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AWM is a planning/design tool for animal feeding operations. It can be used to estimate the production of manure, bedding, and process water to design storage/treatment facilities. The procedures and calculations used in AWM are based on the USDA-NRCS Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook . AWM has traditionally been used for designing waste storage structures such as storage ponds, tanks and anaerobic lagoons for liquids; and covered and uncovered dry stacks with or without walls for solids.
In 2010 the AWM was upgraded to AWM 2.4 with the additional capability to evaluate existing waste storage structures. The results from the evaluation can be incorporated into the design processes for new facilities. The user can design the new facility for the --Total-- waste flowing into the structure or for the --Additional-- waste not handled by an existing facility. The AWM User Guide provides in-depth procedure on how to use the AWM for designing and/or for evaluating waste storage facilities. Some of the standard functions and features of AWM include:
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1. Manure characteristics for eight animal types with the ability to modify these
characteristics and add animal types as necessary |
2. Accounting of bedding, wastewater, flush water and other additions to the
waste stream. |
3. Tracks liquid and solid wastes produced in multiple locations through
multiple waste streams |
4. Develops separation, storage, and treatment components for liquid and
solid wastes that are defined as a 'Management Train' |
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5. Estimates precipitation and runoff entering the 'Management Train'. |
6. Develops a monthly water and waste budget for each terminal
treatment/storage component. |
7. Produces a gross nutrient balance from target yields and crop acreage
specified for crops listed in the crop database |
8. Sizes storage facilities using a defined storage period or drawdown dates
specified by the user |
9. Possibility of designing a new structure either for the 'Total' waste or for
the 'Additional' waste not handled by the existing structure |
10. Provides a schematic drawing for each terminal treatment/storage
component |
11. Generates a standard or custom report to document the system design for
the 'Total' or 'Additional' waste |
12. Evaluation of existing facilities with a color-coded on-screen report and
printable paper report |
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13. Evaluation reports for each evaluated facility |
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14. Supports earlier versions of AWM project files |
15. Improved 'Help' document with context sensitive links from every AWM
window |
16. Restricts multiple runs of AWM and the Access report generation programs
to avoid the possibility of database corruption and slowing down of AWM
operation and reporting process |
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17. Provides a calculator for converting units and performing computations. |
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AWM 2.4 has been developed and tested under Microsoft Windows XP. It has not been thoroughly tested under Windows 2007. However, preliminary tests indicate that it works fine if it is installed outside the 'Program Files' folder. Thus, under Windows 2007 install AWM 2.4 outside the 'Program Files' folder (Go to installation page). |
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