Making energy from all kinds of crap
Creating methane gas from waste products in anything but a new concept, with the gas being pumped and burned off from landfills the world over. What is a newer idea, though, is taking care of the problem right from the point of its creation... your own toilet or garbage pile. In emerging countries like India, and even in rural areas in the U.S., there are many households which are not directly connected to a sewage system, and there is no big garbage truck on its way to pick up your trash. Sintex Industries thinks that they can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, with their digester, a tool that is capable of generating methane gas using bacteria to break down human waste, cow manure and other forms of trash. In India, a family-sized unit costs about $425 and can provide all of the gas needed for cooking. Larger units can be installed for use in places like neighborhoods, schools or hospitals. Methane gas could also be used for transportation needs, either by electrical generation or in mass-transit.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jurhoss 9:05PM (3/03/2008)
could you use something like this in america? apparently the 'sludge' left over is used as fertilizer. would that be illegal here? it would certainly make for some appetite-less guests when serving your home grown garden salad....
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GenWaylaid 1:51AM (3/04/2008)
I wouldn't want to eat food cooked with this gas. A pile of whatsit will give off more than just methane as it's digested. There will also be some of the aptly named aromatic hydrocarbons in the gas that gets collected. Those will not smell good when burned. Generating electricity is just fine by me, though. Who cares what electricity smells like.
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steve_p 4:36PM (3/04/2008)
Brilliant. Every house away from centralised sewage should have this. These houses are also likely away from centralised gas distribution. I am building one of these as we speak. The gas given off is methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. You can scrub the last two out and run it through a carbon filter if you like. Better cooking with a few month old turd and decomposing organic matter than one that died millions of years ago.
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