https://techsomogro.com/transportation-part-3-the-impact-of-energy-conservation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=transportation-part-3-the-impact-of-energy-conservation Science, Technology and the Future Mon, 15 Jun 2020 23:00:27 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://techsomogro.com/transportation-part-3-the-impact-of-energy-conservation/#comment-46 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:23:05 +0000 http://21stcentech.wordpress.com/?p=546#comment-46 Researchers at Penn State are trying to scale a technology they have developed in the laboratory that could lead to the industrial production of hydrogen. The technology combines bacteria, seawater and fresh water. In 2009, researchers at the university discovered that microbial electrolysis cells could break down matter in wastewater to release hydrogen. To get the process started all that was needed was a small electrical charge. Using a reverse desalinization process, called reverse-electrodialysis, they were able to release energy to get the bacteria to start generating hydrogen. The bacterial cells have demonstrated efficiencies between 58 and 64%, producing 0.8 to 1.6 cubic meters of hydrogen for every cubic meter of liquid run through them each day with only 1% of the energy produced needed to pump the water through the system. At an industrial scale seawater and fresh water would run through a stack of alternating cathode and anode exchange membranes. The system would be capable, if scalable, to operate anywhere wastewater and seawater were in close proximity.

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