IP Takeover : Alt Power Source

[Pete_Bailey@FPL.COM]

If they want to shutdown IP and need an alternate source of power,

NY should look into the following because their idea is full of crap.

Might as well put all that crap to good use !



FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY

Right now, astronaut waste gets shipped back to Earth. But for long-term

exploration, you'd want to recycle it, because it holds resources that

astronauts will need. It will provide pure drinking water, fertilizer, and,

with the help of a recently discovered microbe, it will also provide

electricity.



A NASA-funded research team led by Dr. Bruce Rittmann, a professor at

Northwestern University, is currently developing a membrane microbial fuel

cell, which obtain their electrons from organic waste. The bacteria at the

heart of the device -- Geobacter microbes -- feed on the waste, and, as

part

of their digestive process, they pull electrons from the material. These

microbes can be coaxed to deliver the electrons directly to a fuel cell

electrode, which conducts them into a circuit. As they flow through the

circuit, they generate electricity.



The membrane microbial fuel cell is still in the early stages of its

development. Yet, if the project succeeds, these devices may not only be

used in space, but also in our own homes. "You have to treat the wastes

anyway,"

said Rittmann. "So why not make the process an energy gainer, instead

of an energy loser? By producing electricity, microbial fuel cells would

make

the process of purifying waste streams much more economical."



For more information, visit: http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20040527A2



   Pete  Bailey

   Cracking atoms & making megawatts . . .





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