KILOWATTS FROM CORNOBS

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Obviously, by generating its own power during peak demand periods, using crop wastes, the municipal utility illustrated in this instance could maintain a consistent level of purchased power and save money ... even when the locally produced energy is somewhat expensive on a per-kilowatt basis. This practice, in fact, would virtually bring back on line the hundreds of small-scale, decentralized power-production centers indigenous to rural communities, and allow us to rely less on the massive, vulnerable (and often nuclearpowered) generating plants now in use.

In addition to fueling municipal utilities in several ways, corncob gasification has a place in farming, manufacturing, and even individual applications . . . where production of power and heat for varying periods would be desirable. And—under the regulations specified in Section 210 of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act of 1978—it may be feasible for such independent producers to sell their excess power to local utilities.

Furthermore, it's possible to use the manufactured fuel in closecoupled combustion ... in which case it could replace natural gas for such tasks as grain drying or space heating. In this mode, at about a 90% gasifier efficiency (as opposed to 80% when the equipment is used in conjunction with a diesel engine), corn gas costs—based on a cob price of $15 per ton—work out to just over $1.00 per million BTU ... in comparison with natural gas expenses of approximately $5.00 for the same measure. (Capital costs roughly figure to about $2,000 per million BTU of capacity, or $3,500 for one 16" gasification unit.)

Above and beyond these financial considerations, the widespread use of simple gasification equipment could have a number of social and economic benefits. The fuel is a renewable and (apparently) environmentally sound agricultural by-product that demands little in the way of preparation or storage, and it's perfectly suited to local utilization.

Perhaps equally important, the development of this process would offer a supplemental market to corn growers (who now have to sell their crop at below-production-cost prices). The sale of cobs at $15 to $25 per ton would enhance the corn's total market value by 11¢ to 17¢ per bushel. Over the long term, the practice would also conserve fuel reserves by creating financial incentives to pick and shell, rather than combine, the corn. (Besides the fact that combining equipment costs considerably more than traditional cornharvesting implements—and also physically renders the cobs useless for gasifier fuel—the delayed shelling of the crop would allow it to cure on the cob, thus reducing energy requirements for drying.)

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print