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Hydrogen from wastewater (a different version of yesterday's article)
This is the National Science Version of the AFP article from yesterday. ------------ By adding a few modifications to their successful wastewater fuel cell, researchers have coaxed common bacteria to produce hydrogen in a new, efficient way...By tweaking their design, improving conditions for the bacteria, and adding a small jolt of electricity, they increased the hydrogen yield to a new record for this type of system. "We achieved the highest hydrogen yields ever obtained with this approach from different sources of organic matter, such as yields [I think this means: Hydrogen atoms in the free product stream divided by hydrogen atoms in the solution] of 91 percent using vinegar (acetic acid) and 68 percent using cellulose," said Logan. -------- Assuming this scales up well, a number of municipal sewage systems should be able to use it within a few years for at least some of their treatment. Also, for the environmentalists, the CO2 emitted seems fairly easy to concentrate although sequestration is a whole different matter. Posted by: mhw 2007-11-14 |
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