Project
participants visit Washington
Prairie Lands members, John Sellers and Doug Goben traveled to Washington D.C. recently, accompanied by Chariton Valley RC&D Coordinator, Jim Cooper and Alliant Energy Engineers, Gary Walling and Bill Morton.
The group presented a Chariton Valley Biomass Project update to the Department of Energy as well as to the following congressional members and their staff:
Congressmen Leonard Boswell and Greg Ganske, and Senators Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin.
In addition, they presented a project update to Ray Costello, with Biomass Power for Rural Development, Division of the Department of Energy.
“All
meetings were encouraging, with positive responses from everyone,”
says Sellers.
OGS
modifies power plant in preparation for co-fire test
Read
the article and view the pictures here.
Winter
Harvest
One thousand tons of switchgrass were winter harvested,
baled and sent to storage through the Chariton Valley Biomass Project.
The harvest is in preparation for the co-fire test to be held at Alliant
Energy’s Ottumwa Generating Station. In addition, a total of 3,000
tons of switchgrass were harvested late last fall. Four thousand tons of
switchgrass are necessary to complete the test burn. A local trucking
firm transports the bales to a newly constructed storage facility
located at OGS.
View the Pictures here.
Fall
Harvest
Prairie
Lands member, Doug Goben, discusses the fall harvest with Joe Story of
John Deere Works.
Don Clark takes time out from mowing
switchgrass during the fall harvest. Thanks to John Deere Ottumwa Works for their
donating the use of the John Deere mower. John Deere 4990
self-propelled rotary windrower used during fall harvest of switchgrass.
Click on the picture to view a larger version.
Switchgrass
bales get covered on the Loren Eddy farm with the assistance of John Sellars and
Ed Woolsey. Click on the pictures to view a larger version
Cooperator Signs
Fields of
switchgrass enrolled in the Chariton Valley Biomass Project are a little easier for the
general public to recognize. The signs were designed to help identify project cooperators'
switchgrass fields.
Wildllife
study completes first year.
Switchgrass harvest sets stage for co-fire test.
Click here to find out more.
Denmark
visit provides insights to co-fire technology
Denmark
is a world leader in biomass technologies; therefore, several
participants in the Chariton Valley Biomass Project traveled there to
view first hand power plants that burn wheat straw.
Elsamprojekt,
a Danish engineering and consulting firm, hosted Associate General
Manager for the Ottumwa Generating Station (OGS), Cynthia Lord; Alliant
Engineer, Bill Morton; Foster Wheeler Engineers, David Tillman and Joe
Knaap; and Chariton Valley Biomass Project Field Specialist, John
Sellers.
The
group visited three power plants in Grena, Studstrup, and Frederica.
“The plants co-fire wheat straw with coal at a rate of 10 percent and
burn 12 and a half tons per hour,” says Sellers.
Lord
says viewing the plant in action was very helpful. “Viewing the live
systems helped illustrated the possibilities,” she says. “They had
an elaborate handling system,” says Lord.
Sellers says the challenges were in removing strings from the
bales. “We able to see some of the problems with air flow into the
blower and bridging, which is when the biomass jams up,” he says.
Lord says the trip provided a good opportunity to share information. “We gained from their experience regarding problems such as boiler corrosion, which they said, was marginal. They also provided tips to monitor corrosion impact,” says Lord. In addition to material handling, the group observed how the plants control dust through a vacuum system.
Switchgrass nozzles have been installed at OGS. “External
modification installation is scheduled for July and August to be ready
for the test burn to begin in September,” says Lord.