Design of Bioelectrochemical Conversion Tool from Food and Human Waste to Electrical Energy Using Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) Based on Internet of Things

Abstract

The increase in world population is in line with the increase in the amount of energy demand, especially electricity. However, the energy used today is still using fossil energy, which one day will run out. Dependence on non-renewable energy causes weak energy resistance, resulting in electricity scarcity. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) can be a new alternative energy source because they can generate electrical energy by utilizing the interactions of bacteria found in nature. To fulfill electricity needs, researchers created a tool that can generate electrical energy by utilizing food waste and human waste as a substrate which is converted into electrical energy through the bioelectrochemical activity of electrons and protons by bacteria. The tool is integrated with the internet of things as an effort to use technology so that it can control temperature and voltage automatically. This research was aimed to determine the design of a tool to convert food waste and human waste into clean renewable electrical energy, determine the working principle of the tool, determine the efficiency of the tool in producing electrical energy, and determine the potential of the tool to meet electricity needs. The research was carried out using 3 variations, namely variation 1 (zinc and cathode), variation 2 (food waste, human waste, and water), variation 3 (carbon, cathode, nutrient broth, electrolyte solution, food waste, and human waste). The tool created is portable with a DC voltage of 12 V to AC 220 V 500 W and the best results are obtained from variation 3 with 26.6 volts from 1.8 liters of food waste and human waste to obtain a voltage efficiency of up to 95%. This tool has the potential to overcome the electrical energy crisis and fulfill people's electricity needs by utilizing food waste and human waste.