A start-up from Arizona State University (ASU) aims to improve the process of anaerobic digestion to produce more methane for sustainable fuels and other products.
GELF Energy has developed a system called the Microbial Energy Device, which targets the component of anaerobic digestion that produces methane. Anaerobic digestion is gaining traction as a way to tackle food waste by using microbes to break down organic materials, but it also produces methane, which can be used to produce electricity in the form of transportable hydrogen gas. The production process, however, is time-consuming, with low yield rates and no provisions for carbon capture.
The Microbial Energy Device produces higher quality methane in a fraction of the time, twice as efficiently, and with nature-based carbon capture technology. Using the device, GELF can turn existing waste streams into high-quality fertilizer, ultrapure water, and renewable energy.
The start-up licensed the technology from Skysong Innovations, ASU’s tech transfer and IP management organization, and is seeking investments through the university’s new crowdfunding platform, ASU InvestU.
Source: ASU News
