[Gasification] [Digestion] A few thoughts on Cattails

[Harmon Seaver]

Steve Verhey wrote:
> 
> I saw a talk by David Blume (of "Ethanol Can be a Gas" fame) a week or two ago, and he talked about cattails. They've been used for wastewater treatment in engineered marshes in a number of places in the US, and he suggested harvesting the roots for ethanol production. 
> 
   The roots will do, but much easier to use the bottom 3' of the stalk,
which gives you as much starch as the root. Then you can use the upper
part of the stalk to make methane by AD, or gasifiy it to fuel the still.

> No one has mentioned this, maybe because it's obvious: harvesting cattails from natural wetlands is not a good idea, and if it's not illegal, it should be.
> 
     In many areas, cattails have become so invasive that there are now
huge "cattail remediation" projects to remove them, sometimes by
herbicides, but more often by draining the marsh, then bulldozing out
the roots and burning them. Much better to make ethanol out of them.


-- 
Harmon Seaver