Penn State Intercom......February 1, 2001
Alternative fuel to
power classic pickup
By Julie A. Brink
Public Information
When David Wagner hits the road to publicize an alternative fuel to farmers, he wants to do it style.
The assistant professor of agricultural engineering and Extension specialist for precision agriculture plans to be behind the wheel of a '56 Ford pickup restored to cherry condition and fueled with biogas, a natural fuel derived from manure.
He wants farmers to see a Penn State blue-and-white pickup with gleaming chrome cruising along in local parades and at county fairs, a reminder of a time when U.S.-made trucks were the workhorses of family farms.
Right now Wagner's trying to get the truck ready to go on the road to draw attention to this power source.
Biogas is a renewable resource created by treating manure through anaerobic digestion. "It's a microbial fermentation process," Wagner said.
For Pennsylvania,
which has plenty of dairy farms as well as poultry and hog facilities,
biogas has the potential to solve several problems. Running manure through
the fermentation process allows the farmer to reduce the odor significantly
-- a problem in com 
munities where agricultural
land is being encroached upon by the growing suburbs -- and it generates
energy.
Biogas is somewhat like natural gas, in that it is about 60 percent methane, Wagner said. The energy can be converted to electricity, used for heating or sold to utility companies, which are showing increased interest in renewable resources. The treated manure also has fertilizer value.
As a fuel source, Wagner said the alternative fuel has the potential to be competitive with natural gas in powering farm vehicles -- like that classic pickup -- and for generating electricity.
The process is
nothing new, Wagner said, noting that for more than 80 years, municipalities
have use 
biogas to power the
generators in sewage plants. "Several Pennsylvania dairy farmers are operating
anaerobic digesters which generate biogas and one of them is generating
sufficient electricity that he's selling it back to the utility company,"
Wagner said.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently awarded the University approximately $240,000 in a grant to study anaerobic digestion for reducing odors and generating biogas. The project will last three years. Herschel Elliott, professor of agricultural engineering, and Robin Brandt, a doctoral student, are working with Wagner on the project.
Wagner's dreams of hitting the road have been some time in the making. About two years ago, the researcher located a truck in North Carolina, took a trailer down and bought it for $3,500. He said he chose a '56 Ford because it's one of the most desirable collector classic pickups. The half-ton F-100 pickup has a 223-cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine. The rusty blue truck had a few miles under its belt, but Wagner could see its potential. Heck, the thing even ran.
"We drove it into the shop," Wagner recalled.
Right now, Wagner's dream machine "looks like a pile of sheet metal," he said laughing. Everything has been taken apart for restoration.
All that stands between Wagner's dreams of a biogas-fueled piece of American history and reality is $25,000 to pay for the restoration and engine conversion.
The professor is seeking funds from the Ford Motor Co., local Ford dealerships and utilities to make his dream a reality. He figures with the right kind of help, he'll be cruising along in local parades in about nine months.
A student helps dismantle a '56 Chevy pickup in order to make the restoration process more efficient. Once the truck is restored, it will be used to promote alternative fuels to farmers.
A classic '56 Chevy pickup has been stripped to its components while its awaits restoration. Once the truck is roadworthy, David Wagner, assistant professor of agriculture, plans to use it convert it to run on biogas in an effort to make farmers aware of alternative fuels.