Well, if you haven’t already had enough Easter goodness this weekend just gone, how’s this for news? More than 128,000 hens at the Glenhead of Aldouran Farm in Stranraer are not only producing thousands of eggs but are also creating enough manure to provide the farm with reliable energy!
The benefits of chickens generating heat
This innovative approach, which will help manage the frequent power cuts in the area, was developed by the farm’s owner, James Baxter, using an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system. This is powered by Novec Engineered Fluids from science-based technology company 3M.
How the system works
The system used the manure from the chickens to fire a biomass boiler and feed a 90kW electrical system, which will then generate heat and power. The boiler produces how water at 150°C, providing 750Wth of heat. The 3M fluid absorbs heat from the chicken manure, which is then converted into a vapour to drive a turbine.
A win-win situation
James Baxter, the owner of Glenhead of Aldouran Farm, explains, “This biomass project is a win-win-win. The chicken manure is processed, and the boiler ash can be reused as fertiliser because of its remaining nutrients.
“The electricity is used on site to save on utility costs and the chicken sheds are heated with the condensing heat of the ORC, therefore we don’t need a separate wood chip boiler to heat the sheds.”
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