Microbes can produce abundant source of methane as fuel
March 31st, 2009 - 4:34 pm ICT by IANSWashington, March 31 (IANS) A tiny microbe that converts carbon dioxide and water to methane with a bit of solar or wind power, can be a new energy source, according to a team of Penn State engineers.
Methane is preferred over hydrogen because a large portion of the US infrastructure is already set up to easily transport and deliver methane.
These cells are about 80 percent efficient in converting CO2 into methane, if the energy comes from the non-carbon sources like the sun or wind power.
“We were studying making hydrogen in microbial electrolysis cells and we kept getting all this methane,” said Bruce E. Logan, professor of environmental engineering at Penn State. “We may now understand why.”
“All the methane generation going on in nature that we have assumed is going through hydrogen may not be. We actually find very little hydrogen in the gas phase in nature. Perhaps where we assumed hydrogen is being made, it is not,” he said.
Researchers found that the archaea, single-celled micro-organisms, using about the same solar or wind power input, without any organic material, bacteria or hydrogen usually found in microbial electrolysis cells, can produce methane, said a Penn State release.
The findings are reported in this week’s issue of Environmental Science and Technology.
- Scientists identify microbe that can turn electricity directly to methane - Mar 31, 2009
- Renewable hydrogen production becomes reality at winery - Oct 06, 2009
- New electrical device can turn CO2 into biofuel - Apr 27, 2009
- Indian and American scientists use bad wine to make good energy - Dec 16, 2009
- Hot springs of volcanic crater in Siberia reveals ancient ecology - Apr 27, 2011
- Superbugs from space can provide extra energy - Feb 22, 2012
- 'Tiny ammonia eaters' play more central role in Earth's ecology than previously believed - Oct 03, 2009
- Bacteria ate up methane from Gulf spill, say scientists - Jan 07, 2011
- Now steps taken in labs to create 'inorganic life' - Sep 18, 2011
- Man-made photosynthesis to boost food output - Feb 19, 2012
- Now, Green Carbon Centre that could recycle CO2 to lower eco footprint - Oct 23, 2010
- NASA researchers discover arsenic-based life form on Earth - Dec 03, 2010
- Two-in-one device cleans up sewage, produces fuel - Mar 30, 2012
- Household sewage could be new energy source: Study - Mar 02, 2011
- Microbes aren't accelerating global warming as expected - Apr 27, 2010
Tags: abundant source, bruce e logan, carbon dioxide, carbon sources, electrolysis, energy source, environmental science and technology, gas phase, hydrogen, large portion, methane generation, micro organisms, microbe, microbes, new energy, organic material, penn state engineers, power input, science and technology, wind power