Steam powers much of the modern world. It drove the Industrial Revolution, and is still widely used to generate electricity, to sterilize equipment used in food production and medicine, and to heat and cool large buildings.    

However, the traditional method of making steam hasn’t changed in more than 150 years. It involves burning fossil fuels like coal or natural gas to heat water in a boiler --, a process which creates harmful emissions.   

Which is why Todd Bandhauer felt that the old way was long overdue for an upgrade. He's a professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, and co-founder and chief technical officer of a CSU spinoff company called AtmosZero.  

He recently helped develop a method that uses heat from the air, rather than from burning gas or fossil fuels, to make steam generation cleaner. And Bandhauer thinks it could be transformative for manufacturing cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, heating college campuses, and brewing beer.   

Earlier this month, Bandhauer was named to the Time 100 Climate list, which recognizes innovations in clean energy. 

He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about why making cleaner steam could be transformative for manufacturing around the world – and how it’s already being used at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins.  

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.