A Pilot-Scale Surface Aeration System to Control Manure Odor from Open Storage Facilities

Jun Zhu, Assistant Professor, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN
Zhijian Zhang, Post-Doctoral Associate, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN
Curtis Miller, Assistant Scientist, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN

Funding Source

Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Rapid Agricultural Response Fund

Objective

The objective of the project is to reveal the dynamic characteristics of total solids, total volatile solids, volatile fatty acids (VFA), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), in relation to the odor generation potential, during aeration by an intermittent surface aeration system equipped with a venturi air injector.

Need or Impact

Lack of cost effective techniques in reducing odor from liquid manure storage facilities has prompted the need to study the feasibility and practicality of using intermittent surface aeration for odor control and energy savings.

Project Status

Completed. The intermittent surface aeration system is able to achieve the BOD5 removal efficiency around 90% to 95% after four weeks of aeration The VFAs in the aerated manure became nearly undetectable after 12 weeks of aeration. The VFA removal efficiency exponentially increased from 60% after one week to 98% three months later.
A treatment time of three weeks will be needed to stabilize the liquid manure in order to maintain the VFA level below 230 mg/L for odor control.