Bio-Gas & Fuel Cells
Bio-gas is the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. There are two forms of bio-gas. One is the fermentation of biodegradable materials, such as: manure, sewage, municipal waste, or green waste. This type of bio-gas is made up mainly of methane and carbon dioxide. The other form of bio-gas is wood gas which is created by the gasification* of wood and it contains mostly nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. When these gases react with oxygen, bio-gas can be used as a fuel alternative to heat anything, like a stove or an engine, or compressed to fuel a vehicle.
A fuel cell is a device that produces electricity. The device must have fuel on one side and an oxidizing agent on the other - a substance that can transfer oxygen and an electrolyte. The reactants, the fuel and the oxidizing agent, flow into the device, and the reaction flows out of it. This process can continuously occur as long as an electrolyte is present.
*Gasification is a process that converts carbonaceous materials, such as coal, petroleum, biofuel, or biomass, into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by reacting the raw material at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called synthesis gas, or syngas, and is itself a fuel. Gasification is a method for extracting energy from many different types of organic materials.