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To: BubbaFred who wrote (59274)	1/22/2005 4:39:35 PM
From: BubbaFred	Respond to of 74559

Raw Sewage Can Turn into Raw Power InTech 01/22/05 4:00 AM PT The most obvious application would be in wastewater treatment plants, which essentially could power themselves. Such a technology would be particularly useful in developing countries, because it would produce a net amount of electricity, offering a reason to keep a treatment plant running besides just treating wastewater. Limited time offers on Business Notebooks and Tablet PCs expire January 31st. Visit the HP Small & Medium Business Online Store today and save $250 instantly on the Business Notebook nx9030. A new device called a microbial fuel cell not only treats wastewater but also provides a clean energy source, said researchers at Pennsylvania State University. Although power output is still relatively low, researchers said the technology is improving rapidly and eventually could run a small wastewater treatment plant. It also could treat waste from farms, food processing plants, and even space missions. Bacteria and Electricity Similar in design to a hydrogen fuel cell, the microbial fuel cell captures electrons naturally released by bacteria as they digest organic matter and then converts the electrons into electrical current. "We generated up to 72 watts per square meter, which is 2.8 times that generated in a larger device reported earlier this year, " said Bruce Logan, Ph.D., an environmental engineer at Penn State. While that is still a small amount of power, the researchers have used these types of devices to run a small fan. The technology is developing rapidly. Logan and his colleagues have tweaked microbial fuel cell devices to produce up to 350 watts per square meter. "Two years ago we had 0.1 ... and now we're in the 100s," he said. "We'd like to get in the range of 500-1000. We're looking for another order of magnitude increase." Treatment Plants Logan doesn't envision using his microbial fuel cell for the same type of applications as hydrogen fuel cells, such as in automobiles or houses. "We see using this any place where there's a high concentration of organic matter," he said. The most obvious application would be in wastewater treatment plants, which essentially could power themselves as they treat water. Such a technology would be particularly useful in developing countries, Logan suggests, because it would produce a net amount of electricity, offering a reason to keep a treatment plant running besides just treating wastewater. David Bagley, a scientist at the University of Toronto, has calculated that the energy potential in wastewater is almost 10 times the cost to treat it. "If we could achieve just one-twentieth of that power, we could break even, " Logan said. "We're confident we're going to be able to do more than that." technewsworld.com