Trash Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

Filed in archive Home Automation on February 6, 2007

Do you need electricity, but struggle because you want to be as eco-friendly as possible? Now you can be, with the portable, trash powered generator, brought to you by the Boilermakers at the University of Purdue.

Technically it's called a "tactical bio-refinery" but for us laymen, let's just call it the Trash Transformer. Originally developed at the request of the U.S. Army, but soon should be available for civilians like us too. Very cool, and very useful, and yes, very workable.

Quoting to the CNET article:

The biorefinery uses two different processes to create fuel.

The machine separates food material into a bioreactor that uses the yeast ferments to create ethanol.

Other materials go to a gasifier and are converted into propane gas and methane, which then fuel the diesel engine that creates electricity.

Bring on the garbage!