IITKGP researcher taps microwave radiation to create clean energy
What's the story
Researchers at the IIT Kharagpur have tapped microwave radiation to create clean energy from nitrogen-rich non-food, Sunn Hemp plants. High-energy non-edible plant sources like Sunn Hemp have the potential of making available biofuel on a large scale, as a replacement of fossil-fuel. The entire conversion, which otherwise takes 8-10 hours, took 46 minutes to be completed by using the microwave reactors in the lab.
Places
Details about Sunn Hemp plant
Sunn Hemp is widely grown in sub-tropical regions of Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, US and Uganda. In India it is mostly grown in Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The large scale availability of Sunn Hemp in India along with its fast growth rate, high cellulose and high energy contents, makes it a top choice for biofuel industry.