The Ohio-based Velocys of Plain City, with its new way of converting emissions from natural gas streams have reached a whole new level. Its new technology turns the methane-rich ‘cattle farts’ into usable liquid fuel for heating or transportation, which otherwise causes a serious threat to the environment – as this greenhouse gas is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide!
But, this environmental pollutant ‘methane’ is mostly contaminated with nitrogen. Since both these physically inert gases neither react with other compounds nor can be separated by filtering easily, a Velocys chemical engineer — Steven Perry — has devised an innovative way — the micro-channel treatment — to separate them.
The treatment is capable of transforming methane from 70 percent purity to over 90 percent purity, an energy source suitable for both homes and more potentially as automobile fuel.
