Name: ______

Partner: ______

Fueled by Fungi

Introduction

Everybody seems to be focused on hybrid cars which run on both gasoline and battery power. But is this type of hybrid the only way to address our energy shortfall?

A local automotive manufacturer wants something different, an innovative design for an alternative-fuel vehicle such as biomass fuels. They want you to investigate yeast as a possible fuel source.

A prototype of the vehicle needs to be constructed and tested. Here is a chance for you and your team members to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired from Fermentation Instrumentationand Optimizing Yeast Fermentation in order to design and construct your yeast mobile. Remember – the best design will provide optimal energy conversion at the lowest expense. Good Luck!

Equipment

For groups of two students:

  • Computer
  • Microbalance
  • Yeast
  • Incubation chamber
  • Organic substrate for yeast
  • Car parts

Note: Your team will provide any other creative materials necessary for the construction of your vehicle, provided the materials have been pre-approved by your instructor.

Procedure

Your team will design and develop a yeast mobile using the available materials listed above. You will also provide the information listed below:

Day 1: Vehicle Design

  • Provide the instructor with a written proposalfor vehicle design including thumbnail sketches of your proposed yeast mobile designs (engineering notebook).
  • Design with the following considerations
  • (___/ 2) Incubation chamber for yeast
  • (___/ 2) Release of CO2 from yeast
  • (___/ 2) Transfer of energy to secondary semi-enclosed system (e.g. pressure)
  • (___/ 2) Transfer of primary or secondary pressure to mechanical
  • (___/ 2) Materials list for the above
  • (___/ 2) Name the vehicle
  • Receive peer and instructor review of the prototype design.

Day 2: Assembly of Prototype

  • Construct prototype using available materials listed above.

Day 3: Testing of Prototype

  • Inoculate prototype vehicle with optimized yeast and substrate variables from Optimizing Yeast Fermentation.
  • (___/4) Practice run for performance. What happened?
  • (___/ 4) Determine fuel efficiency or the energy equivalents of biomass fuel to load moved per distance. Show me your math skills.
  • (___/ 4) Redesign if necessary. What do you need to change before race day?

Fueled by Fungi

Conclusion Questions

  1. How do engineers use microorganisms to generate enough power to run a car?
  1. Explain the process used to generate the power from the microorganisms.
  1. What is the optimal biomass (fuel) or yeast combination to power a vehicle?
  1. How does the efficiency of yeast power compare to a combustion engine?
  1. What are the benefits of designing machines that utilize renewable energy?

Extension:

  1. What are the current alternative renewable fuels that are being produced by engineers and farmers?
  1. How do these Biofuels differ from the fuel produced by your yeast mobile?
  1. What are the advantages to the use of the current Biofuels over gasoline?
  1. Explain the impacts engineers have made on society by creating Biofuels such as biobutanol.
  1. Economics plays a vital role in the field of engineering. Explain the economics of

producing Biofuels.