Case Study: TASKMASTER® Grinders Play Central Role in Biofuel Production

A biogas station in Poběžovice, the Czech Republic could be a prototype for what the future holds for the production of energy from renewable sources. Built by the Spin Plzeň company, the facility is located on the grounds of an agricultural farm focused on pig breeding. The station processes a combination of biodegradable waste to produce the biogas. The main component is 100 m3/day of liquid pig manure which is combined with maize silage and slaughterhouse waste.

The components of the station were designed and manufactured by the company, Tomášek SERVIS, s.r.o. Various proposals for processing input raw materials were considered. The goal was to install size reduction equipment capable of handling 9.5 t/day of raw materials with a required particle size at output of 12 mm. Proper treatment was essential, as the form and output size of solid particles was strictly regulated.

After meeting with a technologist and several company representatives, a recommended solution was the addition of two Franklin Miller -TASKMASTER® twin shaft grinders: a horizontal twin-shaft model with a feeding hopper and a second vertical grinder further down the line. Following several test runs, the two grinders were installed and the station began production in 2009.

In operation, the input raw material passes through the TASKMASTER, Model TM2342, where the primary grinding of solids is carried out. The raw material continues gravitationally to a reservoir where the ground solids are mixed with liquid pig manure. The combined material is sent to the TASKMASTER, Model TM851204 for secondary maceration and piped into the pasteurizing vessel. The material is then put into a digester which begins the biogas production process.

At present, the grinders process raw materials several times a week prior to pasteurization. Since their installation, the operation of the units have been excellent. A problem arose only once when animal hides with bristles were erroneously added to the input material. Franklin Miller solved the problem by providing optional combs for automatic cleaning of these areas and advising personnel of the necessity of following guidelines in the operating manuals.

According to both the station owner and operators, the units do an excellent job of size reduction, are extremely reliable and easy to maintain. The pasteurization process, an important step, has successfully passed several inspections by state agricultural, environmental and health agencies, an indication that the units are optimally processing the raw material. And to top things off, the station recently decided to expand their operations and subsequently ordered two more TASKMASTER grinders.

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 multi-cutter cartridges that greatly enhance unit strength and performance.