Developing a System for the Efficient Conversion of Food Waste to Electricity in Commercial Aviation

<p dir="ltr"><b><u>Developing a System for the Efficient Conversion of Food Waste to Electricity in Commercial Aviation</u></b></p><p dir="ltr">Ever since the dawn of air travel, commercial aviation has been regarded as one of the safest modes of transportation globally. This is due to the value aircraft manufacturers place on safety with their redundant systems. Some solutions, such as Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) generate electricity in an emergency. Unfortunately, they add extra fuel costs due to their weight. This project presents a more lightweight alternative to the generation of electricity.</p><p dir="ltr">It utilizes a novel renewable source of energy: passenger meals. This project not only aims to convert uneaten food into electricity, but also fecal matter in an aircraft’s septic tank.</p><p dir="ltr">This study uses the lightweight carbon electrodes of a microbial fuel cell to capture the movement of electrons generated by decomposing organic matter, and a multimeter to display the electrical output. It also features a digital design for a catering trolley that can efficiently sort the food waste to optimize microbial fuel cell operations. Lastly, a spreadsheet was developed to display the potential for the regional optimization of this technology.</p><p dir="ltr">The study found that on a long-haul flight, the system can generate enough electricity to power a red diode LED for well above 100 flashes. It also found that airlines should specify their fuel cells’ specifications based off catering trends in their region to optimize energy extraction.</p><p dir="ltr">This study is not only capable of extracting energy from a previously neglected source but also has the chance to save lives in the event of an aircraft evacuation.</p>