Case Study: Taskmaster® Grinder Contributes to BioFuel Production

The Meadowbrook Dairy in El Mirage, California is part of a growing alternative energy initiative -the production of energy from renewable sources. In this example, the renewable source is manure provided by the dairy’s 2000 cows. Each day, 20,000 gallons of manure are collected, deposited and processed in an anaerobic digester. Methane is released which fuels a turbine that generates electricity. Enough power is generated to meet most of the daily needs of the 159 acre dairy.

Size reduction of the raw material is an important first step in the process. The dairy has installed several TASKMASTER® TM8524 grinders which have proved to be extremely reliable and easy to maintain. “This macerator does a great job of processing our manure/slurry at the beginning of our anaerobic digester,” said dairy owner, Ed Imsand. The unit has made a big difference in gas production by creating smaller particles with more surface area for bacterial action. It has helped make more electricity and less green house gas emissions.”

The environmental benefits of generating fuel from manure include cleaner air and water. Methane has a global warming effect 21 times that of carbon dioxide. Using methane for energy purposes significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. There are also benefits to the water shed, since manure that is used in the biogas process is not washed off land surfaces by rain and irrigation into local rivers and streams.

TASKMASTER® grinders set the standard for effective solids reduction, reliability, easy maintenance and exceptional durability. These grinders are provided from small units that can be installed directly in pipe systems up to large shredders that feature 40, 75 and 100 HP motors for handling everything from solid waste and hides to tires and solid rocket fuel. These units are provided with Franklin Miller’s unique sealing technology which makes them uniquely suited for wet processing under pressure conditions as well as for dry gravity applications. TASKMASTER grinders are available with many innovative features including patented “cutter cartridge technology.” With these cartridges, multitudes of individual cutter and spacer disks are replaced with a few one-piece cutter cartridge units that greatly enhance strength and performance.