Driving around in unfamiliar territory, searching for a gas station while your gauge hovers just above E is maddening and stressful. But imagine experiencing that same feeling while manning a giant aircraft carrier through foreign—and sometimes hostile—seas. To make fuel easier to come by, the Navy is working on a way to produce it from ocean water. More »
Recycling wastewater to generate energy has turned up noses before, but researchers at Oregon State University have developed a microbial fuel cell that can create 10 to 50, or even 100 times more electricity per volume than similar technologies. After refining the tech for several years using new materials, techniques and selecting better microbes, the team can now extract two kilowatts per cubic meter of refuse. As bacteria oxidizes organic matter, electrons — rather than the hydrogen or methane that other methods rely upon — are produced and run from an anode to a cathode within the device to create an electric current. Once implementation costs are cut down, the technology could power waste treatment plants and enable them to sell excess electricity. The contraption isn’t just for processing what comes out of the porcelain throne — it can also utilize materials ranging from grass straw to beer brewing byproducts. For now, however, the cell will tackle a pilot study before it inches closer to your local brewery or water treatment facility.
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Researchers create super-efficient microbial fuel cell, dream of selling excess electricity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A Boeing 747 can carry 48,445 gallons (183,380 liters) of fuel in a labyrinth of tanks so large that people can actually walk and crawl inside them. Can’t believe it? Just watch. More »
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