Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFC) can be energy-positive systems and power various low power applications. However, to be employed as a low-level power source, MFC systems rely on energy management circuitry, used to increase voltage levels and act as energy buffers, thus delivering stable power outputs. But stability comes at a cost, one that needs to be kept minimal for the technology to be deployed into society. The present study reports, for the first time, the use of a MFC system that directly and continuously powered a small application without any electronic intermediary. A cascade comprising four membrane-less MFCs modules and producing an average of 62 mA at 2550 mV (158 mW) was used to directly power a microcomputer and its screen (Gameboy Color, Nintendo®). The polarisation experiment showed that the cascade produced 164 mA, at the minimum voltage required to run the microcomputer (ca. 1.850 V). As the microcomputer only needed ≈70 mA, the cascade ran at a higher voltage (2.550 V), thus, maintaining the individual modules at a high potential (>0.55 V). Running the system at these high potentials helped avoid cell reversal, thus delivering a stable level of energy without the support of any electronics.
Highlights
While research on microbial fuel cells (MFC) was first reported in 1911 [1], bio electrochemical systems (BES) converting the chemical energy con tained in reduced organic matter into electrical energy have recently received great attention, as illustrated by the number of publications on the subject [2]
Preliminary tests on the electrical energy required by the Game Boy Color (GBC) showed that it needed a minimum voltage of 1.8 V and 70–75 mA to run
Since the optimal operating po tential for the stratifying membraneless MFCs modules (S-MFCs) modules is around 450 mV [17,18], four modules electrically connected in series should have the potential to directly power the GBC
Summary
While research on MFC was first reported in 1911 [1], bio electrochemical systems (BES) converting the chemical energy con tained in reduced organic matter into electrical energy have recently received great attention, as illustrated by the number of publications on the subject [2]. Research on the topic has focussed on microbial fuel cells (MFC) both as a remediation technology for wastewater treatment and as a low-level renewable energy source for applications. This is because the MFC technology is the only BES that can directly convert wastewater into electrical energy [3,4,5], saving energy for a process that nor mally consumes a lot of electrical power. A major step in wastewater treatment is the activated sludge process, used for oxidising organic matter and removing nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorous) This process consumes 55.6% of the total energy required to treat wastewater [7]. Both aspects of the technology are of impor tance and inherently linked, extracting energy and treating waste, the present study focuses on the power generation and its use as a stable power source for an off-the-shelf application
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