Anyone who's seen Back to the Future remembers when Doc Brown came back at the end with his garbage-powered Delorean. As absurd as it might have seemed then, researchers at the University of California Davis are taking a cue from Christoper Lloyd with a device that turns food scraps into clean, usable energy.
Students and faculty involved in the Biogas Energy Project have developed an anaerobic digester that uses bacteria to break down organic matter. During decomposition the matter releases hydrodgen and methane, which can then be used to produce energy.
The team currently receives 8 tons of leftover food scraps weekly from San Francisco area restaurants to produce enough energy to power 10 large homes during that time. Led by Professor Ruihong Zhang, the Biogas team has partnered with a company called Onsite Power Systems, and will operate on a larger scale in coming months as they bring the technology to farms, dairies, and other companies that produce organic waste.
UC Davis press release
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written by Me, November 14, 2006
You could feed the world off the food that is thrown away in the usa! I spent a summer once with a religious group who scavenged for food. You can eat like a king off of food which is a day or two past it's expiration date, or which is bruised or cosmetically damaged.
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written by Mathieu Gagnon, March 11, 2007
Egg shell can't makes energy. Please chose word more carefully.
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written by Calculation of Calories Burnt, February 16, 2008
Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) and Calories burned by exercise. Speed And Power Calculator. Fitness Calculator - Calculate calories burnt during everyday activities.
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