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OKIsItJustMe

(19,938 posts)
Wed Aug 15, 2012, 12:37 AM Aug 2012

Major advance made in generating electricity from wastewater

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/aug/major-advance-made-generating-electricity-wastewater
[font face=Serif][font size=5]Major advance made in generating electricity from wastewater[/font]

8-13-12

[font size=3]CORVALLIS, Ore. – Engineers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater, opening the door to a future in which waste treatment plants not only will power themselves, but will sell excess electricity.

The new technology developed at OSU can now produce 10 to 50 more times the electricity, per volume, than most other approaches using microbial fuel cells, and 100 times more electricity than some.

Researchers say this could eventually change the way that wastewater is treated all over the world, replacing the widely used “activated sludge” process that has been in use for almost a century. The new approach would produce significant amounts of electricity while effectively cleaning the wastewater.

...

“If this technology works on a commercial scale the way we believe it will, the treatment of wastewater could be a huge energy producer, not a huge energy cost,” said Hong Liu, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering. “This could have an impact around the world, save a great deal of money, provide better water treatment and promote energy sustainability.”

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Major advance made in generating electricity from wastewater (Original Post) OKIsItJustMe Aug 2012 OP
Yee-ha! Go OSU! luv_mykatz Aug 2012 #1
k/r nt. limpyhobbler Aug 2012 #2
I want to hope this will become available soon Politicalboi Aug 2012 #3
K&R trof Aug 2012 #4

luv_mykatz

(441 posts)
1. Yee-ha! Go OSU!
Wed Aug 15, 2012, 12:55 AM
Aug 2012

I hope this does work out on a commercial scale. Water...it is the petroleum-issue of the future.

 

Politicalboi

(15,189 posts)
3. I want to hope this will become available soon
Wed Aug 15, 2012, 02:53 AM
Aug 2012

But we have all seen things like this go away after a while. Someone buys the idea, and poof! it's gone.

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