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

Energy recovery from defective tomatoes (culls) using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/16/technology/tomato-power/index.html

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8

10

Zreal (k.cm2)

-Zim

g (k

.cm2 )

TomatoPeel and SeedTomato

Flesh

Energy recovery from defective tomatoes (culls) using Microbial Electrochemical Systems

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/16/technology/tomato-power/index.html

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~0.61 billion kg of defective

tomatoes (culls) every

year

U.S. tomato production reaching as

high as 1.53 x 109 kg/year

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12 

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Reference Electrode

Working Electrode

Counter Electrode

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 0 10 20 30

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4

6

8

10

Zreal (k.cm2)

-Zim

g (k

.cm2 )

TomatoPeel and SeedTomato

Flesh

0 800 16000

100

200

300Microbial-Electrochemical Dvice

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7

12 

 8

 7Reference Electrode

Working Electrode

Counter Electrode

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• 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