Purdue Makes Trash To Electricity Generator

musicon writes "A group of scientists at Purdue University have created a portable refinery that efficiently converts food, paper, and plastic trash into electricity. The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in the field to convert waste into power. It could also have widespread civilian applications in the future. Researchers tested the first tactical biorefinery prototype in November and found that it produced approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumed."

Yawn...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wake me when they invent the Flux Capacitor.

Mr Fusion

[mpfife]

"No no, this thing needs more kick than that. It's nuclear - that's the only way I can generate the 1.21 gigawatts of energy I need."

Re:Does it run on batteries?

[cp.tar]

Which part of this sentence:

Researchers tested the first tactical biorefinery prototype in November and found that it produced approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumed.

don't you understand?

Sweet

[cinnander]

90% more energy than it consumes, eh. So all we have to do now is hook this thing up to, say, a pastry factory, a good supply of flour, fat, water and such, and there will be free, unlimited pastry and energy for everyone, assuming we feed the pastry scraps and uneaten pies, pasties and tarts back in the other end! :D

Re:Yawn...

[macadamia_harold]

Wake me when they invent the Flux Capacitor.

From the writeup, it sounds like they've created Mr. Fusion. So when the Flux Capacitor is created, at least the inventor won't be chased down at the twin pines mall by middle eastern terrorists in a vw bus.

Re:Incredible

[Pecholata]

Does this mean that if I put a copy of Windows Vista into that machine I can generate electricity for all my city?

Oh god, a copy of Windows Millenium will be better than a fusion reactor :-p

Re:Yawn...

[BakaHoushi]

What are you talking about? Last I checked, there was only the Lone Pine Mall... (and there were terrorists there, but they crashed into a photo hut and were arrested)

Obligatory...

[srussia]

I, for one, fear the military applications of this...not like it wasn't possible before, but perhaps this might give some people ideas that would ultimately be used to kill people...

Uh, nevermind, I just read TFS.

Re:Creates 90% more energy than is consumed?

[Anonymous Coward]

The reaction requires energy to fuel it, but the end result is 90% more than what you put into it. You can't just make a pile of trash and will it to create energy. Well you can, but uh...good luck with that.

Re:Yawn...

[Anonymous Coward]

My second thought was:

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!

Re:Incredible

[darkain]

Windows Vista runs my Sim City just fine!

Re:Yawn...

[Walt Dismal]

At first, I thought from the heading "convert trash to electricity" that the military had put Britney Spears and Kevin Federline on bicycles with generators, and they were merrily pedalling away. But, nooo, you had to go and spoil it.

Re:Yawn...

[tomhudson]

At first, I thought from the heading "convert trash to electricity" that the military had put Britney Spears and Kevin Federline on bicycles with generators, and they were merrily pedalling away. But, nooo, you had to go and spoil it.

No, that's their next headline - "Purdue Makes Electricity To Trash Generator"

This way, they can have a closed-loop system when they send Bush to Mars.

But!

[Rob T Firefly]

Can you.. you know... go in it?

Re:Yawn...

[LouisZepher]

"This? This is ice. This is what happens to water when it gets too cold. This? This is Kent, this is what happens to people when they get too sexually frustrated..."

Re:Waste Eating Robots ???

[UncleTogie]

I, for one, welcome our garbage-converting overlords.