ACS Press release

1. 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxnV6FAWNLk

2. Energy recovery from defective tomatoes (culls) using
Microbial Electrochemical Systems
http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/16/technology/tomato-power/index.html
0 10 20 30
2
4
6
8
10
Zreal (k.cm2
)
-Zimg(k.cm2
)
Tomato
Peel and Seed
Tomato
Flesh

3. Energy recovery from defective tomatoes (culls) using
Microbial Electrochemical Systems
http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/16/technology/tomato-power/index.html

4. 4
~0.61 billion kg of defective
tomatoes (culls) every year
U.S. tomato production
reaching as high as 1.53
x 109 kg/year

5. 5
12
8
7
Reference Electrode
Working Electrode
Counter Electrode
11
0 10 20 30
2
4
6
8
10
Zreal (k.cm2
)
-Zimg(k.cm2
)
Tomato
Peel and Seed
Tomato
Flesh
0 800 1600
0
100
200
300Microbial-Electrochemical Dvice

6. 6

7. 7
1
2
8
7
Reference
Electrode
Workin
g
Electro
de
Counte
r
Electro
de
1
1
• Tomato waste is rich in organic matter.
• There is hidden chemical energy in the tomato wastes
• Chemical energy is due to some kind of chemical
bonding
• Microbes love to degrade tomato waste as the food
source, break these chemical bonds, to obtain energy.
• Basically, electrons move from one substance to
another
• If the degradation happens in presence of oxygen it is
aerobic metabolism, we don’t see these electrons
• We have developed an electrochemical device that
operates under absence of oxygen. Its electrical circuit
can momentarily capture the electrons liberated
during the tomato waste degradation