tactical mobile bio-refinery

[begreen]

Purdue scientists made this up as a source of power for military field units. But the applications for small industry are promising. Seems to work ok on wood chips.

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070201LadischBio.html

Now if they could just reduce it so that it fits on the back of a Prius.... Mr. Fusion anyone?

 

[Andre B.]

"The tactical biorefinery first separates organic food material from residual trash, such as paper, plastic, Styrofoam and cardboard. The food waste goes to a bioreactor where industrial yeast ferments it into ethanol, a "green" fuel. Residual materials go to a gasifier where they are heated under low-oxygen conditions and eventually become low-grade propane gas and methane. The gas and ethanol are then combusted in a modified diesel engine that powers a generator to produce electricity."


Looks like they just combined, fermentation and gasification, two old and off the shelf technologies, into a single package. Probably making both more complicated and expensive then they would be as separate systems.