1. Challenge

Scientists attribute the global warming trend observed since the mid-20th century to the human expansion of the "greenhouse effect" — warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gases that remain semi-permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as "forcing" climate change. Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include: water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

2. Problem

Methane is a hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock. Ruminant animals, particularly cows and sheep, contain bacteria in their gastrointestinal systems that help to break down plant material. Some of these microorganisms use the acetate from the plant material to produce methane, and because these bacteria live in the stomachs and intestines of ruminants, whenever the animal "burps" or defecates, it emits methane as well. Our goal is to find a way to use this methane in a viable way.

2.2 Methane harmfulness

The 20-year global warming potential of methane is 84. That is, over a 20-year period, it traps 84 times more heat per mass unit than carbon dioxide and 32 times the effect when accounting for aerosol interactions. Global methane concentrations rose from 722 parts per billion (ppb) in pre-industrial times to 1866 ppb by 2019, an increase by a factor of 2.5 and the highest value in at least 800,000 years. Its concentration is higher in the Northern Hemisphere since most sources (both natural and human) are located on land and the Northern Hemisphere has more land mass. On a molecule-for-molecule basis, methane is a far more active greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but also one which is much less abundant in the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide (CO2). But the negative effect on the climate of Methane is 23 times higher than the effect of CO2. Therefore the release of about 100 kg Methane per year for each cow is equivalent to about 2’300 kg CO2 per year.

The livestock sector is a significant contributor to global human-induced GHG emissions. Livestock supply chains emitted an estimated total of 8.1 gigatonnes CO2-eq in 2010 (using 298 and 34 as global warming potential for N2O and CH4 respectively). Methane (CH4) accounts for about 50 percent of the total. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) represent almost equal shares with 24 and 26 percent, respectively.

A 2006 UN FAO report reported that livestock generate more greenhouse gases as measured in CO2 equivalents than the entire transportation sector. Livestock accounts for 9 percent of anthropogenic CO2, 65 percent of anthropogenic nitrous oxide and 37 percent of anthropogenic methane. A senior UN official and co-author of the report, Henning Steinfeld, said "Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems."

Recent NASA research has confirmed the vital role of enteric fermentation in livestock on global warming. "We understand that other greenhouse gases apart from carbon dioxide are important for climate change today," said Gavin Schmidt, the lead author of the study and a researcher at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, NY and Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research. Other recent peer reviewed NASA research published in the journal Science has also indicated that the contribution of methane to global warming has been underestimated.

President of the National Academy of Sciences Ralph Cicerone (an atmospheric scientist), has indicated the contribution of methane by livestock flatulence and eructation to global warming is a "serious topic." Cicerone states "Methane is the second-most-important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere now. The population of beef cattle and dairy cattle has grown so much that methane from cows now is big. This is not a trivial issue."Approximately 5% of the methane is released via the flatus, whereas the other 95% is released via eructation.

2.3 Agricultural data

A cow does on overage release between 70 and 120 kg of Methane per year. The global cattle population amounted to about 996.36 million head in 2018. Between 2000 and 2050, the global cattle population is projected to increase from 1.5 billion to 2.6 billion.

3. Solution

According to data released by NASA the planet has warmed 0.9 C since the 19th century, the cause of this warming is attributed to the greenhouse effect, caused by the increase of harmful gases dispersed in the atmosphere, because certain gases block heat and do not allow it to escape.

One of the main causative gases is methane, NASA data say that 68% of methane gas produced in Brazil comes from agriculture, on a molecular scale, methane is a greenhouse gas about four times more active than carbon dioxide. Although much less abundant in the atmosphere, our startup atmosphère presents an intelligent solution for global warming, which is the capture of this methane gas and its use for energy and commercial purposes.

3.1 Commercialization

Gas trading will be directed to industries in various sectors, such as automotive, aerospace and carbon credit for companies that have a very high emission level and few options for reduction, thereby offsetting their emissions. In the automotive sector, natural gas used in vehicle fuels has about 70% methane in its composition.

4. Cost

The enclosed confinement should have an area of 250 m² and 5.0 m² / cattle has a roof eave with a width of approximately 1.0 m, a ceiling height of 4.0 m, and 50 cattle is recommended for confinement. Estimated total cost is $ 145.890.

Daily cost of a feedlot cattle (R$ / cattle / day):

1. Cost with food .............................. R$ 1,63

2. Operating costs * .................................. R$ 0,17

3. Total cost / cattle / day ............................ R$ 1,80

5. Viability

5.1. Examples

In Texas, Cactus Feeders Company has a production of 500,000 head of cattle, which contains the largest amount of confined cattle in the world. In Brazil, one of the largest farms for confined cattle breeding is Nova Piratinga, which has over 200,000 head of cattle.

5.2. Methane Market Cost

According to the globalpetrolprices website, the average methane price is 0.86 USD / Liter.

5.3. Profit calculation with methane

Considering that the density of methane is 0.656 kg / m³ and on average one animal generates 140g, we have to generate about 0.213 m³ or 213 l daily. In net form this is equivalent to about 27 liters generated by cattle.

Given this, per day with a bad scenario of 40% achievement, we have to:

27 L * 40% = 10.8 L

Now applying this volume to the breeding examples presented, with the lowest market price recorded by section 5.2, we would have: (i) Texas: 10.8 L * 500,000 = 5,400,000 L which would generate about $ 1,620,000 of revenue per day. (ii) Brazil: 10.8 * 200,000 = 2,160,000 L which would generate about $ 648,000 of revenue per day. The numbers are very much in favor.

6. Confinement cells

Atmosphere's feedlot system innovates to bring a safer and more sustainable environment for intensive livestock. Capturing cell methane gas from a range of processes such as a comprehensive ventilation, collection, filtration and storage system.

6.1 Ventilation System

A good industrial exhaust and ventilation system is ideal for better air quality in different types of environments. Atmosphere develops industrial ventilation and exhaust system with equipment of high performance, quality, resistance and durability.

We manufacture axial and centrifugal fans and exhaust fans with different flow capacities, diameters and motors for industrial ventilation and exhaust system. We offer equipment such as: wall fans, ceiling fans, indirect, for corrosive gases, Mancoolers, commercial, blowers and designed.

Atmosphere uses state-of-the-art technology for development of industrial exhaust and ventilation system components. We design the industrial ventilation and exhaust system according to the characteristics of the environments.

6.2 Feeding system

Power generation systems using photovoltaic solar panels have been used globally, especially for their ease of installation, versatility, durability and virtually nonexistent maintenance. The guarantee of generation and performance in solar panels is over twenty five years and its duration much longer than that.

The solar power system is modular, adaptable to consumption. You can start with a panel and increase as needed or decrease as appropriate. By connecting or disconnecting parts of this system, the generation capacity is increased or decreased. With this, we have the versatility to install everything from small systems to systems with Megawatt power (1 MW = 1 million Watts).

The system proposed by Atmosphere is based on the "Grid Tie" architecture, solar system also connected to the public grid. The system generates power during and charges batteries by day.

There are two variants of this system: the importer and exporter (Power IN-OUT) that injects the surplus into the public network and the one that does not export, (Power-IN) only consumes the network if it is at night and the batteries are for running out. This case consists of the solar panel, batteries, charge controllers and inverter we call hybrids.

6.3 Filtration system

High performance filtration is essential for the reliability of gas turbines and electronic outdoor cooling systems. Atmosphere's cutting-edge material technology has a solution for both applications. Our membrane-based technology creates high efficiency, creating a high-efficiency hydrophobic filtration material that delivers solid and reliable performance in the most demanding environments. Designed to address the challenges associated with salt air and heavy pollutants and the most extreme temperatures, these filters simplify and reduce maintenance needs to enable systems to operate more cost effectively. By filtering from membranes, we have been able to separate essential gases such as methane for their care and storage, thus corroborating a positive impact against the high emission of this pollutant into the atmosphere, which greatly increases the greenhouse effect and consequently global warming.

6.4 Storage system

Typical installation usually consists of a tank, a vaporizer and controls. Systems are selected based on their gas consumption profile, required pressure, purity level, flow rate and operating conditions.

After the collection and filtering process, the gases will be redistributed in bulk storage tanks. Atmosphere enables the installation of three essential tanks, nitrogen, oxygen and methane.

To control the pressure we use state-of-the-art control stations to protect this line from excessively cold gases or possible liquid drag. The control station consists of a temperature control valve and a pressure control valve. Also included are block and bypass valves, as well as a pressure gauge and check valve. There are two basic units: one for rates up to approximately 650 m3 / h and one for rates up to approximately 1200 m3 / h.

After storage, the gas is ready to be transported, treated by third parties and marketed.

Procedure: Passage of the collected air to bulk gas storage tanks with the adaptation of the hollow fiber membrane generating energy cost of 1420 Kj per Kg.

At the time of the research, we have not found data on the energy expenditure required for fractional methane liquefaction, so we will use one of the highest expenditures: nitrogen.

Resources

https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_methane

http://www.fao.org/gleam/results/en/

https://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-of-global...

http://www.fao.org/3/i2414e/i2414e07.pdf

http://www.airproducts.com.br/Products/Gases/suppl...