Max: Trash 2 Electricity
Scientists develop portable generator that turns trash into electricity
A group of scientists have created a portable refinery that efficiently converts food, paper and plastic trash into electricity. The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in the field to convert waste into power and could have widespread civilian applications in the future.
A group of scientists have created a portable refinery that efficiently converts food, paper and plastic trash into electricity. The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in the field to convert waste into power and could have widespread civilian applications in the future.
posted by Max Dobberstein at 2/07/2007 10:22:00 AM
8 Comments:
Landfills become power plants. Interesting.
This is still putting Carbon back into the air. Not to mention ash. On a small scale or an emergency scale, that's fine. On a large scale, as in taking a landfill and making it into a power plant, we're on a level nearish to other current methods. Or, at least it sounds it to my less than expert ears.
It sounds like a good short term solution for landfills, and to extend what we have going already. I don't see it as a long term solution. I'd rather see more nuke plants.
And I quote,
The food waste goes to a bioreactor where industrial yeast ferments it into ethanol, a "green" fuel. Residual materials go to a gasifier where they are heated under low-oxygen conditions and eventually become low-grade propane gas and methane. The gas and ethanol are then combusted in a modified diesel engine that powers a generator to produce electricity.
Wow. So what you're getting at is that there are no leftovers in this process to pollute the environment with? (ie ash or carbon) If that's the case, I'm all for it.
I quote:
"This is because the fuel releases carbon that has only recently been taken up by plants during photosynthesis..."
I further quote:
"The biorefinery generator initially runs on diesel oil for several hours until the gasifier and the bioreactor begin to produce fuel, Warner said."
A little more quoting:
"The machine produces a very small amount of its own waste, Warner said, mostly in the form of ash that the Environmental Protection Agency has designated as "benign," or non-hazardous. Any leftover materials from the bioreactor are put into the gasifier, which has to be emptied every two to three days."
As compared to just leaving trash sitting around, or dumping it in the ocean - which many large cities do, this device is a better alternative. As a rescue device in disaster areas - this is a great alternative! FEMA should buy a few thousand of these immediately. I'm less comfortable with every restaurant in America owning one.
Turning landfills into energy and recycling mines is going to be a big change in the early part of the 21st century and this technology might get us there. But, the long term is that it still pollutes, it just pollutes less.
I was unaware that we had developed a zero emissions technology. I was almost certain we were still looking for reduced emissions.
It offers less emissions and is another way to go off grid while reducing the amount of trash one leaves behind.
Solar to electrolysis to hydrogen. The only emission is water.
There might be emissions in the production of the solar panel, but I'm sure they would be offset by the power produced by that panel.
Of course, dragging along a solar panel farm behind a Humvee is impractical.
Third time I've said this: it's a great thing. For the next 20 or so years, it's a direction to go. Imagine driving a car powered by your trash! But, it still pollutes. A world filled with near-zero emissions devices sounds like a nice place to live. I think we should work toward that. This device gets us closer.
Solar electrolized hydrogen is a good thing.
But you have waste from making the panels, transporting the hydrogen and building and supporting a hydrogen infrastructure.
I am all for heading for next-to-zero emission energy, but we should not become so enchanted with what we might have a decade from now that we forget to do what we can at the moment.
I agree. Happy??? :)
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