Imagine if your local waste-water treatment plant was a power plant too.

Researchers at Penn State have successfully created electricity from wastewater using naturally occurring bacteria. The technology works using microbial fuel cells. While this method of creating electricity is not new, cost has stalled its use for large scale electricity production.

The scientists overcame this problem by using a carbon fiber brush as the surface for the bacteria to colonize instead of carbon fiber paper, which is much more expensive. This switch more than doubled the electricity production. Other cost savings came from using modified versions of membrane tubes that are already used in wastewater treatment, and switching expensive platinum catalysts for cobalt-based catalysts. 

These changes bring microbial fuel cells closer to a practical and sustainable energy source. The best test case "produced 18 watts per 260 gallons of water" with greater than 70 percent charge efficiency. Electricity is typically used to clean water, so there is an overall savings from the natural cleaning done by the bacteria, in addition to the electricity it produces.

The researchers state that "the design of a wastewater treatment reactor could be as simple as a large tank with the brushes and [modified membrane tubes] inserted into the same tank." 

Trash has been the hot topic in regards to energy production, so I am glad other resources, like waste water, are not being overlooked. By the look of things, microbial fuel cells are just on the horizon of achieving one of the ultimate eco-goals: turning necessary waste into useful products.

Via: Penn State Live

Comments (5)

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Sounds very promising
written by Trent Bigelow , April 06, 2007

I'm really excited about this. I think that the best sustainable power strategy is to combine more efficient products with squeeze power opportunities from everything possible. This idea, plus the Jersey Wind Turbines by freeways and railroads, plus tidal power, wind turbines atop street posts and art statues, combined with consumer solar panels either on glass windows or just on roofs...

I can't wait for the day when we have a grid-less power system!

Can Brita make me money?
written by Austin , April 20, 2007

Does this mean that in the future my Brita water filter can make enough extra electricity to sell back to the grid?

engineer environmental
written by gustavo amaya , October 12, 2007

we want to manufacture a hydrogen fuel cell

engineer environment
written by gustavo amaya , October 12, 2007

i want manufacture a fuel cell using water as fuel to split into hydrogen and oxygen gases.

Petrol
written by Appliance Parts , November 13, 2007

In 50 years gas is going to be no more, so this would be a great idea to replace it. I personally think that the rich people owning petrol companies paid scientist not to discover something to replace petrol yet! That is until there will no more of this gas. And probably, then the pollution will decrease!

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