basic idea; (three-barrel system) stars off the anaerobic digestion with something high in nitrogen like alfalfa meal or cottonseed meal.
First stage is anaerobic digestion drum

Next stage aerobic rock filter drum. Plus little worms that can eat organic matter.

The rock gravels you put the drum should be a mix of limestone, rock phosphate, granite, shall.
All the contents from the anaerobic digestion drum, dumps into the top of the aerobic rock filled drum in the bottom of this drum is a water pump that continually pumps up to the top and out showers heads right above the rocks.

Bill Nye The Science Guy-
[video=youtube;SbzouFaMJU4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbzouFaMJU4[/video]​

In the aerobic rock filter drum

The aerobic bacteria take care of most the byproducts dissolved in the water.
What the bacteria dose not take care the rocks do, these organic acids, acetic acid, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. Will react with the minerals in the (ROCKS)
Releasing the minerals in a forms that plants can now use

There was so much COOL organic chemistry going on that Bill Nye's head exploded.

I had to call Stephen Hawking for help.

What to do with the anaerobic byproducts that are gases: carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide that are produced in the anaerobic digestion drum.

Instead of collecting the gases; run the hose that cares the gases to the bottom of the aerobic rock filter drum and put a fish tank air-stone on it to break up the gas into small bubbles recycling the gas. The aerobic bacteria and rocks will take care or these gases.


I think recycling the gases is a major break thou. Where's my nobel peace prize.

Last stage; the aerobic rock filter drum dumps into an anaerobic digestion drum
Holding tank collect the gas by run the hose that cares the gas to the bottom of the aerobic rock filter drum and put a fish tank air-stone on it.
There may be pathogens in the waste. Just hold it here for 7 days. It is ready to use.


If you wish to separate the solids from the liquid, just run the stuff thou a Vortex Filter.

Vortex Filter DIY - Organic Fertilizer on Demand
[video=youtube;39xT5xzNu3s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39xT5xzNu3s [/video]​

This three-barrel system is a low input, high output, sustainable, fixable and scalable system. The rocks you use determines the mineral content, just match the rock to what you need.

:grat::grat::grat:​

 

[JM]

Zy... I studied this when I was 14... I had it worked out for methane production and ferts as by-product... I never had the $$$ to finish building it and my Dad made me fill the hole back in... but I will come back to it... power th farm on methane and byproduct is one of the RICHEST nutrients available... I love the rock phosphate / etc fish... I'd al;so add basalt and green sand as well as azomite.

I have an ENTIRE 400 page book on methane digesters... would be glad to share info... love the concept... have other things to share with you too...

 

[Zygote]

They’re no fish

Input is Alfalfa meal 2-1-2 (0.5 lbs of nitrogen)
Stage 1 anaerobic digestion drum = output (2.8 lbs of nitrogen)
Stage 2 aerobic rock filter drum
Stage 3 anaerobic digestion drum = output (5 lbs of nitrogen)

The most of the nitrogen present is in a slow release forms that will bind with soil and not burn the plants.

 

[Zygote]

Talked to the state water-monitoring guy (he's cool) he comes by work and tests the water. He has 40 years of experience with water treatment. Turn out he was the water monitoring at all the anaerobic digester plans for the first 7 years of his career.
:thumbs:Knows his shit :thumbs:

I told him about my 3-stage system and how it is was setup and that I was trying to make the most fertilizer that can be made.

A quote from him: You are trying to get the Pig and the Squeal to.

He was so helpful

1. Here are some of his suggestions
2. Use oyster shells in its place of limestone in stage-2.
3. When adding water to the system, add the water at stage-2, so the water can be preconditioned.
4. Only need to run stage-2 for 24 hours but keep 10% of the sediments in the tank.
5. Uses the sediments from stage-2, to raise the pH in stage-1, when needed.
6. Uses the water from stage-2 that has been conditioned as the starting liquid for stage-1

He told me about this, he called it a "Race Track"
Basically you use the water from the end stage is used to start the first stage. The water goes around and around. Getting stronger each time


I believe this "Race Track" is the answer I have been looking for.
According to the "water guy" you can concentrate NPK.

You control the input of raw NPK to the system and you control the concentration of NPK returning to the system. You now have total control of the output.

A quote from me: Instead of trying to get the pig in the trailer. You can get the pig to pull the trailer and pickup other pigs on the way to slaughterhouse. That's a big bunch of awesome right there!

For two dozen home made cinnamon rolls, he tested my samples. All the numbers are very promising. NH4 is good. He took my samples and is going to run an acid reduction test for NO3. He thinks their maybe lots of peptides and polypeptide in the end sample.

I did a little research on peptides and it turns out that a lot of peptides are formed in the cell walls of anaerobic bacteria. BTW plants can take-up peptides. :check: