Ephraim, Utah --
At the Widtsoe Institute's Alternative Energy Symposium held in November at the Snow College Ephraim Campus.
Biodiesel Project Marks Another Milestone in the Intermountain West
The Central Utah Biodiesel Project (CUBP) has completed another year of research in developing their small farm, self-sufficient biodiesel production model for semi-arid, temperate climates. By way of celebration, project organizers sponsored a symposium in the town of Ephraim, Utah this past November while agronomists and energy officials the world over met in sustaining conferences. The Widtsoe Institute conference in the American west primarily focused on the means of developing secure, clean and affordable energy using rural initiatives.
New Holland's T7070, fully certified for B100, named "Tractor of the Year" in Hanover
Welcoming attendees, Michael Orton acted as the symposium’s moderator, introducing Elise Brown of the Utah Governor’s Energy Office. Ms. Brown offered the governor’s assurance of the state’s dedication to future alternative energy planning. She said that, contrary to abundant rumour, her office of alternative energy assistance (as a division of the Utah Geological Survey) was enjoying increased funding from the state in support of energy diversity for Utah. “We’re busier than ever,” reported Ms. Brown.
The next address was an evaluation of the world’s current hydrocarbon reserves, presented by geophysicist Al Tripp. Observing that most readily accessible oil reserves are located in politically brittle geographical regions, Tripp agreed with executives from Chevron that “the days of ’easy oil‘ are over and a transition to an era of peaking and declining oil production will be unavoidable and economically painful.” In his assessment, Tripp asserted that small, rural communities would be especially and severely impacted and they should begin to develop strategies for dealing with uncertain fuel supplies. Supporting conclusions were proffered by the International Energy Agency which met in Paris at the same time as the Widtsoe Institute’s symposium. The IEA has collected statistical information indicating that the world’s oil production will reach a “plateau” in 2030 and will require the equivalent of “four Saudi Arabias” just to maintain the world’s current demand.
Professor Doug Wendel of central Utah’s Snow College offered a report on the chemistry and production considerations of “small batch” biodiesel (other than waste vegetable oil or WVO). He also discussed the design and use of the Snow College trailer-mounted biodiesel plant which was on display just outside the symposium conference room. As a Widtsoe Institute director and with his Snow College students, Wendel is supervising bio-fuels research in waste vegetable oil applications like many other campus communities across the U.S. His research was instrumental in understanding small-scale applications for rural producers, and led to the scalable model which Widtsoe Institute collaborators have developed.
The Widtsoe Institute’s anniversary included a follow-up presentation by Dr. David Drake of Texas A&M, who discussed the position of self-sufficient energy cropping within the larger framework of traditional agriculture. While with the USU Extension program, Drake and Widtsoe colleagues demonstrated the feasibility of growing oil-seeds for on-farm biodiesel production in central Utah. The team determined that a scalable, symbiotic model for both bio-diesel and animal feed existed that could be of benefit the world over. Now, the Widtsoe Institute membership is planning additional trials for acreage utilizing a variety of seed-bearing plants including legume research. A variety of climate zones increased the scope of the discussion amongst the assembled agronomists and scientists, where many agreed that this is one of the most exciting applications of the Widtsoe Institute’s ongoing research efforts.
Dr. David Drake with the CUBD Project trailer and product. He is now working with Texas A&M in San Angelo and is a founding member of the Widtsoe Institute
Recent oil-seed trials conducted in northern Utah were outlined and discussed by Dr. Mike Pace of Utah State University Extension's facilities in Logan, Utah. Research there included safflower and sunflower crops which were found to be most productive, with yields of about 4000 lbs of seeds per acre in northern Utah’s climate zones. Bird predation was pronounced for the sunflower crop with potential and natural containment measures also discussed by the Widtsoe group. Pace found that Camelina and canola crops were also successful in the USU tests, although those involved yields at about half that of sunflower or safflower. These cropping numbers are compatible with Drake’s values for central Utah and confirmed several years’ research with additional data. Pace also offered market considerations which would affect seed producers and the bio-fuels model. Specifically, if seed-to-oil production was more profitable for human consumption, limitations for bio-fuels would be realized for some of the plants considered.
Seed crops producing diesel oil then feedmeal from the same harvest!
Some trials showed a desirable increase of nutritional Omega 3 fatty acids in poults
With additional information from Matt Palmer of USU’s Sanpete county extension division, a discussion of the use of oil-seed press cake as animal feed continued the symbiosis discussion. Whether bio-diesel fuel was a bi-product of feed production or actually the reverse (feed production as a bi-product of bio-fuel development) was noted by attendees in their refinement of the scalable model. Specifically, Palmer described feed trials of camelina meal to turkey poults where omega-3 fatty acids from the camelina accumulated in the birds’ muscle tissue, adding desirable nutrient value to the poultry production. Palmer suggested that this research finding could be a market niche for turkey and other poultry producers who might offer an omega-3 enriched meat for retail sale. (Representatives from Norbest, Inc. were in attendance at the symposium). Palmer confirmed that the United States Department of Agriculture has recently approved camelina meal for animal feed for American producers. These implications were noted by the Widtsoe Institute’s membership to have significant potential for world food production within their scalable model. It was noted that the camelina crop requires less water per acre than other alternatives in their trials.
Snow College's Richfield Campus and its Diesel Mechanics Program Component
The Widtsoe symposium included considerations in mechanical engineering within their refinement of the small farm model. Prof. Dale Jensen of Snow College’s Diesel Mechanics program covered quality control issues in small-scale biodiesel production. Filtration of particulate matter from oil prior to trans-esterification was a key to acceptable product, particularly if waste oil was used as the primary oil stock. Jensen felt that the solubility properties of biodiesel could present latent problems, but could be surmounted by retrofitting and designing engines with resistant gaskets and hoses. Concurrently with the Widtsoe Institute’s symposium, New Holland Agriculture’s T7070 model tractor won the “Tractor of the Year” award at AgriTechnica’s November conference in Hanover, Germany. Available in the U.S., the New Holland T7070 is B100 certified and was selected for the honor by a panel of 20 European agricultural journalists.
BioDiesel and its New Frontiers
The biodiesel segment of the symposium program concluded with Dr. Al Tripp, who suggested an additional number of new research possibilities in self-sustainable farm biodiesel. In his opinion, domestic lupines, being frost tolerant, semi-drought tolerant legumes with sizable quantities of oil, are interesting oil-seed candidates for central Utah climate zones. A more radical source of biodiesel could be fast-pyrolysis of the north American juniper (juniperus scopulorum). Finally, Dr. Tripp suggested that economic risk models for farm sufficiency and community scale biodiesel production were possible and should be developed given looming production concerns on the world market. (See subsequent post, "Twenty Years").
The Widtsoe Institute’s November symposium also included an address by Scott Sunderland describing the Sunderland Dairy methane digester. After construction and some operational adjustments, the Sunderland digester is working to provide a valuable benchmark for other dairies contemplating digester operation. This address demonstrated the key role of the adventurous small producer in testing and adapting novel technologies and the invaluable assistance of public sector support. Mr. Sunderland’s dairy herd includes approximately 450 head of dairy cattle.
Andy's "Wind Kids" in Central Utah
Andy Swapp of the Milford School District discussed his work coupling secondary education with a wind farm development in the Milford, Utah region. First Wind and the Milford Wind have signed contracts with communities in southern California where grid purchase precludes some fossil fuel electricity generators. Their first turbines are up and turning and will eventually include 97 wind turbine generator units. Prof. Swapp indicated that several of his “wind kids” have been employed by the turbine company and also have applied to college engineering programs. State Senator Dennis Stowell and other community leaders have indicated that the program has been a “revitalize” to the rural community. Elise Brown of the governor’s energy office was instrumental in supplying data collection equipment at the project’s onset. Swapp reported that the only public lands involved with the windfarm was for transmission line access and involved eighty miles of line construction.
Concluding the second part of the symposium’s energy program was Dr. Allen Howard of USU who elucidated the potential applications of light detection and ranging systems to second-generation wind velocity monitoring for wind farm assessment and design. The USU Energy Lab facility at Dr. Howard’s Logan, Utah campus has ongoing LIDAR research with the Center for Active Sensing and Imaging which has developed the “VisibleWindTM” suite of atmospheric profiling tools. Their efforts aim to be of great value to the emerging wind turbine industry and site allocation for future projects.
In a presentation covering rural entrepreneurship, Allen Christensen of the Utah Small Business Development Center discussed considerations contributing to the business profitability of alternative energy agronomy. Mr. Christensen’s remarks covered important contributions to a commercial venture’s success, including collaboration, systemic evaluation and agile organizational communications. As a resource partner of the United States Small Business Administration, Mr. Christensen’s efforts in the rural regions of Utah is utilized by nascent and existing business development efforts.
The symposium attendees delved into a considerable number of considered questions and comments. Attendees from the private sector included local resident Dale Lewis, who announced the imminent opening of a natural gas fueling station in Mt. Pleasant, Utah and conversion resources for alternatively-fueled vehicles in central part of the state.
