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October 1999 Vol. 8, NO.4 |
 By Dan Lemke Minneapolis, Minn. — Charles Gantzer is predicting a profit on bubbles. As president of Gantzer Environmental Software and Services, he relies on them to run his hog-odor abatement system. Gantzer’s patent-pending system, “Aero-Cap,” combines a eration technology with components gleaned from aquaculture systems to create a lower-cost means of aerating hog manure lagoons and basins.
His floating airlift aeration system introduces air and oxygen into top water layers to
create an odor barrier. It works, says Gantzer, a former college instuctor who holds a
doctorate in civil engineering.
“All we’re trying to do is put a minimal amount of oxygen into the basin to allow certain bacteria to thrive,” he says. “These bacteria will degrade some of the odor-causing compounds we’re worried about, like hydrogen sulfide and volatile fatty acids.” Just enough oxygenAeration isn’t a new technology when it comes to controlling manure odor, but most systems are too expensive to capture the attention of American farmers, Gantzer says. Full aeration systems can add several dollars a hog to production costs, more than farmers working on thin margins are willing to pay, he says.Gantzer’s system circulates and aerates surface water, rather than agitating the entire basin. Water is drawn from the surface through a series of pipes where bubbles aerate the water. The water is then forced back to the lagoon’s surface. It introduces just enough oxygen to form a foot-thick aerobic layer at the surface of the normally anaerobic lagoon. The aerobic layer oxidizes volatile compounds and keeps them from escaping into the air. And it does it all for about 30 cents per hog. “It’s a low cost, low oxygen, high volume system,” Gantzer says. Rising to the topInitial results have been encouraging. One system, installed at the Churchill Cooperative near Hector, Minn. last year, includes two test basins, one with aeration and one without. University of Minnesota studies show Gantzer’s aeration system reduces odor by 90 percent and hydrogen sulfide emissions by about 95 percent. The system also retains manure’s nutritive value. “Everyone knew aeration worked, but cost was a barrier,” Gantzer says. “This is one way to make it work that keeps the cost bearable.” “Livestock production and especially hog production are important in Minnesota,” adds Steven Olson, manager of AURI’s Marshall field office. “Developing an effective and lower-cost system will benefit producers and the environment.” Tiny bubbles in the labGantzer still uses his basement wet lab for modifications. A test system, which determines the bubble size that works best for infusing oxygen into water, consists of several pipes routed into a 400-gallon water tank. Using a strobe light, Gantzer checks bubble uniformity in a transparent pipe section. Modifications are a constant challenge because system refinements can reduce producer costs even more. Gantzer is moving from development stage to marketing stage. He’s been contacted by companies interested in his system and says they want what he wants: “A system where farmers can stay profitable without fumigating their neighbors. ... That’s our goal.” |
October 1999 * AURI AG INNOVATION NEWS |