Biobattery Uses Previously Unusable Biomass

Mar-02-15 Fraunhofer researchers have created a "biobattery" able to create energy from a wide range of materials—including sludge, straw and wood.

Although biogas is an intriguing alternative energy source, the biogas plants that produce the material are only able to use a limited range of organic materials, which often also compete with food plant crops. To offer a wider range of source material for creating biogas, the team from Fraunhofer created a modular biobattery able to process normally unusable, waste organic materials.

Currently being demonstrated at a pilot plant, the materials are sent through an oxygen-free environment and into a rotating screw, where they are heated and broken down into biochar and volatile vapors. The vapor are reheated and cooled, which causes them to condense into a liquid containing bio-oil and water, while the resulting gas is purified and collected.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[FRAUNHOFER.DE]

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