SBIR Phase II: Biological Process to Utilize Gases from Livestock Confinement Facilities in Biomass Production

Dairilean Inc, Sioux Falls SD

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will build and test a 1/30 scale prototype photo bioreactor system, which converts waste gas emissions from confinement swine facilities into algae (biomass). Large confinement production facilities account for a majority of livestock production and represent a significant source of odor and greenhouse gases as well as large quantities of solid and liquid waste. Phase I research demonstrated the ability to capture waste gases from a confinement swine facility and use it to produce micro-algae using a photo bioreactor. The research demonstrated that the algae in the photo bioreactor removed more than 90 percent of the waste gases and odors. During Phase II a 1/30-scale prototype photo bioreactor system will be built and attached to an existing swine confinement facility. The system will be tested using a variety of media and algae or photo organism species during the Phase II research. If successful a full scale demonstration unit will be built and tested in Phase III with sales of the system following. The system will address a serious environmental problem while reducing operating costs for swine producers by providing a feed supplement, algae biomass, and creating the potential to extract valuable co-products from the micro-algae. The initial market for the bioair photobioreactor will be large swine operations. Pro Edge, a large swine producer, has agree to purchase the first demonstration unit and plans to purchase an additional 100 to 300 systems if they work as anticipated. While sales of the system will generate revenue, the ultimate goal is to extract high value components from the algae for use in pharmaceuticals, pigments, carbohydrates, and other chemical products. The market for these products is estimated to be approximately $6 billion in 2000.