By James Ronald Skains
Journal Correspondent

"There are so many sources for energy production just laying around that we don't take advantage of because we are addicted to pulling up to a pump for a fill up or flipping on an electrical switch," John W. Logan, managing partner of Brinson Farms, LLC. told the Piney Woods Journal.

"Through our J&L Farm Services company, we patented the first broiler poultry waste bio-refinery in the USA. I call it our research and development unit because that is what it really is," Logan explained. "We have plans in the works to install a commercial size bio-refinery unit in January at another location and build an ethanol production unit next year."

"We have our research model at our poultry farm near Prentiss, Mississippi," Logan confirmed. "It is capable of taking care of the poultry litter from ten broiler house which amounts to 2,000 tons de-caked broiler litter per year. The litter is fed into an anaerobic digester under high heat."

"The slurry mix is kept in the digester for 10-15 days and then placed into a 400,000 gallon tank from which we take carbon out of the slurry making methane gas to power our farm operation," Logan pointed out. "We are tied into the local power grid, so we sell our excess power to the local power company."

"The excess power is called green power which means that it is electricity generated from renewable sources, the power company is obligated to buy the excess green power by Federal regulations," Logan explained. "In actuality, we are making more money off our broiler operations because of our reduced energy cost plus we are making money off any excess power we sell."

"This same type operation can happen on any farm that has a waste material that high in carbon content," Logan, who has been developing his system for the last five years said. "We will soon make our patented broiler poultry wasted bio-refinery system available to other growers and farmers."

For the past twelve years, Logan has been a partner and manager of Brinson Farms, LLC which raises poultry and beef and grows trees. Logan has been very active in Farm Bureau on the local, state and national levels. In addition, Logan is on the USDA-NCRS Advisory Board and the Governors Renewable Energy Advisory Board.

Prior to focusing his career on farming operations, Logan worked for 30 years in the civilian computer marketing and management. He retired as Senior Vice President of a major Atlanta based company. In addition, Logan had 38 years of military service on active duty and reserves, retiring as an Army colonel.

Mark Zappi, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette told the Journal, "When I was at Mississippi State University, I did research on two systems to use wood chips to produce renewable fuels."

"Larry Pearson had developed a biological process to remove the carbon from wood chips," Dr. Zappi explained. "On the other hand, Stan Pearson (no relation) had developed a gasification system to turn wood chips into synthetic gas from which ethanol and other liquid fuels can be produced."

"Stan Pearson has a gasification pilot plant in Aberdeen, Mississippi," Dr. Zappi noted.

"A lot of Larry Pearson's research work has been conducted at Mississippi State University research labs. Ironically, both Pearson's worked together at Dow Chemical in Baton Rouge but are pursuing different methods of extracting the carbon from the wood to produce synthetic gas, ethanol, and other liquid fuels."

Although Dr. Zappi graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1984 with a degree in Civil Engineering, he turned to Chemical Engineering when he attended Mississippi State University. He earned both a Master's and Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering before joining the faculty at MSU.

His primary areas of research include production of both liquid and gaseous fuels from renewable sources and the treatment of polluted streams. Dr. Zappi, who has generated over $30 million in research funds, held the Texas Olefins Professorship in the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering at MSU.

Dr. Zappi also holds two patents with four patents pending and has published over 150 technical papers and serves as an associate editor on numerous academic journals.

Frank Yerby is the District Ranger on the Winn District of the Kisatchie National Forest.

His work has drawn national attention within the US Forest Service for effectuating the removal of tons of biomass of Forest Service land that was both pre-commercial timber and a fire hazard.

Yerby pointed out, "Although the small trees and brush will never have much commercial value, this type material is ideal for boiler fuel for sawmills and paper mills."

"In addition, when the non-commercial bio-mass is removed from the forest, it changes the dynamics for us," Yerby explained. "The fire hazard has been reduced and also the cost of fighting a fire in those areas is much less than in areas with a lot of bio-mass."

The US Forest Service in conjunction with a private firm has developed a small scale MD-50 Unit that will produce fuel from wood chips to generate electricity. The first MD-50 in the south will be installed on Yerby's ranger district in early 2007.

"The MD-50 unit will produce enough electricity to power our new ranger station and office that is under-construction on Highway 84 west about ten miles from Winnfield right in the heart of the Kisatchie."

Dr. Lesile H. Groom came to the USDA Forest Service Research Station in Pineville, Louisiana in 1989. Prior to that, Groom had received a bachelor's degree in wood science and technology from Colorado State University and a Master's and Ph.D. in wood mechanics from Oregon State University.

Dr. Groom currently serves as project leader and research scientist for the Utilization of Southern Forest Resources. "Our focus is on all facets of the utilization of woody biomass, either through composites or bio-energy."

"Our research looks at the mechanical properties of wood fibers, the atomic force of microscopy of fiber surfaces, and the wood composite formation and structure. All this enables us to determined the bio-mass with the highest potential yield for renewable energy and the most cost effective method to extract that energy."

Dr. Gary Breitenback is a Professor of Agronomy and Soil Microbiology at LSU, "My primary research focus involves Agro-environmental factors with on emphasis in nitrogen and carbon dynamics. Both these areas play a major role in renewable energy.

A native of Raceland in the heart of the south Louisiana sugar cane industry, Ph.D. Edwin Richard, Jr. is a research agronomist and team leader for the USDA-ARS Research Laboratory in Houma, Louisiana. "Our major research focus involves the development of an integrated feedstock production program to take advantage of Louisiana's mild climate to reduce the need for feedstock storage."

"Through a team research effort that includes agronomists, geneticists, entomologists, pathologists, and plant physiologists we are working to produce a cane component suitable for the bio-fuels industry in Louisiana," Dr. Richard noted.

Apparently, the academic research in Louisiana has pushed the renewable fuels process to a point whereby private industry can take the knowledge of both the processes and most effective usages of the feedstock and produce a variety of alternative energy sources for Louisiana.

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