lincolnu College

 

Workshops:

Environmental Science Workshop for K-12 Educators

Tuesday, July 8 through Thursday, July 10, 2014

 

The Mission of the Environmental Research Program at Lincoln University is to address current environmental problems facing Missouri residents as well as the nation through cutting-edge research that would lead to sustainable solutions to the problems and improving quality of life. Research focus areas are: climate change, renewable energy, environmental contamination/characterization, risk assessment/management, water quality, watershed management, remedial technology, and nanotechnology. The program is funded through grants by various federal and state agencies such as USDA, NSF, EPA, DOD, EPA, NASA, MODNR, etc. and supported by excellent research facilities and laboratories that are equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and up-to-date software to meet research needs. Specific research emphasis are as follows:

a) Site Risk Assessment and Remediation:

This research is to assess inorganic and organic pollution in soil resulting from mining, army or agriculture operations and develop site-specific remediation technology to reduce the human health and ecological risks and restore the impaired environment.

b) Water Quality and Watershed Management:

The research explores the use of chemical spectroscopy and molecular biotechnology to characterize dissolved organic carbon/nitrogen, pesticide, and water-borne pathogens in surface water bodies and develop source tracking and treatment technology or watershed management practices for control of the pollutants in drinking water and quality protection of water supply.

c) Climate Changes:

This research is to assess greenhouse gas emission in various ecosystems, in an effort to develop best management practices strategy for enhancing carbon sequestration in soils.

d) Renewable Energy Technology:

This research is to develop optimal systems for maximizing algae growth and biomass production using CO₂ produced from Missouri power plants and identify algea species for biofuel extraction, as well as energy production technology using agriculture wastes.

e) Nanotechnology:

Optical and biosensors are designed for detecting E. Coli or metals through nano- or bio-technology approach. The sensors can be potentially applied for environmental monitoring, food security, health and risk assessment.

 

Alternative Energy Production and Utilization on Farms - A Workshop

Tuesday, August 28 through Thursday, August 30, 2012

Carver Farm 3804 Bald Hill Road, Jefferson City, Missouri

 

Project Summary:

 

Sustainability is a dynamic process that preserves the environment through proper use of natural resources. Energy is a major input in agriculture. Solar and biomass energy sources can make sustainable farming possible. There is, however, a need for dissemination of information to increase public awareness in the rural communities about the importance of alternative energy use on farms. The adaption of alternative energy technologies by farmers depends on farmers' knowledge of the availability and the profitability of techniques.

The objective of this project is to design and offer two workshops, each of three days' duration, on utilization of solar energy and the production and utilization of biogas on a farm. The workshops will be offered to farmers' educators. The workshops will introduce the participants to the basic concepts of capturing and utilization of solar and biogas energies on farms. The workshops will cover the economic and environmental benefits of generation and utilization of alternative energy and the necessity of using these sources in achieving sustainable agriculture. Different designs of solar collection systems and biogas digesters will be presented.  The participants will be involved in hands-on operation of solar collectors and biogas digesters.

 

This project was funded by USDA-SARE: Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education 

 

 

Progress:

 

The first workshop was held successfully on Tuesday, August 28 through Thursday, August 30, 2012, Carver Farm 3804 Bald Hill Road, Jefferson City, Missouri. Twenty five farmer educators attended the workshop.

Several speakers from different universities were invited to give up to date information on anaerobic digestion, solar energy, and wind energy. Two farmers were invited to share their prospective on renewable energy application on farms. The workshop attendees visited a farm that has a watering system that is operated with solar energy. Demonstration of anaerobic digester operated with solar energy and biomass pyrolysis for biochar production.

 

Project Investigators:

 

PI, Dr. Hamed El-Mashad, Lincoln University

Co-PI, Dr. Majed El-Dweik, Lincoln University

Co-PI, Dr. Raymond Bayan, Lincoln University

Co-PI, Dr. Gedikoglu, Haluk, Lincoln University

Co-PI, Dr. Bob Broz, University of Missouri, Columbia

 

Topics and presenters:

 

Topic	Speaker
USDA/SARE program	Dr. K.B. Paul (Lincoln University (LU))
Introduction	Dr. H. El-Mashad (LU)
Principles of biogas production	Dr.  J. Cheng (North Carolina State University)
Anaerobic digesters and design	Dr.  J. Cheng
Biogas purification and utilization	Dr.  J. Cheng
Status and potential of biogas industry	Dr.  J. Cheng
Characterization and supply of bioenergy production feedstocks	Dr. R. Bayan (LU)
Anaerobic digestion and mitigation of greenhouse gases	Dr. T. Lim (Missouri University (MU))
Cow power	Mrs. T. Smith and Mr. J. Daniels Mid America Environmental Energy
Farmer perspectives on alternative energy	Mr. Chris Boeckmann  (LU)
Biogas project permitting issues	K. Hale and G. Fletcher (Department of Natural resources)
Anaerobic codigestion of organic materials	Dr. H. El-Mashad (LU)
Solar energy fundamentals	Dr. V. Nelson (West Texas A&M University)
Basics of photovoltaic systems	Dr. S. Barizuddin (LU)
Photovoltaic  and concentrating solar power	Dr. V. Nelson
Production and anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass	Dr. D. Brune (MU)
Small wind systems	Dr. V. Nelson
Solar heating systems	Drs. S. Barizuddin and M. El-Dweik (LU)
Economics of biogas and solar energy	Dr. H. Gedikoglu (LU)
Example of application of solar energy system on farms	Dr. W. L. Ambrose
Bioenergy on line curriculum	Mr. D. Day (MU)
Safety issues of biogas and solar energies	Drs. M. El-Dweik  and H. El-Mashad (LU)
Demonstration of anaerobic digester operated with solar energy	Drs. M. El-Dweik  and H. El-Mashad (LU)
Demonstration of a small scale biomass pyrolyzer	Dr. R. Bayan (LU)

Anaerobic digesters: farm opportunities and pathways

http://www.mnproject.org/pdf/Anaerobic%20Digesters%203-2-11-HR.pdf

 

Biogas plant construction manual

http://www.snvworld.org/sites/www.snvworld.org/files/publications/construction_manual_modified_ggc_model_biogas_plant_for_pakistan_2009.pdf

 

Development of a calculator for the techno-economic assessment of anaerobic digestion systems

http://www.biomass.ubc.ca/IBSAL/AD%20Calculator%20Project%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf

 

Development of biogas processing for small scale cattle farm in Indonesia

http://unapcaem.org/Activities%20Files/A01/Development%20of%20Biogas%20Processing%20for%20Small%20Scale%20Cattle%20Farm.pdf

 

Installation manual for low-cost polyethylene tube digesters

https://energypedia.info/images/1/19/Low_cost_polyethylene_tube_installation.pdf

 

The role of small-scale biodigesters in the energy, health, and climate change baseline in Mexico

http://humboldt-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/2148/531/ThesisFinal_A_Eaton.pdf?sequence=1

 

Biodigester design & construction in rural costa rica

http://www.ruralcostarica.com/biodigester.html

 

Anaerobic biogas (methane) digester video (part 1)

http://www.ruralcostarica.com/digester-video.html

 

Small scale bio-gas resources

http://www.wcasfmra.org/biogas.htm

 

A small-scale biodigester designed and built in the philippines by gerry baron

http://www.habmigern2003.info/biogas/Baron-digester/Baron-digester.htm

 

Midwest rural energy council

http://www.mrec.org/anaerobicdigestion.html#Support

 

Organic waste biogas plants in northern ireland

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/ae198/digesters.html

 

Pennsylvania digester case studies

http://www.biogas.psu.edu/casestudies.html