Sewage sludge compost battery

Sewage Sludge Compost Batteries utilize Sewage Sludge Compost for electrical energy production. This is generated by biological oxidation/reduction reactions. By composting the sewage sludge, the physical and biological characteristics of the sewage sludge are altered, allowing utilization as a battery material. Sewage Sludge Compost also has many physical and biological characteristics that are different from raw and treated sewage. Electrical output is provided by the naturally occurring aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, Actinomycetes and fungi that are found in the Sewage Sludge Compost. Enhanced electrical output is achieved through the addition of various nitrogen compounds that include NH.sub.4 Cl and urea. The absorbing quality of the composted sewage sludge controls any free liquid that may be added to foster the biological activity. Usable electric current is then produced when dissimilar electrodes, with an electromotive potential, are inserted. The Sewage Sludge Compost Battery provides an alternative use for sewage treatment waste by-products.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the production of electrical power in a battery 
utilizing biological matter and, in specific, sewage sludge that has been 
composted, hereafter referred to as Sewage Sludge Compost. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
The production of electrical power using biological matter has been 
previously demonstrated by the teaching of Atkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,254 
and Setser et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,764. Setser et al. utilizes waste 
water to generate power. Since waste water is typically dilute, it 
contains only 2-5% solids, only a very limited amount of electrical 
current can be obtained. Atkins teaches that a free liquid problem, in a 
biological matter apparatus for electrical power generation, can be solved 
through the use of finely divided cellulose material. Additionally, 
inoculation of the biological matter with a marine organism source is 
necessary in the Atkins apparatus. 
This invention circumvents these problems through the use of Sewage Sludge 
Compost. Sewage Sludge Compost is approximately 16% liquid and 84% active 
biological material solids. Additionally, no inoculation is required since 
natural aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (both Mesophilic and Thermophilic), 
Actinomycetes (Thermophilic), and Fungi (Mesophilic and Thermophilic) 
exist in Sewage Sludge Compost, and are encouraged in the forced oxidation 
phase of composting. There have been seven species of bacteria, fourteen 
species of Actinomycetes and 34 species of fungi observed in Sewage Sludge 
Compost. 
Another problem, although not stated but widely understood, is the health 
hazard posed by raw sewage waste water or sludge batteries. A sewage waste 
water or sludge battery contains pathogens, and this would pose a very 
real health concern if the battery leaks. Also, in raw waste water and 
sewage sludge, the accompanying odor would be a concern. Sewage Sludge 
Compost is pathogen free and odorless. This is due to the composting 
process. The pathogens are killed during the oxidation phase of composting 
since the temperature rises above 55.degree. C. for at least three 
consecutive days. This is as required by the E.P.A. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Sewage Sludge Compost Batteries utilize Sewage Sludge Compost for 
electrical energy production. This is generated by biological 
oxidation/reduction reactions. By composting the sewage sludge, the 
physical and biological characteristics of the sewage sludge are altered, 
allowing utilization as a battery material. Sewage Sludge Compost also has 
many physical and biological characteristics that are different from raw 
and treated sewage. Electrical output is provided by the naturally 
occurring aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, Actinomycetes and fungi that are 
found in the Sewage Sludge Compost. Enhanced electrical output is achieved 
through the addition of various nitrogen compounds that include NH.sub.4 
Cl and urea. The absorbing quality of the composted sewage sludge controls 
any free liquid that may be added to foster the biological activity. 
Usable electric current is then produced when dissimilar electrodes, with 
an electromotive potential, are inserted. The Sewage Sludge Compost 
Battery provides an alternative use for sewage treatment waste 
by-products.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
This invention utilizes commercially produced Sewage Sludge Compost. The 
compost is produced throughout the United States. The two widely used 
production methods are the aerated static pile procedure, and the enclosed 
vessel procedure. In the aerated static pile procedure, one part sewage 
sludge is mixed with four parts of biodegradable material, such as wood 
chips, to allow aeration. It is then windrowed over aeration tiles, which 
have fan forced natural air. This speeds the oxidation reaction, and as 
temperatures rise above 55.degree. C., the pathogens are killed. 
Additionally, as the temperature rises, aerobic bacteria, Actinomycetes 
and fungi are fostered. This method requires approximately thirty days. If 
fan forced natural air is not utilized, an additional thirty to sixty days 
would be required to produce the compost. The enclosed vessel method is 
quicker, since the heat is not lost to the atmosphere. This method 
requires fourteen days in the vessel. Additionally, the same thirty to 
sixty days would be required if natural air is utilized without fans. 
In both methods, the Sewage Sludge Compost is screened, with the large 
biodegradable filler (usually wood chips) being removed for subsequent 
use. Approximately 25% of the filler remains in the finished Sewage Sludge 
Compost. 
A new commercially developed process utilizes a non-biodegradable material 
as the filler. This is commonly rubber tire chips. All of the filler in 
this process is recovered for subsequent use. This results in a pure 
Sewage Sludge Compost. 
These two composted products have different physical characteristics 
compared to raw sewage, treated sewage and sewage sludge. These physical 
characteristics are their consistency, and their ability to absorb 
liquids. This provides for better applications to battery use. The 
composted sewage sludge with the small amount of biodegradable filler that 
goes through the screen, along with the bacteria, Actinomycetes and fungi, 
is the active biological matter of the first feature of the invention. The 
pure Sewage Sludge Compost along with the bacteria, Actinomycetes and 
fungi is the active biological matter of the second feature of the 
invention. Each of these composted materials may be enhanced through 
addition of various nitrogen compounds, including NH.sub.4 Cl and urea. 
These composted materials are used to produce electrical power in a single 
cell. The electrodes used in the research of this invention were a carbon 
rod (the cathode where reduction occurs) and a zinc plate (the anode where 
oxidation occurs). This oxidation/reduction reaction results in an 
electromotive potential between the electrodes that yields up to 1.5 
volts. The milliamperage readings of plain Sewage Sludge Compost and 
enhanced Sewage Sludge Compost varied. A reading of up to 150 milliamps 
was achieved with plain Sewage Sludge Compost. Readings of up to 250 
milliamps and 350 milliamps were achieved with enhanced Sewage Sludge 
Compost, utilizing NH.sub.4 Cl and urea as the nitrogen enhancing agents, 
respectively. 
There are four features of the present invention drawn to the electrical 
output of the Sewage Sludge Compost Battery. These four features should 
not be considered as the only means of using Sewage Sludge Compost for 
battery power, but only serve as examples. 
The first feature is a single cell battery utilizing Sewage Sludge Compost 
with water added to the point where any additional water would result in 
excess free liquid (moist Sewage Sludge Compost). Two dissimilar 
electrodes with electromotive potential are inserted into the moist Sewage 
Sludge Compost. An example of the electrodes would be carbon for the 
cathode and zinc for the anode. 
The second feature is a substitution of standard dry cell material with 
Sewage Sludge Compost in a common non-alkaline battery. Up to 4/5 of the 
standard dry cell material can be replaced with Sewage Sludge Compost 
without any loss of electrical output. Electrical output was enhanced with 
Sewage Sludge Compost to the point of each material being present in equal 
amounts. 
The third feature is an enhanced Sewage Sludge Compost battery obtained 
through use of Sewage Sludge Compost and water with an added nitrogen 
source such as NH.sub.4 Cl or urea. This enables the biological activity 
of the battery to be increased with longer electrical output. 
The fourth feature is a renewable Sewage Sludge Compost Battery. When there 
is a loss in electrical output, the biological activity in the depleted 
battery can be increased through addition of a water and nitrogen source 
solution.