Takasih.com - The pressing need to find new alternative sources of energy has motivated the scientific community to think a little more outside the box – to put it mildly. Besides the more common options (solar panels, wind turbines, nuclear reactors, etc.), some research has focused on several rather peculiar sources of energy – some of them already in use, others still in development. Some of these are pretty unexpected! As report from listverse.com
Food Leftovers
Biogas is a fuel (mainly methane) obtained from organic matter, after it has been degraded over time by bacteria and natural conditions. A lot of leftover food and waste – such as fruit skins or coffee – can be used to obtain biogas, and there are already a number of small industries collecting and using the trash produced in big cities to generate electricity, a lot like in Back to the Future.
Solar Wind
Solar power is already recognized as one of the cleanest energy sources currently available; however, solar panels still have several economic and practical limitations. Fortunately, scientists are already working on another method of drawing power from the sun: solar wind. Not exactly a wind as we know it, solar wind is more like a constant flow of accelerated particles, which could be used to generate energy using a sail made of copper. The earth does not receive this flow directly thanks to our atmosphere, so the power generator would need to be placed in space. This might be difficult, but it is nothing compared to the biggest issue of this technology – how to send the generated power back to earth. The best idea so far has been to send it with a laser beam.
Sound Waves
Every day we feel the energy that sound waves can generate: we feel a big truck passing by, or the annoying woofer of our neighbors. Since sound waves can make almost any material in the earth vibrate, some scientists are trying to transform these waves into electricity by using wires and electrodes. The amount of energy that can be obtained with sound waves is not exactly enormous, but current research is exploring the possibilities of using it to charge small devices, such as cellphones or clocks.
Electric Eels
An electric eel is a fish capable of generating a 400 V electric discharge. This mechanism is used by the fish to defend itself from predators and to hunt small fish – but its main purpose is that of a radar system, a replacement for its nearly blind eyes. This fish has fascinated us since the very moment someone realized its awesome electric power, so the next step was obvious: find a way to use it. A Japanese aquarium has already used an eel to light up a Christmas tree, so maybe the future electrical generator in our homes will be a small pond full of eels.
Bugs and Bacteria
Biodiesel production has been a reality for quite a while now. It is a fuel obtained through the combination of vegetable oil and alcohol. However, it requires extensive cultivable lands, and a lot of energy is involved in production. To counter these problems, scientists are already working on alternative methods of transforming seed oil into biodiesel, such as via the natural activity of bacteria. Even if these reached full efficiency, however, external energy would still need to be expended in order to obtain oil from the seeds. Another new option is therefore to use insects to produce oil, which could be cheaper. The future may well be fueled by bugs.
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