ONION DEHYDRATION WITH GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN THE USA

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ONION DEHYDRATION WITH GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN THE
USA

• John W. Lund
• Andrew Chiasson, Toni Boyd
• Geo-Heat Center
• Oregon Institute of Technology
• Klamath Falls, OR, USA

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PROCESSING

• Creoloe, Southport Globe and Hybrid Southport
  types used
• White in color and process a higher solid content
  which yields a more flavorful and pungent onion
• Continuous belt conveyor used
• Proctor Schwartz dehydrator single line
• Special silica gel Bryair desiccation often
  used for the final drying
• 1,500,000/yr in fuel used (180 days)
• Geothermal saves 116 million cubic feet of NG

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Basic dehydration operation
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PROCESSING 2

• Dehydration basic steps
• Harvesting
• Transporting
• Curing - 100oF heated air used ease of peeling
  and processing 48 to 72 hours
• Washing and chlorinated to reduce bacteria
• Slicing
• Dehydration in 3 to 4 stages high air volumes
• Milling (powdered, granulated, ground, minced,
  chopped or sliced)
• Packaging

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AGRICULTURAL DRYING 1

• Two large geothermal onion and garlic dehydrators
  are located in NW Nevada
• These units can each process 5 - 7 tons of wet
  onions/hr drying them from 83 to 4 moisture
  (output 0.9 1.2 tons/hr dried product)
• 0.15 therms/lb used 500 million Btu/day or 76
  billion Btu/yr (22 GWh) (150 days period)
• Product used in soups, baked goods, salt,
  seasoning as powders to slices

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AGRICULTURAL DRYING 2

• Single-line, continuous-belt dryer use
• 12.5 ft wide
• 190 to 212 ft. long
• 3 to 4 sections (A to D) 210 to 120oF
• Processing 5 to 7 tons/hr of wet onions
• Using 86,500 ft3/hr of air
• 26 million Btu/hr
• Onions 2 inches to 6 feet deep
• Bryair desiccation unit required in final stage

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AGRICULTURAL DRYING 3

• Bradys Hot Spring plant first in U.S. - 1978
• 270oF geothermal fluid
• Only has 3 stages (A thru C)
• 6-months operation season - 65 employees
• 25,000 tons of wet onions are processed during
  season producing 5,000 tons of dry product
• 190-ft. long dryer by 12.5 ft. wide
• Uses 190 to 120oF air in various stages
• Has also processed celery and carrots to extend
  season
• Product trucked from S. California to S. Oregon
  (300 to 600 miles)

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AGRICULTURAL DRYING 4

• Empire Foods plant constructed 1994
• Capacity
• 37 tons/day onions 42.5 tons/day garlic
• 7 tons/yr (60 onions and 40 garlic)
• 900 gpm of geothermal fluid _at_ 266oF
• 45 million Btu/hr discharge at 160oF
• Cold storage warehouse allows year-round
  operation 2nd line being considered
• Geothermal energy also used for four ORMAT
  1.5-MWe binary units net output 3.6 MWe
• Now shut down due to garlic imports from China

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Empire 6.0 MWe binary plants (3.6 MWe net)
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CONCLUSIONS 1

• A survey in the U.S. found that of 108 industrial
  processes surveyed (representing 80 of U.S.
  industrial energy usage), 97 of all processes
  required heat input in the form of steam at 250oF
  or higher.
• An examination of geothermal wells in 8 western
  U.S. states reveals that 99 are 250oF or less.
• High load factor important (0.44 to 0.68 in 2000)
• Wells above 250oF would normally be used for
  electric power generation, however ----
• source K. Rafferty, GHC Bulletin Vol. 24, No.
  3 (Sept., 2003)

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CONCLUSION 2

• Consider Power plant vs dehydration plant
• Assumptions
• 300oF resource
• 20 MW net binary power plant
• US0.07 per kWh power sales price
• 10-month dehydration operation
• 15,000 tons annual production (2 lines)
• US1.00/lb dried product wholesale price

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CONCLUSIONS 3

• Power plant vs dehydration plant
• Power Dehydration
• plant plant
• Capital Expenditure 50 mill. 15 mill.
• Gross Revenue 11 mill. 30 mill.
• Resource require. 12,000 gpm 1,200 gpm
• Employees 15 75
• source D. Mendive, Geothermal Development
  Assoc., Reno, NV

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RESOURCE EVALUATION

• Initial search of data base
• Ontario, Lancaster, Vale, Nyssa , Harper and
  Adrain
• 42 by 36 mile area
• 9 springs
• 270 wells identified
• 68 to 239oF high temp. at Vale
• Most below 200oF
• One dry well 10,052 ft at 334oF - Ontario

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PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK

1. Determine source and market of product
2. Estimate size of development
3. Determine temperature and flow rate needed
4. Review literature and determine resource
   available to meet requirements
5. Recommend site(s) for resource (well)
6. Perform economic analysis
7. Make recommendation(s)
8. Write final report

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THANK YOU