Wednesday - February 10, 2010 - Argonaut Reflections
Back into the Field with the Geology Argos
Student Argonaut Ben Brannan
After a little break, the Argos are ready to finish off Mission 2 of Operation: Tectonic Fury.
Today was our first day of filming at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. As always, the Argos and scientists got off to an early start. After a nice breakfast we met up with Dr. Virginia Dale and hit the road en route to DDCE Genera Energy, one of the world's most advanced ethanol producing facilities in Vonore. They use the switchgrass that Virginia Dale studies to produce ethanol. We were given a tour by the plant manager himself, Keith Brazell. He told us that the main goal of the plant was to experiment with different ways of producing ethanol. The plant and laboratories are trying to find new plant sources for making ethanol that won’t take away from the world's food sources, like producing ethanol from corn does. They call it an "experimental" plant that has the potential to produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of ethanol a year. This will lead to larger scale plants that will produce millions of gallons of ethanol a year. We can use this ethanol in vehicles equipped with flex fuel machinery.
Currently the plant is using corn cobs (not the actual corn, just the waste) as a source of cellulose, but they plan to start using switchgrass as a source in the near future. Switchgrass has many benefits as a fuel. For one, it doesn't need a particularly fertile field to grow in. Farmers can grow switchgrass just as easily as hay, so they won't need to invest in new equipment while making the switch to switchgrass. Also, because switchgrass is a perennial crop, they don't need to use as much fertilizer. Switchgrass even helps store carbon in the ground, preventing some of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere.
When we went out into a local switchgrass field with Dr. Dale, Sam Jackson, and other scientists from DDCE and the University of Tennessee, we observed the effects of switchgrass on the environment and geology. The results were amazing! The top layer (or Horizon A) was slowly becoming darker and more rich with nutrients. Also, the switchgrass was doing a phenomenal job of preventing soil erosion. Amy Johnson, a scientist at the University of Tennessee, helped us see that the switchgrass was changing the very structure of the soil. As Argonauts, it was really interesting and awe-inspiring to be seeing what could be a preview of the world's next energy source.
After a nice lunch, we took the soil samples from the switchgrass field back to the laboratory at Oak Ridge Labs with Dr. Dale to analyze them along with the ones we got from Mt. St. Helens. With the help of Chuck and Dr. Dale, sieves, forceps, some water, and a little sodium hexamata phosphate we sorted the sample into silt, sand, clay, and organic material. After we dried the material, we further ground it into powder using a stainless steel ball mill. Finally, the samples were ready for the chemical analysis that will take place tomorrow with Chuck and Dr. Dale's help.