PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: In this proposal, Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) outlines the development of a system for re

Description

In this proposal, Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) outlines the development of a system for remediating ammonia (NH3) produced in large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The animal agricultural industry is coming under increased scrutiny due to the large volume of pollutants, in particular ammonia, produced in its operations. PSI's proposed remediation system for NH3 utilizes an adsorbent bed in series with the air exhaust flow through the CAFO to remove and concentrate ammonia from the air flow. Ammonia is periodically released from the adsorbent bed and is processed with PSI's patented microwave plasma torch technology which is capable of efficiently heating ammonia in air, to convert the ammonia into nitrogen and hydrogen. The Phase I program focuses on measurements and modeling to assess and optimize the remediation approach. The efficiency of ammonia adsorption and regeneration on candidate adsorbents in humid air will be characterized. NH3 dissociation will be characterized as a function of microwave torch operating conditions including the microwave power coupled into the plasma, the concentration of ammonia in air and the total gas flow rate. An empirical model of the remediation process will be developed and used to evaluate designs for the Phase II prototype system. In Phase II the prototype system will be built and tested in a CAFO barn and the efficacy of utilizing the technology for remediating other pollutants (H2S), including greenhouse gases (N2O, CH4) will be examined. A preliminary analysis of the NH3 remediation process shows it to be cost effective and scaleable to the air flow requirements of very large closed structure CAFOs.