Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (TGER) - Sustainable Biotechnology: Sources of Renewable Energy - page 105

Ta b l e 5 Theoretical/optimal TGER performance data

Diesel
consump-
tion
rate

Ethanol
consump-
tion
rate

Solid waste
processing
rate (pellet
production)

Liquid
waste
processing
rate

Ethanol
production
rate

Tot a l was t e
processing
rate

Power
output

Power
efficiency

Diesel
Savings

54 kW 90% 1 gph 1 gph 1 gph 60 lb/h 13 lb/h 1,752 lb/day 3.6 gph

Ta b l e 6 Power vs. Fuel Consumption Table Recorded at Purdue University

o er Idle 25 kW35 kW45 kW55 kW

Fuel
Diesel 100% 1.3 gph 1.0 gph 1.2 gph 1.0 gph

Fuel gas 0 scmh 57 scmh 65 scmh 60 scmh 65 scmh

Ethanol 0 gph 0 gph 0 gph 0.5 gph 1 gph

Ta b l e 7 TGER performance data set recorded at VBC

Average TGER performance data at victory base camp

Solid waste
processing
(pellet
production)

Power
efficiency

Diesel
consumption

Pellet
consumption

Liquid waste
processing

Total waste
processing Diesel saved

2 gal/h ∗∗ ~80% 60 lb/h 54 lb/h 13 lb/h 1,752 lb/day 2.6 lb/h

the overall design of the TGER in order to achieve what we believe to be the optimal
theoretical performance characteristics shown in Table 5.
Prior to the deployment to Victory Base Camp, the TGER underwent testing in
a controlled environment at Purdue University. The fuel consumption of all three
fuels (syngas, ethanol and diesel) was measured at varying loads using digital flow
rate sensors as seen in Table 6.
Although the TGER did not perform as well in Iraq as it had when in a con-
trolled environment at Purdue University, it did demonstrate the ability to conserve
fuel and remediate waste in a forward deployed operational environment. Table 7
shows the TGER's performance characteristics when it was running under optimal
conditions at Victory Base Camp. With improved engineering and further devel-
opment all of these performance characteristics can be improved, maximizing the
TGER's potential as a viable portable power generation system.

Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding support of the US Army's
Rapid Equipping Force, the Small Business Technology Transfer Research program and the
Research Development and Engineering Command. We also thank the many forward deployed
personnel at Victory Base Camp, Iraq for their support on the ground. Special thanks to Ms. Donna