Engineering Open House 2010

Bioenergy PSM Students Exhibit at EOH 2010

 

The PSM Bioenergy group presented a project at the Engineering Open House that combines an anaerobic digester with a generator and a photobioreactor. The purpose was to try and show that organic waste can be converted into heat or power in a low-cost system. As organic waste degrades through microorganisms (in an anaerobic system), carbon dioxide and methane is generated. Methane gas can be used to create electricity through a generator. Carbon dioxide can be used to cultivate algae, which can be used to create 'green crude oil', or biodiesel, depending on the strain.

By using food waste (as opposed to other agricultural feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, Miscanthus, or switchgrass), we can generate energy from material that would have been thrown away. We can stabilize our food supply, while at the same time creating energy that the growing population requires.

For more information: email: PSM.EOH2010@gmail.com

Additional Resources

Network based Anaerobic Digester/photobioreactor system Proposal (pdf)

Poster (pdf)

Poster 2 (pdf)