MSU Researcher awarded grant to develop a mobile waste-to-electricity solution

Kathryn Kendall -

Dr. Wei Liao awarded grant to develop a mobile waste-to-electricity solution

Dr. Wei Liao,associate professor and the director of MSU Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC)

BAE Faculty Dr. Wei Liao, together with Qnergy Co., Bollinger Motors, and Ingham County, received a grant to develop a mobile waste-to-electric solution to allow small- and medium-scale farm operations to convert organic wastes into electricity for electric vehicles or farm equipment. The project will help meet the ever-growing demand for energy while alleviating negative environmental impacts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting water resources.

"The system developed by this project to link rural biogas generation and rural electric vehicle charging solutions could lead to a win-win-win solution for rural communities, the electric vehicle industry and the environment," said Dr. Wei Liao, professor and director, Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center, Michigan State University.

Michigan's Mobility Ecosystem

Small- and medium-scale farms comprise more than 80% of the 47,000 farms in Michigan. The farms are spaced throughout Michigan, which will allow for an extended rural charging network for electric vehicles in the future. As electric vehicle sales grow in Michigan, the reality of needing access to more charging stations becomes the reality. By creating small- and medium-scale digestion systems, rural communities can manage their own organic waste, and provide charging network for electric vehicles.

The Solution

The solution of mobile renewable electricity generation from agricultural wastes will include a small-scale high-efficient anaerobic digester of biogas production and a robust external combustion engine for electricity generation. The anaerobic digester will be designed and fabricated to convert a variety of organic wastes (animal manure, food wastes, crop residues, and other organic wastes) to biogas. The biogas from the digester will be directly consumed by the external combustion engine to co-generate electricity and heat. The electricity generated from the system will be used for charging EVs or farm equipment. The treated digestion effluent rich in phosphorus and nitrogen will be applied back to cropland as a fertilizer. The entire mobile waste-to-electricity system will be housed on a 20 ft flatbed trailer.

Click here to view the official State of Michigan announcement

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