Self-clearing small-scale anaerobic digester for food waste
This technology is a compact anaerobic digester designed to break down kitchen food waste and produce biogas without clogging or manual intervention. The key innovation is a passive mechanical design: as organic waste decomposes, floating solids naturally overflow from the top of the main digestion chamber into a secondary vessel, keeping the gas outlet clear at all times. A collection container on top of the secondary vessel lets users periodically remove the separated solids through a simple hinged lid. The system requires no pumps, sensors, or external power to manage solids accumulation — the physics of the fluid overflow does the work.
What you could build
A self-maintaining countertop or under-sink food-waste biogas unit for residential or small commercial kitchens that continuously produces cooking gas or energy without clogging. Target buyers would be eco-conscious homeowners, small restaurants, and off-grid or rural households, particularly in markets where biogas for cooking has traction.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based waste management companies, sustainability-focused consumer product startups, or rural cooperative extension programs interested in small-scale biogas solutions.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Benjamin Chambers, Zachary D. Dowell
- Granted
- June 16, 2026
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 12655048
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.