Search Results
The MiLA tool: Modeling greenhouse gas emissions and cumulative energy demand of energy crop cultivation in rotation
2016, Peter, Christiane, Specka, Xenia, Aurbacher, Joachim, Peter Kornatz, Peter Kornatz, Herrmann, Christiane, Heiermann, Monika, Müller, Janine, Nendel, Claas
Crop rotations are part of current agricultural practice, since they and their effects can contribute to a sustainable agricultural cropping system. However, in current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, crop rotation effects are insufficiently considered, since these effects are difficult to measure. LCA studies from crop production typically take only one vegetation period into account. As a result, the consideration of how the assessed crop is influenced by the previous crop (crop rotation effects) including: (1) nutrient carryover, (2) reduction in operational requirements and (3) different intensity and timing of farming activities, is outside of the system boundary. However, ignoring these effects may lead to incorrect interpretation of LCA results and consequently to poor agricultural management as well as poor policy decisions. A new LCA tool called the “Model for integrative Life Cycle Assessment in Agriculture (MiLA)” is presented in this work. MiLA has been developed to assess GHG emissions and cumulative energy demands (CED) of cropping systems by taking the characteristics of crop cultivation in rotation into account. This tool enables the user to analyze cropping systems at farm level in order to identify GHG mitigation options and energy-efficient cropping systems. The tool was applied to a case study, including two crop rotations in two different regions in Germany with the goal of demonstrating the effectiveness of this tool on LCA results. Results show that including crop rotation effects can influence the GHG emission result of the individual crop by − 34% up to + 99% and the CED by − 16 up to + 89%. Expanding the system boundary by taking the whole crop rotation into account as well as providing the results based on different functional units improves LCA of energy crop production and helps those making the assessment to draw a more realistic picture of the interactions between crops while increasing the reliability of the LCA results.
Improving aerobic stability and biogas production of maize silage using silage additives
2015, Herrmann, Christiane, Idler, Christine, Heiermann, Monika
The effects of air stress during storage, exposure to air at feed-out, and treatment with silage additives to enhance aerobic stability on methane production from maize silage were investigated at laboratory scale. Up to 17% of the methane potential of maize without additive was lost during seven days exposure to air on feed-out. Air stress during storage reduced aerobic stability and further increased methane losses. A chemical additive containing salts of benzoate and propionate, and inoculants containing heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria were effective to increase aerobic stability and resulted in up to 29% higher methane yields after exposure to air. Exclusion of air to the best possible extent and high aerobic stabilities should be primary objectives when ensiling biogas feedstocks.
Energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions, and profitability of thermobarical pretreatment of cattle waste in anaerobic digestion
2015, Budde, Jörn, Prochnow, Annette, Plöchl, Matthias, Suárez Quiñones, Teresa, Heiermann, Monika
In this study modeled full scale application of thermobarical hydrolysis of less degradable feedstock for biomethanation was assessed in terms of energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions, and economy. Data were provided whether the substitution of maize silage as feedstock for biogas production by pretreated cattle wastes is beneficial in full-scale application or not. A model device for thermobarical treatment has been suggested for and theoretically integrated in a biogas plant. The assessment considered the replacement of maize silage as feedstock with liquid and/or solid cattle waste (feces, litter, and feed residues from animal husbandry of high-performance dairy cattle, dry cows, and heifers). The integration of thermobarical pretreatment is beneficial for raw material with high contents of organic dry matter and ligno-cellulose: Solid cattle waste revealed very short payback times, e.g. 9 months for energy, 3 months for greenhouse gases, and 3 years 3 months for economic amortization, whereas, in contrast, liquid cattle waste did not perform positive replacement effects in this analysis.
Impact of energy crop rotation design on multiple aspects of resource efficiency
2016, Peter, Christiane, Glemnitz, Michael, Winter, Katharina, Kornatz, Peter, Müller, Janine, Heiermann, Monika, Aurbacher, Joachim
Biogas production can cause environmental problems due to a biased alignment of one energy crop used as a feedstock, e.g., maize in Germany. Diversification of crop rotations and resource-efficient management can be the key to sustainable crop management. Four crop rotations on eight sites across Germany were evaluated in terms of their resource efficiency (area use, energy, and economic efficiency) to derive options. Analysis revealed high variation in all indicators under review, with a high variance explanation by the interaction between crop rotation and regional characteristics. Furthermore, results indicate that high area-specific methane yields do not equate to high energy efficiency. Crop management adaptation is a useful tool for optimizing resource efficiency.
Biogas crops grown in energy crop rotations: Linking chemical composition and methane production characteristics
2016, Herrmann, Christiane, Idler, Christine, Heiermann, Monika
Methane production characteristics and chemical composition of 405 silages from 43 different crop species were examined using uniform laboratory methods, with the aim to characterise a wide range of crop feedstocks from energy crop rotations and to identify main parameters that influence biomass quality for biogas production. Methane formation was analysed from chopped and over 90 days ensiled crop biomass in batch anaerobic digestion tests without further pre-treatment. Lignin content of crop biomass was found to be the most significant explanatory variable for specific methane yields while the methane content and methane production rates were mainly affected by the content of nitrogen-free extracts and neutral detergent fibre, respectively. The accumulation of butyric acid and alcohols during the ensiling process had significant impact on specific methane yields and methane contents of crop silages. It is proposed that products of silage fermentation should be considered when evaluating crop silages for biogas production.
Ermittlung des Einflusses der Pflanzenart und der Silierung auf Substratqualität und Biogasausbeute in Labor und in der Praxis : Schlussbericht des Teilprojekt 4 im Rahmen des Verbundvorhabens "Entwicklung und Vergleich von optimierten Anbausystemen für die landwirtschaftliche Produktion von Energiepflanzen unter verschiedenen Standortbedingungen Deutschlands"
2009, Heiermann, Monika, Idler, Christine, Herrmann, Christiane, Scholz, V.
[no abstract available]
Methanbildungspotenziale verschiedener Pflanzenarten aus Energiefruchtfolgen
2016, Herrmann, Christiane, Plogsties, Vincent, Willms, Matthias, Hengelhaupt, Frank, Eberl, Veronika, Eckner, Jens, Strauß, Christoph, Idler, Christine, Heiermann, Monika
Das Methanbildungspotenzial ist ein entscheidendes Qualitätsmerkmal von Biomassen bei ihrer Nutzung als Einsatzstoff für die Biogasproduktion. Von 769 unter einheitlichen Bedingungen silierten Erntegütern aus Energiefruchtfolgen wurden mittels Batch-Gärtests in zwei verschiedenen Versuchsanlagen spezifische Methanausbeuten ermittelt. Daraus konnten Richtwerte für mittlere Methanausbeuten je Fruchtart und Fruchtfolgestellung, Schnitt bzw. Trockenmassebereich oder Entwicklungsstadium zur Ernte für 93 verschiedene pflanzliche Biomassen abgeleitet werden. Die Ergebnisse stellen eine umfassende Datengrundlage dar, die in Verbindung mit Biomasseerträgen für die Abschätzung von Methanhektarerträgen zur ökonomischen und ökologischen Bewertung von Energiefruchtfolgen, zur Planung und Auslegung von Biogasanlagen sowie zur Entscheidung hinsichtlich des Anbaus alternativer pflanzlicher Kosubstrate und der Konzeption nachhaltiger Biogasfruchtfolgen genutzt werden können.
Verbundvorhaben: Standortangepasste Anbausysteme für die Produktion von Energiepflanzen - EVA II, Teilvorhaben 4: Ermittlung des Einflusses der Substratqualität auf die Biogasausbeute in Labor und Praxis : Schlussbericht zum Vorhaben ; Laufzeit: 01.02.2009 bis 31.01.2013
2013, Herrmann, Christine, Heiermann, Monika, Idler, Christine
[no abstract available]