Funding Awarded: $259,258

Industry Partners:

Nova-Tech Engineering, HGA - Architects and Engineers

Key Partners:

University of MN – Morris, Alexandria Technical College, MN West Community & Technical College, Rural MN CEP, University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, U.S. Dept. of Ag., Ag Research Science - North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab

Project Summary:

At the University of Minnesota - Morris (UMM), engineers and technicians worked with educational faculty to develop and implement a new biomass gasification technology curriculum. The curriculum was developed to meet the needs of undergraduate and industrial audiences and was built around an understanding of the science, economics and practical considerations of gasification. Hands-on learning was provided using the University's biomass gasification facility and small-scale gasification units, specifically designed for gasification experimentation. The curriculum will also be adapted to other delivery methods, including online learning.

Project Outcomes:

•  Biomass gasification curriculum was developed in partnership with industry, UMM, and MN West.  The curriculum was delivered two ways: as a three-week course for undergraduate students and workers and as a one-week short course for industry participants.
•  The curriculum is in the process of being developed for online learning
•  20 students completed first May semester biomass gasification course
•  17 students enrolled in second May semester biomass gasification course
•  23 students enrolled in biomass gasification one-week short course

Project Description:

"This was an opportunity for us to leverage the biomass gasification expertise that we've been developing here at the University of Minnesota, Morris campus," said Troy Goodnough, Sustainability Coordinator at the campus. "And, to bring in some new partners like MN West Community & Technical College, Nova-Tech Engineering and HGA - Architects and Engineers."

The biomass gasification technology curriculum was a large collaborative effort. It involved many disciplines (e.g., economics, chemistry, soil science, and plant biology), different types of students (undergraduate, technical college, incumbent workers, and displaced workers), and educational systems.

"This was an important project in so many ways," said Jacquie Johnson, Chancellor of University of Minnesota, Morris. "One of the most impressive things was that this new model allowed us to cross many bureaucratic and institutional boundaries between the University of Minnesota system and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system."

People taking the course had university professors, working scientists, and industry experts all teaching various aspects of the course. In addition to classroom instruction, the students got hands-on experience with biomass gasifiers, generating their own producer gas which they could burn. A shorter one-week course for industry was also developed and implemented. Components of an online version are being planned.

"I was really impressed that each team had their benchtop gasifier up and running within 30 minutes," said Jim Barbour, biomass scientist and course instructor at UMM. "The May session course is pretty intense, and meets for three weeks, eight hours a day."

Student Michelle Swenson described the value of the course from her perspective, "We were exposed to the entire process of biomass gasification and learned not only about just that process, but about all of the renewable energies that will be using biomass in the future."