Description

How does the nitrogen cracker work?

The Gazoo nitrogen cracker reduces nitrogen in a 2-stage process. First, the ammonia is extracted from the thin fraction through evaporation and the application of a base or heat. Evaporation creates two products: ammonia and residual water.

Residual water

Residual water can be spread over the land or pumped back to the barn. If it is pumped back to the barn, it should be sprayed over the slats to clean the stained surfaces.

Spraying residual waterr over the slats reduces ammonia emissions  from the barn. This concerns an emission reduction of 62% with a slatted floor compared to a traditional dairy barn with a slatted floor with an emission factor of 13 kg ammonia per year per animal accommodated. The reduction with a solid floor is 63%.

 

Ammonia

In the second stage of the treatment, the ammonia gas released during evaporation is collected in the nitrogen cracker and processed. Ammonia is an important semi-finished product for the chemical fertiliser industry. Nitric acid is added to the ammonia to produce nitro-limestone, a liquid chemical fertiliser.

Chemical fertiliser can therefore be made from animal manure by separating the manure and using the Gazoo. This has a favourable effect on barn emissions, manure spreading emissions, and the nitrogen produced by cows. All are significantly reduced by removing ammonia from manure.

Methane reduction

After CO₂, methane is considered the main culprit among greenhouse gases. The effect of methane as a greenhouse gas is 23 times that of CO₂. Methane emissions can be reduced by converting the gas to CO₂ with the help of the Gazoo.

Methane is created in the organic part of slurry and manure. residual water is created by separating the manure and busting the nitrogen. The amount of organic manure in the pit is reduced by pumping the residual water back and spraying it over the floor surface. This reduces methane emissions in the barn.

Separating the manure results in a thick fraction and a thin fraction. If the thick fraction is collected in a covered space, the methane that is released as greenhouse gas can be captured and sent to the Gazoo. The Gazoo contains a filament that flares the methane and converts it into CO2.

Advantages of the Gazoo nitrogen cracker

• Less ammonia
• Converts organic nitrogen into inorganic nitrogen
• Better and faster absorption of the nitrogen in liquid form
• Save expenditure on chemical fertiliser
• Approx. 20%  more space in the manure pit
• More nitrogen space, no shrinkage
• It is cheaper to sell manure in the event of a manure surplus

Calculation example

A cow produces 140 kg of nitrogen per year:

• 70 kg of this is in organic manure (does not evaporate and does not wash out)
• 70 kg is in ammonium (liquid ammonia)

The Gazoo nitrogen cracker can reduce the 70 kg of nitrogen in the ammonium to 14 kg. That represents a reduction of 80%!

 

Nitrogen cracker Gazoo in practice

Gazoo best solution for cattle manure?

The legislation on nitrogen emission is constantly changing. Moreover, the rules are becoming stricter and, as a farmer, you have to respond to this constantly. But how do you do that? What is currently the best solution for cattle manure? Diary Farmer Gerjan Roetert explains how he approaches it on his farm.