In the article “Ocean Energy,” the University of Delaware (UD) details recent developments in a UD-led research project deploying a device called a Persistent Oceanographic Device Power (PODPower) system that uses microbes to power ocean sensors. The team behind this technology includes GW Engineering’s Matthew Rau, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, who helped design the system that collects particles like zooplankton to fuel the cell while allowing non-organic matter to pass right through.
Here is an excerpt from the article: “We tried to mimic the complex mouth structures of filter-feeding fish like manta rays to scavenge particles from seawater as passively as possible,” Rau told UDaily. “The collection system is designed to work passively with the ocean currents, so as the currents move through our devices, they extract the particles and then feed them to the microbes downstream.”
Read the full article on UDaily.