Using Electronic Waste To Grow Algae For Biofuel

Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created Bio-Grow, a device made from old computer parts that serve as a reservoir to cultivate algae for biofuel production. The team used side panels of an Apple G4 CPU tower for the algae-growing tank and an Apple iMac CRT to emit the light and heat the algae needs to grow. The tank has a water pump which aerates the algae and provides it with maximum exposure to sunlight. A faucet allows the user to extract the algae.

While creating biofuel from algae is a complex process and confined to research labs, the project team is hopeful of bringing it down to the household level, which would increase production and lower costs. It also estimated that the algae from Bio-Grow devices installed in only 6.5 percent of American households would generate enough biodiesel to replace petroleum.

Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

[via TreeHugger]