Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (TGER) - Sustainable Biotechnology: Sources of Renewable Energy - page 101

Ta b l e 3 Data from TGER Energy Conversion Model

Feed materials (daily) -30 May 08
Garbage (gallons) 70 20% paper, 50% cardboard, 30% plastic

Garbage (lbs) 399

Food (gallons) 40

Diesel (gallons) 9

Energy content of feed

Heats of
combustion
(btu/lb) LHV

Tot a l
(lb)

Tot a l energy
(BTU)

Tot a l energy
(kWhr) Component

2.0 Carbohydrates 7200 14394.24 4.21871

279.3 Paper/cardboard 8000 2234400 654.8654

59.9 Plastic-polyethylene terephthalate 10250 613462.5 179.7956

59.9 Pastic-polystyrene 17800 1065330 312.2304

62.8 Diesel (DF2) 18397 1155700 338.7162

Total 5083286 1489.826

Electrical energy production
Total (kWh) 343

Offboard (kWh) 230

Total thermal-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency (% of energy content of feed)
23.0%

Offboard energy conversion efficiency (% of thermal energy content of feed)
15.4%

Diesel fuel savings (gallons)
33

Energy delivery efficiency (% of electrical energy for offboard use)
67.1%

%Contribution to feed energy

Diesel 22.74%

Biofuels 77.26%

output until 1:30 pm, after which the fuel consumption drops off abruptly while
the power output remains relatively steady. At 1:30 pm ethanol was introduced into
the engine at rate of 0.5 gph causing the diesel fuel consumption rate to drop by
more than 0.25 gph. Ethanol was supplied to the engine for approximately 30 min
until mechanical difficulties with the ethanol pump began to occur and forced the
operators to turn the pump off. When the ethanol pump is turned off the diesel fuel
consumption gradually goes up while the power output remains relatively steady.