Research & Development World

  • Home Page
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Archeology
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Chemistry
    • COVID-19
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Market Pulse
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
      • Software
    • Semiconductors
  • 2021 R&D 100 Award Winners
    • R&D 100 Awards
    • 2020 Winners
    • Winner Archive
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Webinars

Bio-Methane Converts Waste to Energy

By Kenny Walter | October 12, 2017

Researchers on the hunt for the next energy source have turned to landfill waste as the possible solution.

Chemical engineers from Michigan Technological University have examined the carbon footprint of anaerobic digestion—composting organics without air—that can be used to redirect methane into a new energy source.

“We found that bio-methane produced through anaerobic digestion emits far less than its fossil natural gas equivalent,” Sharath Ankathi, the paper’s lead author and a Ph.D student at Michigan Tech, said in a statement.

The researchers examined piles of organic waste in the Heartland Biogas facility in LaSalle, Colorado and assessed the process that turns food waste from restaurants in Denver and manure from dairy farms near the facility into bio-methane to complete the study.

Anaerobic digesters take uncovered piles of sitting manure and put them in large covered tanks. Bacteria is then used to break down the solids and the liquids. Food waste alone is not as efficient in anaerobic digestion but blending it with manure solves two problems with one process.

The researchers found that bio-methane produced from all available food waste and dairy manure in the U.S. annually could offset about 0.74 percent of annual natural gas demand with bigger savings coming in mitigated methane emissions.

Methane is considered about 25 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and accounts for about 11 percent of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Methane gas is produced by decomposing organic materials in the absence of air. It not only traps heat efficiently but is also a health and safety hazard because it is so concentrated in landfills.

About half of U.S. landfills collect and burn methane, mitigating the danger. However, it still contributes to atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide levels.

Related Articles Read More >

U.S. DOE grants $25M to advance clean hydrogen technologies for electricity generation 
SOLiTHOR seeds $10.6M to develop a new solid-state battery cell technology
Powering the moon: Sandia researchers design microgrid for future lunar base
Advanced Ionics secures $4.2M for decarbonization of industrial hydrogen production
2021 R&D Global Funding Forecast

Need R&D World news in a minute?

We Deliver!
R&D World Enewsletters get you caught up on all the mission critical news you need in research and development. Sign up today.
Enews Signup

R&D World Digital Issues

February 2020 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R& magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • 2022 Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • Home Page
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Archeology
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Chemistry
    • COVID-19
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Market Pulse
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
      • Software
    • Semiconductors
  • 2021 R&D 100 Award Winners
    • R&D 100 Awards
    • 2020 Winners
    • Winner Archive
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Webinars