Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Purdue Makes Trash To Electricity Generator

Posted by kdawson on from the mister-fusion dept.

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."

16 of 250 comments (clear)

  1. Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wake me when they invent the Flux Capacitor.

    1. Re:Yawn... by macadamia_harold · · Score: 5, Funny

      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.

      --
      Push Button, Receive Bacon
    2. Re:Yawn... by BakaHoushi · · Score: 5, Funny

      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)

    3. Re:Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      My second thought was:

      Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!

    4. Re:Yawn... by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 3, Funny

      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.

    5. Re:Yawn... by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Funny

      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.

    6. Re:Yawn... by LouisZepher · · Score: 3, Funny

      "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..."

  2. Mr Fusion by mpfife · · Score: 5, Funny

    "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."

  3. Re:Does it run on batteries? by cp.tar · · Score: 4, Funny

    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?
    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Sweet by cinnander · · Score: 3, Funny

    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

    --
    // cinn
  5. Re:Incredible by Pecholata · · Score: 0, Funny

    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

  6. Obligatory... by srussia · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
  7. Re:Creates 90% more energy than is consumed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

  8. Re:Incredible by darkain · · Score: 2, Funny

    Windows Vista runs my Sim City just fine!

  9. But! by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 2, Funny

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

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  10. Re:Waste Eating Robots ??? by UncleTogie · · Score: 2, Funny

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

    --
    Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!