VietNamNet Bridge – A farmer in Thai Binh province, finishing secondary school, has successfully made an incinerator and electricity generator with capacity for up to 20 households.

Officials reject farmer’s incinerator invention

Ministry recognizes farmer’s creative inventions

The input materials for the electricity generator are not coal or petrol, but garbage, from domestic rubbish to industrial and medical waste.

The inventor of the “power plant” is a farmer, Bui Xuan Kien, who said it took him six years and about VND100 million, a fortune of his, to invent the incinerator and electricity generator.

According to Kien, with the electricity generator, he can generate 1.5 kwh of electricity from one kilo of garbage and 4-5 kwh from one kilo of timber.

The machine can generate electricity with a production cost 80 percent lower than the current electricity retail price. Several people only, or Kien alone, are enough to run the generator.

“The major works of the operator are classifying garbage, putting into the machine and ensuring that the temperature inside the incinerator is between 1,600-2,000oC.

The work of the incinerator and electricity generator is turning heat energy into mechanical energy and turning mechanical energy into electrical energy. Kien believes his machine would be the perfect solution for now and the future, when fossil fuel runs out.

Kien’s invention is believed to be great enough to compete with the existing power plants. His “power plant” can satisfy the demand of 20 households, while the production cost is 80 percent cheaper.

Meanwhile, city leaders, which have continuing problems with waste treatment, would be grateful to Kien for his invention.

However, in fact, Kien’s work was not applauded by the Thai Binh provincial authorities. He was told by the provincial science and technology department to stop working on the incinerator and electricity generator, citing safety problems.

While the local authorities remained indifferent to the farmer’s invention, a Japanese company has sent word it is interested in the technology invented by Kien.

Nukihiko Nakayama, the representative of the company, came to see Kien in Thai Binh to learn about the machine.

After watching the videotapes recording the experiments carried out in the past, the Japanese expert said he has a high hope for the incinerator.

He said he biggest value of the invention is that garbage can be burnt at high temperatures. And if so, the heat energy to be generated during the burning process can be used to make many things, not only to generate electricity.

He said if Kien can burn garbage at such a high temperature of over 1,400 oC and can control the incinerator’s temperature, his invention will be recognized as unique in the world. To date, none of the countries with the highest technological expertise, including Japan, China, Russia and the US, can do this.

Kien is still considering cooperating with the Japanese company to develop the technology. However, he said he needs to consult with lawyers about issues related to intellectual property.

He has been informed that he will receive the intellectual property certificate by May 2015.

Dat Viet