Nobody wants stems or seeds in a tall, cold glass of grape juice, so any remnants left over when the juice is made become waste products. But an ongoing relationship between Gannon University in Erie and the Welch's plant in nearby North East could transform this waste, known as grape pomace, into a source of energy.
Wookwon Lee, a faculty member in Gannon's electrical and computer engineering department, explains that Welch's was looking for an alternative to paying to get rid of the pomace. Now nine students, including majors in environmental, mechanical and electrical engineering, are working with faculty to design a machine that would convert the grape waste into biomass pellets. The idea is to heat the pomace to dry it out, alter its structure so it can be turned into biomass, then cool it and mold it into pellets. The setup would be controlled remotely from a laptop computer.
“The idea itself is simple, but fairly interesting because it's a new trend,” Lee says.
Gannon has received a $15,000 federal grant for the project and plans to display its prototype in a national competition in Washington, D.C. in April. After that, the goal is to install the system near the Welch's plant.
Source: Wookwon Lee, Gannon University
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen