Power-Providing, Poop-Eating Bacteria
Domestic sewage — mainly from toilets and kitchens — could be a source of energy thanks to some hungry-hungry bacteria.
Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium have discovered a way to double the amount of heat, biogas and electrical energy extracted from bacteria.
The amount of organic matter in sewage is too low to be recovered directly, so bacteria is used to capture it.
University researchers discovered that by periodically starving the bacteria, they become “gluttonous and gobble up the organic matter without ingesting it.”
Using this process, scientists were able to recover more than 55 percent of the organic matter from the sewage, compared to the 20-30 percent recovered using traditional methods. The undigested materials can be used in the production of energy and high quality products.
Researchers say that enough energy is recovered to completely treat sewage without external electricity sources.
The team’s work is already being moved out of the lab to large-scale applications in a collaboration with DC Water in Washington D.C.
Plans are to implement the new process on a part of the plant’s water treatment installation. Evaluations will show if the process yields a more effective wastewater treatment.
SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Is harvesting organic matter from sewage for energy the way of the future?
Tell us what you think in the comments below.
A Rambo-Inspired Anti-Drone Gun
On Manufacturing,net, we’ve covered a lot of stories about drones in the past. There was the drone service that delivered Domino’s pizza in the UK. Then, there was the 7-Eleven drone that made history by delivering a Slurpee to a private Nevada residence. But, my favorite, by far was the story about the Dutch policemen who trained eagles to attack and take down drones.
This week’s story unfortunately doesn’t include an eagle, but it does feature another creative method to rid unwanted drones from your neighborhood.
And what better way to take done a pesky drone than with a gun that jams the drone’s aircraft control channels. Dubbed the Dronegun, this Rambo-looking, shoulder-mounted gun is capable of picking off drones that are up to 1.3 miles away. When accurately aimed, the Dronegun uses electromagnetic noise at the same frequencies it uses for control communications to blast the drone.
According to the manufacturer, a solid hit will typically cause the drone to return to its original take-off point — a solution the company says is safer and a more appropriate anti-drone tool.
SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do you think there’s a market for this tool? Can you imagine another use for the Dronegun, aside from wrangling an errant drone?