The term “bioenergy technology” describes the process of producing heat, power, or fuel from organic resources like biomass or biogas. It entails using biological materials made of living or recently living creatures as a source of energy.
Bioenergy technology come in a variety of shapes and sizes
Biomass power generation
Biomass power generation: Biomass, which includes wood, agricultural waste, and crops grown specifically for energy production, can be burned directly to generate heat or transformed into biogas and used to generate electricity or heat buildings.
Biogas Procedure
Anaerobic digestion, a biological procedure that creates biogas, can be used to process organic wastes like animal manure, food waste, or sewage.
Methane and carbon dioxide make up the majority of biogas, which is a sustainable energy source that may be utilised to generate power or heat homes.
Biofuels
Biofuels are gaseous or liquid fuels made from biomass. The two most popular kinds are bioethanol and biodiesel. The fermentation of sugars or starches present in plants like corn, sugarcane, or wheat results in the production of bioethanol.
Contrarily, the process of transesterification is commonly used to create biodiesel from vegetable or animal fats.
Biochemical conversion
Biochemical conversion: Biochemical processes transform biomass into useful compounds by utilising biological agents like enzymes or bacteria. The creation of bio-based materials, bioplastics, or chemicals can be considered here.
The use of bioenergy technology has various benefits. Through the use of organic waste streams, it offers a replacement for fossil fuels, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and aids in waste management.
However, it also confronts difficulties like competition from food production, disagreements over land usage, and possible environmental effects related to intensive agriculture for the production of biomass feed stock.
Read Also: Hyde Tools Folding Painter’s Tools
The attempt by engineers to extract energy from fruit waste
Extract Energy The rising urbanisation, the increasing global population, and the resulting increase in food demand are all contributing to an increase in food waste generation and its environmental effects.
Using microbial fuel cells (MFCs), a green technique, this food was Researchers at UBC Okanagan are investigating the viability of utilising fruit waste, both solid and leachate, to power fuel cells.
While the energy produced from food waste is still less potent than that produced by the sun or the wind, researchers are attempting to improve the quality and energy production of wasted food, particularly fruit waste.Ste can be converted into bio electricity through treatment.
Current Waste Treatment Techniques
According to UBCO researcher Dr. Hirra Zafar, “Today, food waste is a sustainability challenge with negative environmental, economic, and social implications.”
“Current waste treatment techniques, like land filling and incineration, are linked to a wide range of negative environmental effects, including acidic waste leach-ate, air pollution, the production of methane, and the release of harmful pollutants that lead to environmental degradation and health risks.”
Anode Compartment to Convert Fruit Waste into Electrical Energy
According to Dr. Zafar, microbial fuel cells use an anaerobic anode compartment to convert fruit waste into electrical energy. Anaerobic microorganisms use organic materials as a source of energy in this compartment.
Electro active microorganisms are being used by researchers to break down organic material in the anode compartment and release protons and electrons.
At the cathode, protons, oxygen, and electrons mix to form water, creating bioelectricity in the process. When processed by a microbial fuel cell, various fruit varieties produce various outcomes, primarily due of their unique biochemical properties.
Transforming Food Waste into Bioenergy
The scientists discovered that when the food waste was sorted and ground into small particles prior to processing, the new method operated more effectively and produced superior results.
Dr. Zafar asserts that this study confirms the enormous potential of microbial fuel cells, notwithstanding the difficulties still involved in transforming food waste into bio energy on a commercial scale.
Additionally, converting garbage into clean, renewable energy benefits the environment in two ways.
Read Also: Nemo Reciprocating Saw
Brewery waste will be used to produce ingredients for an energy storage device
An Energy Storage Device The creation of effective and long-lasting energy storage technologies is essential for a future that is climate-friendly.
Future improvements to batteries and super capacitors’ performance as well as their sustainability in terms of (renewable) sources, availability, and recyclability will be crucial given the growing number of uses for these energy storage devices.
Researchers have now discovered a surprise raw material in their search for new resources: brewery waste. Brewer’s leftover grain is being investigated as a bio-source for the production of materials for electro chemical energy storage systems by chemists at Fried rich Schiller University Jena in collaboration with Spanish colleagues.
Electrode Material for Super Capacitors
They were able to get carbon, which can serve as an electrode in batteries, as well as activated carbon, which can be employed as an electrode material for super capacitors.
The Jena team created a technique for producing carbonaceous materials appropriate for storage applications. The specialists were able to maximise the materials’ surface area and optimise their pore size using the new method.
According to the researchers, these carbons ensure extremely high capacitance when employed as an electrode in super capacitors and enable the creation of a device with a high energy density.
To Manufacture Energy Storage Devices
Prof. Andrea Balducci from the University of Jena explains, “We’ve been exploring the suitability of diverse biological raw materials for realising carbon-containing polymers that we employ to manufacture energy storage devices for some time now.
And brewery waste satisfies crucial requirements in this regard because, in theory, its chemical makeup is excellent for the uses we’re aiming for.
Brewer’s waste grains are widely available, according to researchers. For instance, in the European Union, 6.8 million tonnes were produced in 2019, of which 1.5 million tonnes came from Germany alone.
Additionally, there is no need for lengthy excursions to collect the raw materials because of how widely spaced out breweries are around the nation.
Read Also: Types of robotics
Researchers create a new biobattery for storing hydrogen
Storing Hydrogen The search for carbon-neutral energy sources is becoming more critical as we tackle climate change. In a carbon-neutral economy, green hydrogen is a viable fuel, and numerous initiatives are now being made to manufacture hydrogen.
One of the difficulties is finding a safe and practical way to store and transfer the potentially explosive gas.
The regulated storage and release of hydrogen using bacteria has now been made possible. Thanks to a team of microbiologists from Goethe University Frankfurt.
Carbon Neutral Energy Sources
This is a significant development in the hunt for carbon-neutral energy sources for climate protection. Researchers discovered an enzyme in bacteria that can survive without air. Bind hydrogen to CO2 directly to produce formic acid. Complete reversibility of the process is a prerequisite for hydrogen storage.
These acetogenic bacteria consume carbon dioxide, which they then metabolise with the help of hydrogen to produce formic acid.
The formic acid is typically only a byproduct of their metabolism. Further is broken down into acetic acid and ethanol.
However, the team has modified the bacterium. So that it is now feasible to both block and reverse this process at the formic acid stage. The fundamental idea has already been protected by a patent since 2013.
Bio Battery for the Storage of Hydrogen
In addition, and unlike chemical catalysts, the bacteria do not require rare metals or extreme conditions for the reaction. Such as high temperatures and high pressures. Instead do the job at 30 °C and normal pressure, according to Professor Volker Müller.
The measured rates of CO2 reduction to formic acid and back are the highest ever measured. Many times greater than with other biological or chemical catalysts.
The team has now achieved a new milestone: using the same bacteria. They have created a bio battery for the storage of hydrogen.
A photovoltaic device helps produce electricity during the day, which powers the hydrolysis of water. Formic acid is created when the bacteria bind the hydrogen created in this manner to CO2.
Hydrogen was then again Released by the Bacterium
The concentration of the starting components and end products alone determines the reaction’s direction, which is totally reversible in nature.
The bioreactor’s hydrogen content drops during the course of the night. The bacteria start to release hydrogen from the formic acid once more. Then, this hydrogen can be used as a fuel.
The team fed the bacteria hydrogen for eight hours before subjecting them. This is to a 16-hour hydrogen diet overnight to assess their ability to store hydrogen.
The hydrogen was then again released by the bacterium. With the aid of genetic engineering techniques, the unintended production of acetic acid could be stopped.
The shown process architecture, according to experts. It can be viewed as a potential “bio-battery” for the reversible storage of electrons in the form of hydrogen in formic acid.
Read Also: Robotic humans in the future
