Who’s bean breaking records?

utc1

To celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight retailers highlight the credentials of many leading Fairtrade products, like bananas, chocolate, coffee and, eh, well, those three. Not the Co-op though – it has gone one better this year after launching its way into the Guinness Book of World Records by sponsoring the construction of a coffee bean powered car. The car, which looks a bit like UTC’s old Ford Sierra, reached speeds of 65.5 miles per hour and was presented with the accolade by a suit from Guinness on 19th Feb, at Woodford airfield, Manchester.

Here’s the sciencey bit, courtesy of the boffin behind the project, Martin Bacon: “Coffee chaff pellets, which are produced from the waste in coffee production, are heated in a charcoal fire, where they break down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is then cooled and filtered before hydrogen is combusted to drive the engine.” Easy as that then.

  |    |    |  

Share on  

Read next

This publication contains images and information relating to tobacco products. Please do not view if you are under the age of 18 years old.

This website contains images and information relating to tobacco products. Please do not view if you are under 18 years of age.

This website contains images and information relating to tobacco products. Please do not view if you are under 18 years of age.

This publication contains images and information relating to tobacco products. Please do not view if you are under the age of 18 years old.