Development of a Peristaltic Pumping System for the Micro Fuel Cells Evaluation (µFC)

Abstract

Urea (CO(NH2)2 waste substance, which some living beings expel through urine and sweat, being produced as a final result of protein metabolism and as a means of eliminating ammonia, is contained in wastewater and is considered a promising source of renewable energy with the potential to be exploited through electrochemical processes such as those used in microfluidic fuel cell (µFC) technology, however, the progress of these technologies is hampered due to the high cost of devices for evaluating their performance, a clear example is syringe infusion pumps, in addition to their impractical manual operation for constant power generation. In the present work, the development of a low-cost microfluidic delivery device is shown, capable of replacing syringe infusion pumps in terms of precision, in addition to having a completely autonomous operation, profiling it for a possible incorporation in a waste-based energy generation system such as urea, having the ability to contribute to the development of renewable energies without the need for excessive capital investment.