Microbial fuel cells: The hits just keep on coming... now with poopy-power!
You really wouldn't think that there would be so many ways of creating energy from a substance that supposedly had most of it's energy extracted through digestion... but, in addition to urine, we can make electricity from poop too! The secret is in the microbial bacteria. NASA is working on a technology that converts the space-waste of the astronaut's into electricity via microbial fuel cells. The fuel cell relies on Geobacter microbes which generate electricity while they decompose organic material.
Pennsylvania State University is using a microbial fuel cell to generate electricity as it purifies water. This really does make sense to me. And, apparently to Dr. Bruce Rittmann, a professor at Northwestern University who is leading the research on these fuel cells at NASA. "You have to treat the wastes anyway," points out Rittmann. "So why not make the process an energy gainer, instead of an energy loser? By producing electricity, microbial fuel cells would make the process of purifying waste streams much more economical." Moreover, he says, "they change our focus. Microbial fuel cells transform something we think of as undesirable into a resource."
Remember that fuel cells came into being for space missions, and are now finding their way into cars. Will microbial fuel cells make the same jump?
Oh, this sentence bears repeating: This post (again) extends our history of bringing you strange human (!) and animal-waste derived methods of automotive greenery! YUMMY!
[Source: Space.com via Hugg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kballs 11:13PM (2/28/2007)
All sewage treatment plants should do this... they should all be electric power plants (if not through hydrogen fuel cells, through fermenting and burning of the waste methane and/or converting the sewage into [bio]gasoline/[bio]diesel). This would not only [theoretically] lower my sewer bill and/or electricity bill, but would reduce the amount of "treated" waste products that get released into our waterways and shipped off as fill "dirt".
The same goes for landfills.
We need to see more of this concept of "using the whole animal" taught to us by the Native American Tribes.
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Fred 4:28PM (3/01/2007)
When applied to automobiles, it puts the phrase POS into a whole new light!
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Chris M 6:54PM (3/01/2007)
Actually, most sewage treatment plants of any size do collect the methane from the digesters and use it to provide power and heat. The amount is enough to power the plant, and in some cases have a little left over to sell.
The real suprise is how few cattle feedlots use methane digesters, though the number is rising. Here in California, PG&E is offering to buy surplus methane and/or power from farm operations. Turn manure into money!
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