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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1981)
tuesday, december 1, 1981 daily nebraskan page 3 By Tom Struebing What is being billed as "the farm of the future is only four months away from reality. Located at the UNL Field Laboratory near Mead, the 157-acre farm is being crea ted to save energy and integrate alternate fuels so that someday it will be totally in dependent from petroleum. Dennis Schulte, associate professor of agricultural engineering, said the farm is scheduled to be completed about mid March, and will be a demonstration farm for three years. Schulte said a solar cell, alcohol still, irrigation engines, low-pressure center pivot and grain and feed handling center are al ready in operation at the farm. The UNL farm was given an $812,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Energy for the research and demonstration project, which is under the direction of UNL's Ag riculture and Natural Resources Institute. The farm's objective is to reduce the amount of petroleum used in grain and livestock farming, said Bradley Rein, the farm's project engineer. "In order to do this, well be looking at several different sources of alternate fuel," said Rein. Rein said the farm will use solar energy and alcohol produced from crops. The three major crops on the farm are corn, soy beans and sweet sorghum. The sweet sorghum is used in the alco hol still to produce enough alcohol to run two irrigation engines and a tractor, Rein said. The newly completed" alcohol still went into production about a month ago, Schul te said. The still is designed to produce 20 gallons per hour. "We raise enough corn to feed the hogs and enough soy beans to supply their pro tein supplement," Schulte said. Mi Phi Alpha Theta histor honorary will meet tonight at 6:30 in the Nebraska Union. Students who have at least 12 credit hours of history are welcome. A film will be shown. Room numb er will be posted. Exit interviews for Dec ember graduates who have had National Direct Student Loans will be in the Ne braska Union Dec. 10 at noon; Dec. 11 at 10 ajn.; Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.; and Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. For details, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aids at 472-2030. NU Meds will sponsor a stress management work shop Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Nebraska Union. Room number will be posted. The Health Center Board will meet Dec. 3 at 11 ajn. in the University Health Center. All interested people are invited to attend. Gunnys r for i Buy any Full Dinner and get a F I I 1 I I I 1 1 I a i Valid 5-9 p.m. Every THE Restaurant and Bar Vegetarian and Seafood Specialities Coupon Good Dec. 1-7 235 No. 11 47M355 efficient farm at "This dictates the amount of alcohol wc have to produce to raise these crops." Hogs provide energy The hogs themselves are an energy source, Rein said. Methane gas at the farm is produced from hog manure, he said. All of the manure will run through a di gester where methane gas is produced in a unit that will produce electricity and hot water for the entire farm, Rein explained. After the waste goes through the di gester, it goes to a lagoon and then to the fields. The waste should supply half the farm's fertilizer requirements, Rein said. Schulte said that crushing soy beans in a mechanical screw press expels oil that can be used as a replacement for diesel fuel. The crushed beans are used as hog feed. To dry the grain, a five-horsepower fan blows unheated air through the storage bin rather than a conventional grain dryer. Normally, a grain dryer of similar size would require a 10-horsepower engine and several hundred gallons of propane to heat the air, Schulte said. Rein said the energy farm is demonstra ting two types of irrigation systems: the automated surface irrigation system and the low-pressure center pivot. The surface system uses an alcohol en gine to pump water from underground to a surface reservoir, Rein said. A large solar cell provides power to pump the water from the reservoir for irrigating the fields. Schulte said the solar cell is a system that produces electricity directly from sun radiation. Rein said the center pivot is run by an engine fueled by straight 180-proof alco hol. Solar systems used Passive and active solar systems are used to heat the swine confinement, Rein said. Bldg . Street Level o FREEo DIAMOND DRAWING 25 point diamond 1 5 point diamond tO point diamond Here's an excellent reason to oisit Lincoln's newest jewelry store. Come in now. Register for three free diamonds to be given away just in time for Christmas. Drawing will be December 1 5. You do not have to be present to win. I B B B B B B B B B A B REE .second dinner of eo.ua! value. Night but Sunday. Mead An active collector is used to maintain temperatures in the floor. A fan with ducts circulates air through the confinement. Rein said. He said a solar wall is designed to preheat the ventilation air that goes into the nursery and farrowing rooms. A greenhouse will also have a solar wall that will collect heat in the day and radiate it back at night, Rein said. 'The wall is filled with sand and when the sun hits it, it absorbs the heat, he said. all and 9:00-6:00 Offer good TOGO JOWflfS NEW LOCATION ONLY GLASS MENAGERIE 1209 Q Mon.-Thurs 10:00-Midnight Fri. & Sat. 10:00-2a.m. Sunday 11:00-Midnight ' B B B fl B B fl I fl I fl I 1 I I I fl, Carry-Out BATTERY SALE Be a jump ahead with a Quaker State Battery tiood through 36 month-HD Fits Most Free Battery and Charging System Test We feature Quaker State Oil & Filters "The wall becomes warmer and at night the heat goes back into the room." Rein said the greenhouse will use car bon dioxide produced from the alcohol plant to enhance plant growth. The energy farm also uses such conser vation forms as wind breaks and conser vation tillage. "By integrating alternate energy sources and using conservation techniques, we hope to reduce our fossil fuel input by SO percent or more," Rein said. stained glass most supplies nc. Supplies, Classes & Custom Design Tues. Fri. 4401 "O" Sat. 488-8255 9:00 - 5:00 with coupon until Dec. 10, 1981 2 Softshell Tacos and Med. Coke $1.50 inc. tax (with coupon) 2 softshell Tacos & Med. Coke for $1.50 Good at Glass Menagerie Store ONLY. Offer Good thru Dec 31 J Glue Place Standard 17th GQ 475-8619 1 I fl I I 1 I I 1 I I I I I with coupon uec. 31, 1381 22F and HD24 Cars I B B B d BS E9 B8 BXJSLSf
