It's been reported that cow flatulence is responsible for a rather large percentage of greenhouse gases; methane is 12x worse than CO2.

For your consideration, a device attached to the cow's tail, basically just small solar panel, methane detector, coil, and spark-plug; when methane is detected a spark is produced, converting the methane to CO2 and water.

For those cattle that spend their life indoors, stationary in a pen: same thing minus the coil/plug and plus a pump and tube; the cow farts, methane is detected and the methane-rich air surrounding the cow's butt is evacuated somewhere else where it's combusted or powers a fuel cell

(hi, this is my first posting)
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 10 2007

this category is better http://www.halfbake...energy_3a_20Methane
we have discussed this before [dentworth, Dec 10 2007]

The Straight Dope on the subject. http://www.straight...lassics/a4_176.html
[jutta, Dec 10 2007]

Could be done catalytically. Also note that the CO2 you get from burning methane is heavier than the methane you started with. What will you do with the energy produced?
-- vincevincevince, Dec 10 2007


the energy produced ?...

the "free-range" version would just be burnt: bovine blue-angel; the indoors model would help power the evacuation pump. Note that both are external devices... may have to find some way of fireproofing the tail.

Would the amount of CO2 produced be more harmful than the original methane ?... in which case this is simply a novel method of annoying cattle.
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 10 2007


btw welcome to the halfbakery. You can search for previous ideas by clicking on "search" and type in any one or two main words in your idea.
-- dentworth, Dec 10 2007


I like this purely for the entertainment value. Cow pastures would be spectacular at night.
-- ldischler, Dec 10 2007


[Admin: moved to the right category; thanks, dentworth.]

Obligatory reality check - much as you may enjoy writing about shoving machinery down a cow's ass, the main methane emission happens via burps, not farts.

Back to the drawing board, which, I hope, is far from the keyboard.
-- jutta, Dec 10 2007


dentworth - thankyou for the pointer to (previously unnoticed) Search function; I believe I like the "catalytic converter" idea (FrostyBeard) for the outdoors-version; more expensive and *much* less entertaining, though.

I suppose a more realistic solution would be to use (create) a more efficient stomach bacteria, or, failing that, tubes surgically implanted in the most offensive stomach(s) to siphon gas off to an aforementioned catalytic converter; this wouldn't interfere with breathing, eating or crapping.
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 10 2007


Decent attempt at a first post. Clear, concise, etc.
-- RayfordSteele, Dec 13 2007



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