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Renewable Energy Technology A.A.S Degree Program Take a tour of some of our classes and facilities (Online Open House, PDF 14 MB) |
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Renewable Energy Technology A.A.S Degree Program Take a tour of some of our classes and facilities (Online Open House, PDF 14 MB) |
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Dr. Benjamin D.
Ballard
Director,
Renewable Energy Training
Center
Office: 103 Shannon Hall |
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Teaching & Training
| Spring 2012 |
RENG 103 - Renewable Energy Seminar (syllabus is
available to enrolled students via Blackboard) RENG 150 - Analysis Techniques for Renewable Energy with recitation (syllabus is available to enrolled students via Blackboard) RENG 225 - Tower Climbing & Rescue with lab (co-taught with Dr. Hofmeyer; syllabus is available to enrolled students via Blackboard) RENG 415 - Biomass Energy Conversions - Thermochemical with lab (syllabus is available to enrolled students via Blackboard) RREN 450 - Interniship Orientation (Renewable Energy) (syllabus is available to enrolled students via Blackboard) |
| Previous Semesters |
RENG 102 - Renewable Energy Resources (Spring 2008) RENG 103 - Renewable Energy Seminar (Fall 2009-Spring 2012) RENG 150 - Analysis Techniques for Renewable Energy with recitation (Spring 2010, 2011) RENG 305 - Renewable Energy Systems (Fall 2008, Fall 2009) RENG 310 - Biomass Energy Resources with lab (Fall 2010, 2011) RENG 410 - Biomass Energy Conversions - Biochemical wit lab (Fall 2011) Short Courses/Workshops: “Renewable Energy - Beyond the Classroom” (2-day professional development workshop for science and technology teachers). June 26-27, 2011 and June 28-29, 2011. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Phil Hofmeyer, MSC faculty. “Woody Biomass Markets and Wood Gasification” (1-day workshop). July 17, 2010. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Gabe Vincelette. “Small-Scale Biodiesel Production and Diesel Vehicle Veggie Conversion” (2-day workshop). June 11-12, 2010. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Graham Jones, MSC Auto Technology Instructor. “Small Wind Energy Technician Training II: Site Assessment” (2-day workshop). April 1-2, 2010. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Phil Hofmeyer, MSC faculty. “Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems: Site Assessment and Installation” (1-day workshop). April 23, 2010. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Phil Hofmeyer, MSC faculty. “Solar Hot Water Residential Installation” (1-day workshop). September 26, 2009. Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville, NY. Co-taught with Phil Hofmeyer, MSC faculty.Professional Development Conference for Agricultural Educators. (Summer 2009, summer 2010, multiple RE sessions/topics) the Oswegatchie Education Center in Croghan, New York |
| Outreach Materials: | Woodgas Camp Stoves ("How to build your own...") | |
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| Download stove instructions (PDF <1MB) | ||
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Shrub Identification Guides (click on images for a preview of these books). Second edition of the NE Shrub & Short Tree ID book is now available! (Contact Ben Ballard for more information on ordering these books.) |
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| Demonstration & Research | |
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Ongoing Projects: (see photos below) |
Wood Gasifiaction for Small-scale Electrical Generation (20kW) On-farm wind energy: MSC's 10 kW Bergey Excel wind turbine Combined Heat & Power via manure-to-biogas: MSC's anaerobic digester Demonstration of an aquaponics Controlled Environmental Agriculture System for Commercial Production of Locally-grown Fish and Produce (NYSERDA) |
| Research Interests: |
Biomass, bioenergy, and biofuel, including: gasification/pyrolysis/combustion,
biodiesel, anaerobic digestion; Vegetation management, shrub ecology and management |
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Students, Facilities and Projects (see our virtual tour for more detail) |
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 Our batch biodiesel processor and dry-wash system (by Springboard Biodiesel) is used to convert used fryer oil from campus dining halls to quality biofuel, which is used for greenhouse heating and powering tractors at the MSC dairy farm. |
 Josh and Tyler are titrating a biodiesel sample to determine residual soap and catalyst levels. |
 Test batches of biodiesel using various feedstocks, including vegetable oils and animal fats. The separation line is glycerol, which settles to the bottom of the funnel. |
 The College's dairy farm produces about 900 kWh each day day (that's the equivalent of an typical home's monhtly energy use) from cow maure. Bacteria in the digester break down the organic wastes into organic acids which are broken down further by methanogenic bacteria that produce methane gas. The "biogas" is about 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. |
 Students touring the Madison County Landfill biogas combined heat and power facility. |
 Dr. Ballard testing one of the wood gasification Power Pallets. This unit has an internal combustion engine and 20 kW electric generator (electricity from wood chips). |
 Students preparing the wood gasification Power Pallets for startup (electricity from wood chips!) at the MSC Aquaculture Center. This unit has been customized by MSC and O'Brien & Gere. |
 Students are changing the screens on the wood chipper/grinder used to process cull logs from campus properties for use as biofuel. |
 Dr. Hofmeyer getting his feet wet! Oxbow Falls County Park micro hydro installation. |
 Tim and Josh mount a micro hydroelectric turbine during lab at the Galbreath Farm. |
 Dr. Ballard and Tyler are checking the Bergey Excel 10kW wind turbine (@120 ft.) to determine what is needed to repair the furling cable (note the tail is not in its furled position, as it normally would be when technicians climb the tower). |
 Ryan makes the final "home run" connection for a solar PV array on Shannon Hall during lab. |
 Tower climbing and rescue class starts out on the 17-ft. indoor tower in the Shannon Hall classroom...later in the semester students work outside on the 120-ft. tall Bergey tower! |
 The Shannon Hall wind/solar lab gives students hands-on experience with the electrical components for both wind and solar PV systems. |
| MSC Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) Greenhouse - Aquaponics Facility | |
 Floating raft pond system. Lettuce is grown in rock wool plugs held in place in foam boards. The roots are submerged in the pond (aeration stones provide air to the roots). |
 Crop diversification on the raft system. The raft system is connected to the tilapia tanks. The fish provide fertilizer (dissolved nutrients; fish waste solids are removed prior to the pond, and water is UV sterilized), and the plants help "clean" nutrients out of the water. |
 NFT (nutrient film technique) using "gutters" to deliver a constant stream of nutrient-rich water to the plant roots. Water is recirculated from a sump tank to the gutters and monitored daily for nutrient an pH levels. |
 Ag. business students, Dr. Xu Pei, and Eric Bremiller (greenhouse manager) harvesting lettuce to be sold by Morrisville Fresh. Much of our lettuce is used at the dining halls on campus, as well as the Copper Turret restaurant, which is operated by Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation (MAC). |
 Scrubbing the fish tanks is a regular occurrence, trying to keep up with the algae. |
 One of our tilapia, ready for harvest. Our fish are sold live to an Asian market in Syracuse. |
MSC's Renewable Energy
Links
Anaerobic Digester |
Wind Turbine
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Weather Station|
Morrisville
Weather
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Renewable Energy Training Center
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Web site
maintained by
Dr.
Benjamin D. Ballard, Assistant Professor,
Morrisville State College. |
| Visitors since 2/2/2012 |