Fuel Cell that Runs on Sugar

materia3 · 4th October 2004, 02:08 AM

Quote:

A battery that runs on scraps of food could fuel a battery providing electricity to top up your home's supply, say UK researchers.

That doggie treat will run a light bulb Although such "microbial fuel cells" (MFCs) have been developed in the past, they have always proved extremely inefficient and expensive. Now Chris Melhuish and technologists at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol have come up with a simplified MFC that costs as little as Â£10 to make.

Right now, their fuel cell runs only on sugar cubes, since these produce almost no waste when broken down, but they aim to move on to carrot power. "It has to be able to use raw materials, rather than giving it a refined fuel," says Melhuish......

from the New Scientist - 10 October 2004 Complete story at:

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992899

Johnny Pneumatic · 4th October 2004, 08:28 AM

I think autonomous robots that eat plants and maybe small animals could be neat. Let loose a tuna-bot in the ocean and all you have to do is pick up the radio broadcasts it does once every few days.

Zombified · 4th October 2004, 10:57 AM

Actually, robots that run on organic fuel sources have been prototyped:

Slug-Eating Robot

Ironically, it's the organic farmers who'd want this technology. Slug-killing chemicals bad, flesh-eating killer robots good!

TillEulenspiegel · 6th October 2004, 11:21 AM

Interesting but not practical

A gallon of gas weighs ~>6 Lbs. and costs ~$1,90 in Florida on 10-10-04.
A 5 Lbs of bag of pure sugar costs, on same date is $3.75 so ~ $4.50 for equal weight.

Add the kinetic energy contained in gas gasoline = 20300 Btu/lb, Sugar is 7200 BTU/LB

That's not an accurate way to measure it ( as I'm sure some would like to point out) But it gives You an idea of the difference in scope.

To get an accurate picture of the comparison would require accounting for the I.C engine VS fuel efficiency , translational losses and efficiency all active components. ( Electric motor for the fuel cell? Transmission for the I.C engine?)

TeaBag420 · 6th October 2004, 11:58 AM

Read the original post. They are talking about supplementing home electricity supply, and say that it only makes sense when they can use unrefined fuels, i.e. NOT pure sugar. That's why the price of sugar is irrelevant.

Try powering your house with gasoline sometime and see what it costs.

Ask yourself how much energy goes INTO the PRODUCTION of gasoline. That's why it has a higher BTU/LB output than sugar, otherwise you'd be getting something for nothing. Petroleum refinement is a process of concentrating potential energy.

Read the original post.

TillEulenspiegel · 6th October 2004, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TeaBag420
Read the original post. They are talking about supplementing home electricity supply, and say that it only makes sense when they can use unrefined fuels, i.e. NOT pure sugar. That's why the price of sugar is irrelevant.

Try powering your house with gasoline sometime and see what it costs.

Ask yourself how much energy goes INTO the PRODUCTION of gasoline. That's why it has a higher BTU/LB output than sugar, otherwise you'd be getting something for nothing. Petroleum refinement is a process of concentrating potential energy.

Read the original post.

You know I knew I should keep my mouth shut but nooo...

Read the original post they state that they use sugar cubes.

My first post on this board was about regenerative fuel cells and ceramic turbines. Some idiot over stepped his understanding of the case and made Lincoln's quote about "better to be thought..." just as relevant as it when first uttered.

I have spent years studying both fuel cells and their application in energy production on a micro-scale as a part of my profession.

I included caveats in my post about end BTU production and cost analysis. The cost of both sugar and gasoline production are both reflected in their price. You don't mine gasoline or sugar both must be refined .You comments make no sense.

I suggest that if You hold serious interest in the subject goto DOE and do research on fuel cells ..fasinating stuff AND if just may put the power companies out of business ( less they buy the patent .Hmmm).

Edit to add:

Ya spent the last week on a gas powered generator due to hurricane/ power issues, so I do know how much it costs to power my home by gasoline.

TeaBag420 · 6th October 2004, 10:16 PM

Yes, they say they used sugar cubes. It's called "proof of concept". They also said that for it to be sensible they need to use other, less refined fuel sources. READ THE ORIGINAL POST.

TillEulenspiegel · 7th October 2004, 12:48 AM

See? Lincoln was right.

Iconoclast · 7th October 2004, 06:51 AM

Quote:

New Scientist
A battery that runs on scraps of food could fuel a battery providing electricity to top up your home's supply, say UK researchers.

This is old news, they were already doing it in 1989 in Back to the Future II.

4th October 2004, 02:08 AM	#1
materia3 Muse Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 560	Fuel Cell that Runs on Sugar Quote: A battery that runs on scraps of food could fuel a battery providing electricity to top up your home's supply, say UK researchers. That doggie treat will run a light bulb Although such "microbial fuel cells" (MFCs) have been developed in the past, they have always proved extremely inefficient and expensive. Now Chris Melhuish and technologists at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol have come up with a simplified MFC that costs as little as Â£10 to make. Right now, their fuel cell runs only on sugar cubes, since these produce almost no waste when broken down, but they aim to move on to carrot power. "It has to be able to use raw materials, rather than giving it a refined fuel," says Melhuish...... from the New Scientist - 10 October 2004 Complete story at: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992899
materia3 Muse Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 560

4th October 2004, 08:28 AM	#2
Johnny Pneumatic Corpuscle Clay Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 2,089	I think autonomous robots that eat plants and maybe small animals could be neat. Let loose a tuna-bot in the ocean and all you have to do is pick up the radio broadcasts it does once every few days.
	__________________ If we don't play god, who will?-James Watson What the hell is the matter with you people? Get your minds into the gutter!-Dorian Gray Good Lord - I've heard about this - cat juggling! Stop! Stop! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Good. Father, could there be a God that would let this happen?- Navin R. Johnson, The Jerk There is nothing to believe in. There's no need to believe...There is nothing to believe in in this world. -Vicious, Cowboy Bebop

6th October 2004, 11:21 AM	#4
TillEulenspiegel Master Poster Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,310	Interesting but not practical A gallon of gas weighs ~>6 Lbs. and costs ~$1,90 in Florida on 10-10-04. A 5 Lbs of bag of pure sugar costs, on same date is $3.75 so ~ $4.50 for equal weight. Add the kinetic energy contained in gas gasoline = 20300 Btu/lb, Sugar is 7200 BTU/LB That's not an accurate way to measure it ( as I'm sure some would like to point out) But it gives You an idea of the difference in scope. To get an accurate picture of the comparison would require accounting for the I.C engine VS fuel efficiency , translational losses and efficiency all active components. ( Electric motor for the fuel cell? Transmission for the I.C engine?)
	__________________ "God does not play dice with the universe." Albert Einstein "Who is Einstein to tell God what to do?" Niels Bohr Remember, %97.3 of all accidents occur %100 of the time.

6th October 2004, 11:58 AM	#5
TeaBag420 Banned Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,125	Read the original post. They are talking about supplementing home electricity supply, and say that it only makes sense when they can use unrefined fuels, i.e. NOT pure sugar. That's why the price of sugar is irrelevant. Try powering your house with gasoline sometime and see what it costs. Ask yourself how much energy goes INTO the PRODUCTION of gasoline. That's why it has a higher BTU/LB output than sugar, otherwise you'd be getting something for nothing. Petroleum refinement is a process of concentrating potential energy. Read the original post.
TeaBag420 Banned Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,125

6th October 2004, 01:36 PM	#6
TillEulenspiegel Master Poster Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,310	Quote: Originally posted by TeaBag420 Read the original post. They are talking about supplementing home electricity supply, and say that it only makes sense when they can use unrefined fuels, i.e. NOT pure sugar. That's why the price of sugar is irrelevant. Try powering your house with gasoline sometime and see what it costs. Ask yourself how much energy goes INTO the PRODUCTION of gasoline. That's why it has a higher BTU/LB output than sugar, otherwise you'd be getting something for nothing. Petroleum refinement is a process of concentrating potential energy. Read the original post. You know I knew I should keep my mouth shut but nooo... Read the original post they state that they use sugar cubes. My first post on this board was about regenerative fuel cells and ceramic turbines. Some idiot over stepped his understanding of the case and made Lincoln's quote about "better to be thought..." just as relevant as it when first uttered. I have spent years studying both fuel cells and their application in energy production on a micro-scale as a part of my profession. I included caveats in my post about end BTU production and cost analysis. The cost of both sugar and gasoline production are both reflected in their price. You don't mine gasoline or sugar both must be refined .You comments make no sense. I suggest that if You hold serious interest in the subject goto DOE and do research on fuel cells ..fasinating stuff AND if just may put the power companies out of business ( less they buy the patent .Hmmm). Edit to add: Ya spent the last week on a gas powered generator due to hurricane/ power issues, so I do know how much it costs to power my home by gasoline.
	__________________ "God does not play dice with the universe." Albert Einstein "Who is Einstein to tell God what to do?" Niels Bohr Remember, %97.3 of all accidents occur %100 of the time.

4th October 2004, 10:57 AM	#3
Zombified Back From The Dead Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Inside my brain Posts: 1,373	Actually, robots that run on organic fuel sources have been prototyped: Slug-Eating Robot Ironically, it's the organic farmers who'd want this technology. Slug-killing chemicals bad, flesh-eating killer robots good!

6th October 2004, 10:16 PM	#7
TeaBag420 Banned Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,125	Yes, they say they used sugar cubes. It's called "proof of concept". They also said that for it to be sensible they need to use other, less refined fuel sources. READ THE ORIGINAL POST.
TeaBag420 Banned Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,125

7th October 2004, 12:48 AM	#8
TillEulenspiegel Master Poster Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,310	See? Lincoln was right.
	__________________ "God does not play dice with the universe." Albert Einstein "Who is Einstein to tell God what to do?" Niels Bohr Remember, %97.3 of all accidents occur %100 of the time.

7th October 2004, 06:51 AM	#9
Iconoclast Breaker of Icons Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 1,797	Re: Fuel Cell that Runs on Sugar Quote: New Scientist A battery that runs on scraps of food could fuel a battery providing electricity to top up your home's supply, say UK researchers. This is old news, they were already doing it in 1989 in Back to the Future II.
	__________________ A gun is not a weapon Marge, it's a tool, like a butcher knife or a harpoon or... ah... ah... an alligator. You just need more education on the subject. -- Homer Simpson