All The WOW News in Cordillera

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Baguio students discover biofuel derived from taro (Gabi) that can fuel cars


Cordillera - Six students from Saint Louis University (SLU) in the city of Baguio have discovered a cleaner and eco-friendly alternative to petroleum that can fuel cars - this is from taro or locally known as 'gabi'.


The students are Joji Takeoka, John Cyril Paco, Gregory Jones Ochoada, John Paul Galong, and Keanu Verzosa, all students of the said university.
Photo Courtesy || John Cyril Paco

Last October, their invention dubbed as "BIO-GAB" (taken from the word Biofuel and Gabi) won the Business and Idea Development Award (BIDA) given by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce.

Taro (scientific name: Colocasia esculenta) also known as 'gabi' in the Philippines is rich in substances needed in the creation of bioethanol. This plant can grow in almost any type of soil, and highly resistant to floods and drought.

The oil from the taro took the students two weeks to ferment then extract it to process until it become efficient to fuel cars. They tested their invention in a spare engine similar to that of jeepneys and found that it is as effective as other petroleum products commonly used in cars.

According to Ochoada, one of the researchers, taro is rich in carbohydrates and glucose which is the main source bio-ethanol needed to run a car.

"Wild taro is abundant yet inedible crop which is rich in carbohydrates and glucose which are needed to make bio-ethanol. Bio-ethanol is a type of clean fuel that can be used in cars. We tested it in a spare engine similar to that of jeepneys to prevent risk. Fortunately, it worked. The testing center also agreed that it is feasible for engines," Ochoada told Rappler.

Read Also: 
Paco, another member of the group, is hoping that their invention will create a better and safer world to live in and provide jobs to Filipinos.

"We believe that Bio-Gab will potentially revolutionize the industry by providing a product that will minimize the carbon monoxide emission of burning fuel. We also wanted to give back to the community, at the same time by providing jobs in the country, especially in the local areas where poverty and pollution is rampant," Paco said.

Bio- gab is efficient and eco-friendly and it was tested and found out to be effective as other petroleum products commonly found in cars.

The students who invented the bio-gab are planning to secure a patent for their biofuel invention.


Share:

10 Comments:

Ramro said...

How much oil is extracted, what is the percentage of oil conversion to fuel; what is the recovery of carbohydrates and gluccose to be converted to Bioethanol and the bioethanol conversion percentage recovery; the catalyst or bioenzyme/s used in bioethanol conversion and availability. Bottom line is ECONOMICS - please share.

Anonymous said...

^^^^ agreed like how many kg of gabi to produce a litter of fuel?

Anonymous said...

tama, if it's more economical ba than the fuel that we have right now, as cheaper po ba sa fuel ngayon?
how many kgs. of taro needed to produce 1 liter of fuel?

Anonymous said...

unfortunately, it is a source of fuel, yes, but the future is electric from renewable and clean source of energy. burning anything as fuel is damaging to the environment! steve ve

Anonymous said...

How could they claim to have discovered it if this has already been done and found as early as the 1980s?

Sources:


https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/files/caip/SP257/Colocasia_esculenta(SP257-018).pdf&ved=2ahUKEwizrKy1lvPeAhUJr48KHcRiBSYQFjAOegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw3YxNE8Zw_RNZIhy07QFHYi&cshid=1543273744488

http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US19840059986

It's bordering on plagiarism

Wil said...

"It turns out that once all the emissions associated with growing feedstock crops and manufacturing biofuel are factored in, biofuels actually increase CO2 emissions rather than reducing them." https://theconversation.com/biofuels-turn-out-to-be-a-climate-mistake-heres-why-64463

Unknown said...

The future looks to renewable energies in the field of solar, wind and earth magnetic field. We ask our local scientists to concentrate on these areas.

Deo said...

Imbis nga suportahan u dagita lokal researchers tayun ,dinadown pa talaga, hay's mga pilipino talaga....

Unknown said...

Share how to proccess

Unknown said...

Share how to procces

Post a Comment

Featured Post

Igorot actor Jeyrick Sigmaton won Best Actor in International Film Festival Manhattan 2021

Photo Courtesy || Jeyrick Sigmaton Cordillera - Igorot actor Jeyrick "Carrotman" Sigmaton won the Best Actor for the Int...