A group of students from MIT have come up with a new idea to produce electricity from grass. Although a prototype, is appreciated to be very new and innovative idea. The team won the first prize in MIT and Dow Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), 2007.
The device is compact enough to be hand held. It uses anaerobic micro-organisms to digest on the cellulose of grass, to be converted into electricity and water in a microbial fuel cell.
On one side of the cell, bacteria breaks-down cellulose into its component sugars and upon digestion, produces electrons which are directed to a graphite anode. The oxidation of sugars also liberates protons, which pass through an electrolyte membrane and react with the electrons and oxygen at an air cathode, producing water. A series of such reactions, produce electricity.
This bio-volt prototype is recommended for usage in rural locations. The team members say that it would take about 6 months to recharge your cell phone. However, bio-volt members claim that the cost of materials used in the cell would cost only $2 and that, connecting multiple units should help produce large amounts of energy that can practically be used.
Five teams had reached the finals in MADMEC, 2007, each team applying their knowledge in material science, engineering and biology. The contest has helped in channeling the students’ ideas to exploit alternate energy sources.
Teams were judged on the creativity, practicality and potential useful impact of their inventions, said Professor Edwin (Ned) Thomas, Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering . Thomas is also the founder of the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, which holds a similar contest that has led to development of several startup companies.
Members of the winning team, which took home $5,000, are graduate students Ethan Crumlin, Gerardo Jose la O’ and Joseph Walish, and sophomores John Craven and Andrew Hoy.
The second place team was Biogas Nicaragua. They developed a prototype that uses microbes to convert biomass such as crop waste and animal dung into methane that can be used for cooking.
Third place went to the Curie Brothers. They redesigned piston pumps fluid out of the piston, generating electricity that can be stored in the car’s battery.
Contest organizer Michael Tarkanian, a technical instructor in materials science and engineer said, “They had some really good ideas, and some great prototypes were built.”
via : Neatorama
