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TeamPlaid had a fantastic time in Toronto at the Value of Biogas East Conference. We’d like to congratulate Peter Quosai on his wonderful presentation about grit. We’d also like to thank the Canadian Biogas Association for once again hosting this event and giving us the opportunity to meet so many individuals and companies that are working to advance the biogas & RNG industry in Canada. #ValueOfBiogas #Biogas #RNG #Sustainability
Event Recap – Value of Biogas East 2025
Is your biodigester making less RNG than you estimated during the feasibility assessment? One common cause is a phenomenon that the Azura team calls SLAC – Solids Loss on Aging and Collection. In his latest deep dive video Azura's Principal Engineer, Dave Ellis explains how despite the best efforts of calculation, real-life fuel value can be much lower than initially calculated due to estimations and assumptions that don’t account for the feedstock’s age and collection practices. Do you want to get a more accurate picture of your potential fuel value? Azura’s newsletter subscribers will receive an exclusive SLAC explanation with calculations straight into their inbox on April 8! Sign up for Azura's newsletter today - https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/vnHdsZr/AzuraNews Chapters in this video: 00:00 Is your biogas project not making the money it should be? 01:46 The #1 thing people get wrong when assessing biogas project viability 03:02 Why are textbook biogas fuel values wrong? 04:41 Different types of volatile solids (VS) 08:20 What is SLAC? 09:05 Why you're losing half your expected RNG value 09:55 Minimizing SLAC with manure & feedstock management 11:35 Maximize gas production and revenue for your biogas project
Why Your RNG Estimate Might Be Wrong (And How To Fix It)
After more than 30 years of working with digesters, we have found that ammonia is one of the most common causes of anaerobic digester or biodigester issues, including digester foaming. So, what can you do about too much ammonia in your anaerobic digestion process? In this video, Azura’s Principal Engineer, David Ellis shares where ammonia comes from, the different types of ammonia in your digester, how pH and temperature play a role in managing ammonia, what you can do to get your digester running better and avoid ammonia-induced digester foaming. 📄 Download a copy of Azura’s Ammonia Rainbow Chart - https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/QLBBKUQ/AmmoniaRainbow Chapters in this video: 00:00 What is the most common cause of digester issues and foaming? 00:17 Intro to David Ellis 00:32 What will we learn about ammonia? 00:57 What is ammonia and what are the different types of ammonia in a digester? 02:25 Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) 03:34 NH3 depends on temperature and pH 03:40 Azura’s Ammonia Rainbow Chart 05:40 An example of ammonia inhibition 07:25 Too much ammonia in your digester? What can you do? 08:58 Managing feedstocks to manage ammonia in your digester Want to learn more about Azura’s anaerobic digestion services? Check out our website here - https://azuraassociates.com/uncover-why-your-digester-has-challenges Curious about why Dave says, “ammonia as nitrogen”? NH3 and NH4+ concentrations in watery materials like digestate are typically reported by water testing laboratories as NH3 – N and NH4+ – N. The “– N” is read as “as nitrogen”. Measuring ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) directly is challenging. Measuring the Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN), the sum of the NH3 – N and NH4+ – N concentrations, is simpler and more accurate than trying to only test one form. Because of this improved accuracy, environmental regulations in many places often ask sites to report the TAN concentration, temperature, and pH rather than distinguishing between specific forms. Tracking individual nitrogen species is often impractical in routine monitoring.
How to Manage Ammonia in your Biodigester
What skills should you focus on as you advance your career? With over 25 years of experience mentoring young engineers and entrepreneurs, Azura's Principal Engineer, David Ellis shares a typical trajectory of skill development and what you can do today to advance your career. Watch to the end as David answers some Career FAQs! #ProfessionalDevelopment #Mentoring #CareerNotAJob
Mentorship Moments – Skill Development
Is doing what you love the key for career success? Here's Trisha’s third tip for finding a fulfilling career. #Careers #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerNotJob
Do What You Like
How many engineers does it take to open a box? #TeamPlaid is upping our educational video game with a new flip chart. Check out the unboxing video featuring Peter, Trisha, Dave, and James with a guest appearance by Sunny! Subscribe to our channel to get updates about our new videos! Learn more about Azura Associates at our website - AzuraAssociates.com
Life at Azura – Unboxing New Gear
Foam is a real messy, sticky, and smelly problem in biodigesters. Why is there foam in an anaerobic digester in the first place? Foam happens when these three things are true: 1. Gas bubbles form in a volume of liquid – there’s always gas bubbles. 2. A substance that traps gas bubbles is present on the surface of the liquid, i.e. surfactants. 3. An operational event hinders the bubbles from bursting in the digester. Surfactants on their own, or with long molecules, in the liquid digestate form the “skin” of the bubble. In the clip, we added soap, egg white, and oil to a cup of water. - The soap is an example of a chemical surfactant. - Egg white has long protein molecules and grease has long fat molecules, both of which can act like biosurfactants at high concentrations. As you can see, the bubbles stay at the top easily. Bubbles like this are not really an issue if the foam level doesn’t rise too much. But when we blow more bubbles and add more soap, the foam overflows and becomes a mess. Foam becomes an issue in anaerobic digesters when you get a sudden surge in gas production, sudden increase in surfactants on the surface, or both. Don’t let foam disrupt operations! Get our Foam Response Plan now and stay ahead of the game - https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ZEVa7uJ/DigesterFoam
Biodigester Foam – Surfactants
What happens when your work and life don’t balance? Trisha talks about stress management as a key for success in her latest video clip! #Careers #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerNotJob
The Real Consequence of Work Stress – Insomnia
Why are dating and finding a job the same thing? Trisha’s number one tip for finding a fulfilling career is to remember that you have a choice! #Careers #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerNotJob
Why Dating and Job Hunting Are Exactly the Same
On her 1 year anniversary with Azura Associates, Trisha shares her tips for finding a fulfilling career. Check out the "What to do when you hate your job" video for the full story!
Does Anyone Actually Like Their Job
It's Trisha's 1 year anniversary with Azura and she shares her tips on how to find a job that suits your skills and interests. She also shares highlights from her first year as a Process Analyst with TeamPlaid. Learn more about Azura on our website - https://AzuraAssociates.com/
What to do when you hate your job
Ready to jump start your career? Over 25+ years of mentoring young engineers and entrepreneurs, Azura's Principal Engineer, David Ellis has discovered 3 key pillars to success in any career. Learn why there is no better day than today to start investing in yourself. Want to learn more about Azura Associates? Check out our website - https://azuraassociates.com/
Mentorship Moments – 3 Pillars of Career Success
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