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High-rate microbial production of nitrous oxide for energy generation

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This project joins the fields of space propulsion and environmental biotechnology to develop a bioreactor that converts waste nitrogen into nitrous oxide that is subsequently decomposed into nitrogen and oxygen for thermal power generation. The goal is to develop a low-cost technique that removes nitrogen from water and produces oxygen as a byproduct instead of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.


 

Project: High Rate Microbial Production of Nitrous Oxide for Energy Generation
Funding SourceEnvironmental Venture Projects
Funding Year: 2009
Research Areas: Freshwater, Sustainability
Regions: North America

Research Team:
Brian Cantwell (Mechanical Engineering),
Craig Criddle (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Research News & Insights

Billions of years ago, when Earth’s atmosphere reeked of unbreathable gases, microbes evolved in the absence of oxygen. As Earth matured and the nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere formed, these anaerobic, or oxygen-averse, bacteria retreated into the mud of the ocean floor and other environments where they would be safe from oxygen-rich air.

Stanford School of Engineering