Ben Preiss
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Finding a cheap way to produce hydrogen would be a big step toward reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. It would lower greenhouse gas emissions as burning hydrogen releases only water vapor. Researchers at Penn State University have made a breakthrough that will enable sewage and biodegradable garbage to convert into cheap hydrogen.  "We could use all sorts of wastewaters, turning them into hydrogen instead of using energy to treat the wastewater," Penn State researcher Bruce Logan told LiveScience.
These microbes do need a low voltage supplied by researchers to generate the hydrogen, which Logan and colleagues discovered in 2005. Still, burning some of the hydrogen the bacteria produce can help generate the electricity the germs require to make the gas. Back in 2005, the researchers envisioned the process largely as a way to cut down on the cost of dealing with sewage. Now, they say the reactors can prove significantly efficient as hydrogen producers.
For example, when given acetic acid—a common leftover of fermentation—the bacteria in the reactors generated hydrogen at up to nearly 99 percent of the theoretical maximum yield. The reactors also worked when stuffed with cellulose, found in plants.
"This could really make a hydrogen economy work from renewable energy sources," Logan said.
(news.yahoo)References: wired, news.yahoo Filed In: |
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