Poo Power: Zoo Electrified By Elephant-poo

10/11/2011

Dumbo's Dung Helps Keep the Lights On

Elephants are actually helping to keep the lights on at the Munich Zoo. The zoo's resident Indian elephants are providing 'Elephant Energy' by creating power generated from their dung. This is achieved by harnessing what the Munich Zoo is referring to as "poo power" -- energy stored in animal waste -- which can be converted into a fuel known as "biogas."

How It Works

The zoo has built three large containers, each capable of holding about 100 cubic meters of animal waste --which is approximately a week's worth of dung collected from all the vegetarian animals in the zoo. The dung is then mixed with warm water and the bacteria in the dung is left to decompose in an oxygen-free environment for 30 days. The resulting biogas, mainly comprised of methane and carbon dioxide, rises naturally through vents in the ceiling to a corrugated hut on the roof where it's collected in a "big balloon" which resembles a small Zepplin. The biogas is then fed into a gas-powered engine that's used to generate electricity.

[WATCH: The smartest elephant in captivity has an "Aha" moment >]

"When you turn the biogas into electricity, it creates heat which we also store," Munich Zoo park supervisor Dominik Forster told CNN. "This is then used to warm the gorilla enclosure, -- but it could be used to heat about 25 homes," he added.

Apparently, dung alone does not produce all that much energy relative to its size, and by the time the food has been digested by the animal, a lot of the energy in it has been used up or burped out. However, using animal waste to create electricity, heat or fertilizer is important in helping change our mindset from dependence on one source of energy to many different complementary sources.

[Watch a baby elephant seal cuddle with a wildlife photographer!]

Check out the process of creating Elephant Energy in the video below!

Comments

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I never thought that animal poo can be a good source of electricity. Maybe the elephant poo is enough to power the whole zoo.

Posted by: credit repair companies | 10/11/2011 at 06:14 AM

wow,we really can't ignore animal energe,maybe our humen need to rely on them one day!!let us prodect them from now on !!
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Posted by: coniefoxdress | 10/11/2011 at 07:12 AM

Denver Zoo is turning animal waste and human trash into clean energy to power its 10-acre exhibit, Asian Tropics, set to open in late spring 2012. Its gasification system will allow the zoo to turn 90 percent of its waste into energy. This will save Denver Zoo $150,000 a year and help it try to become a zero-waste facility. http://denverzoo.org/AT/being_green/gasification/index.html

Posted by: Greg | 10/11/2011 at 12:31 PM

Denver Hayvanat Bahçesi 2012 yılında ilkbahar geç açmak için 10 dönümlük sergi, Asya Tropics, temiz enerji, hayvan atık ve insan çöp kutusuna çeviriyor . Onun gazlaştırma sistemi, hayvanat bahçesi, enerji, escort Anadolu yakası yüzde 90 açmak için izin verecektir. Bu Denver Hayvanat Bahçesi $ 150.000 yılda bir tasarruf ve sıfır atık tesisi olmaya çalışın yardımcı olacaktır. http://denverzoo.org/AT/being_green/gasification/index.html

Posted by: escort anadolu yakası | 10/12/2011 at 03:24 PM

I recently bought two elephants to heat my house. It is working great, but I now spend over $4000.00 a month to feed them.

Posted by: Ken Sander | 10/13/2011 at 12:19 AM

Everyone should think about investing in their own elephant!

Posted by: Glenda the good witch | 10/13/2011 at 03:19 PM

Very interesting technology. Who would have thought this was possible.

Posted by: Igor Purlantov | 10/14/2011 at 11:31 AM

This is ingenious. I hope our society comes up with and then embraces countless more innovates ways to get energy. This story is really encouraging.

Posted by: Los Angeles SEO | 10/15/2011 at 01:50 PM

This is fantastic! Such a great way to recycle :) Thanks for posting this!

Posted by: Long Island CPA | 10/17/2011 at 12:29 AM

If they are reusing animal waste successfully, what isn't everyone doing it??? More people should be doing this. We should all be doing everything we can to use all the resources that we have available to us.

Posted by: Halloween eCards | 10/27/2011 at 01:08 PM

Turning poop into electricity is gross yet effective apparently! I think this is a fantastic way to make use of waste!

Posted by: cote d'or chocolate | 11/20/2011 at 08:44 PM

Who would have thought elephant dung? What an interesting article. Thank you for sharing. Innovative ideas and such resourcefulness are important when it comes to considering alternative sources of energy.

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