Two Important Inventions from Our Faculty Member

ITU Environmental Engineering Department faculty member Prof. Dr. Orhan İnce and his team made two important inventions.

   

The academics of Istanbul Technical University, which has achieved great success as an R&D university, continue to make a difference with their studies. ITU Environmental Engineering Department faculty member Prof. Dr. Orhan İnce and his team have patented two different projects that comprise inventions.

Prof. Dr. Orhan İnce and his team’s two important inventions in the field of “biomass” resources, one of the most important alternatives of renewable energy sources, received a patent certificate and patent registration from the international Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.

Prof. Dr. İnce gave the following information about their invention titled “Increasing Biomethane Efficiency in Anaerobic Digesters Using Rumen Fungi”: “Animal manure, which is considered as a biomass source, constitutes an important alternative among renewable energy sources. The ease of operation of applied technologies for biomass energy systems allows them to operate as a heat source for small enterprises and as a power plant for larger-scale enterprises. Biogas production from animal manure is one of the most important applications of anaerobic digesters. It is foreseen that in the near future anaerobic digesters will be more widely used within the framework of renewable energy production, integrated bioconversion concept and waste management. For this reason, biomass energy obtained from animal manure can be used for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. In this way, both clean and environmentally friendly renewable energy can be produced and the problem of storing animal waste in agriculture and animal husbandry can be solved.”

Prof. Dr. İnce shared the following information about their other registered invention “Increasing the Efficiency of Biomethane Obtained from Microalgae Using Rumen Fungi”: “Increasing environmental awareness in the world, aggravating environmental legislation, Kyoto and similar protocols and conventions necessitate environmental investments. Algal biotechnology, which has a large share in environmental investments and enables renewable energy production, waste utilization and carbon emission reduction at the same time, started to attract attention in the 2000s. As in the rest of the world, the energy deficit in Turkey is growing as a result of the increase in living standards and developing industrialization. In addition, global warming caused by the rapidly increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere poses an impending threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, an energy source that can be obtained through photosynthesis is quite remarkable as it is carbon-neutral and renewable. Algae are small biological factories that convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy very efficiently through photosynthesis and produce oil during the process, and therefore have a very important function in maintaining the integrity of all ecosystems.”

We congratulate our faculty member and his team.

 

Identification of the Patents

 

1. Invention: Increasing Biomethane Efficiency in Anaerobic Digesters Using Rumen Fungi

Inventors: Prof. Dr. Orhan İnce, Prof. Dr. Bahar İnce, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevcan Aydın, Elif Yıldırım

Spain Application Number: P201990040 

Registration Number: ES2743316 

Registration Date: 27.02.2021

 

2. Invention: Increasing the Efficiency of Biomethane Obtained from Microalgae Using Rumen Fungi

Inventors: Prof. Dr. Orhan İnce, Prof. Dr. Bahar İnce, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevcan Aydın, Elif Yıldırım

Spain Application Number: P201990041

Registration Number: ES2743548

Registration Date: 27.02.2021