Hot Dog Machine (Experimental Lab Setup)

YouTube via drewtoothpaste. Previous synth vids by drewtoothpaste.

"Shown in this video is a lab-scale thermal depolymerization unit. It uses steam to break food waste up into its components. We don't use moldy or rotten food for this, but leftovers are perfect, and you can use anything from meat and eggs to coffee grounds, vegetable peels/greens, bread, etc.

The demonstration I did in this video was using takeout rice and tomato sauce with meat, which were leftovers from two separate meals. The resulting hot dog from a feed of this size and type(135 g, mostly grains) is typically around 40g. The rest of the mass ends up in a liquid waste stream of amino acids and simple sugars, which makes an excellent fertilizer for the garden. There is a bit of waste oil/fat left over, which is simply thrown out, but in a larger scale, could certainly be used as a biodiesel source.

I've set this unit up to make hot dogs by incorporating a molding unit. The high-protein DC stream is primarily used to form the hot dogs, and I currently have the unit set to add 9% fat and 2% carbohydrates. The liquid mixture is heated and agitated to form a hot-dog slurry, using the steam exiting the decomposition process, in order to remove some of the latent water.

The mineral content of the feed leaves with the waste amino acids and sugars. Inside the machine is a 250mL vessel with a solution of salt and natural flavorings that is added to the slurry immediately before the molding stage, to replace the mineral content and adjust the taste.

The finished product is nearly indistinguishable from a store-bought hot dog, and hey... at least you know what it's made of.

I'm not a chemist (professionally) anymore, but I do make comics every day. You can find the comics at http://www.toothpastefordinner.com and http://www.marriedtothesea.com . You'll like them. Even if you don't like hot dogs." Oberheim Xpander