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Denver CO (SPX) Dec 06, 2010 Fresh water and reusable energy. Humans are on a constant hunt for a sustainable supply of both. Water purification requires a lot of energy, while utility companies need large amounts of water for energy production. Their goal is to find a low-energy-required treatment technology. Researchers from the University of Colorado Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science may have discovered an answer. Last year, a study published in Environmental Science and Technology incorporated desalination into microbial fuel cells, a new technology that can treat wastewater and produce electricity simultaneously. However, putting it into practical use proved to be challenging due to current fluctuation. Zhiyong (Jason) Ren and his team with the University of Colorado Denver discovered, after six months from the initial hypothesis to completion, that they could produce hydrogen gas, which is collectable and storable, thus making improvements in the technology. The study, titled Concurrent Desalination and Hydrogen Generation Using Microbial Electrolysis and Desalination Cells, was published in Environmental Science and Technology and is funded by the Office of Naval Research. "Ships and their crews need energy generated on-site as well as fresh drinking water," said Ren. "Thus, the Navy is very interested in both low energy desalination and renewable energy production." A recent study by Logan group at Penn State University also demonstrated similar findings in that the energy contained in hydrogen gas not only can offset the energy used for the desalination process but has surplus that can be used for downstream processing. Next steps for Ren and his team will include using real wastewater to test the efficiency as well as optimizing the reactor configuration to improve system performance. "This discovery is a milestone for our new research group," said Ren. "We are very excited about our findings and will continue working to improve the technology."
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Related Links University of Colorado Denver Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Taiwan to spend 100 million dollars on 'green' architectureTaipei (AFP) Dec 3, 2010 Taiwan said Friday it will spend about 100 million US dollars to promote environmentally friendly buildings in a bid to cut carbon emissions and create jobs. The six-year initiative is estimated to attract additional investments of 28.4 billion Taiwan dollars (922 million US) and help create an industry worth 752.9 billion Taiwan dollars, the cabinet said. The programme is also expected ... read more |
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