Applications of microbial fuel cells
- 2.1. Wastewater treatment. The wastewater treatment is an interesting application for MFCs due to its ability to provide...
- 2.2. Valorization and treatment of pollutants on wastewater. Wastewaters streams that contain heavy metals require...
- 2.3. Bioremediation. The MFC technology has been studied for ( in-situ) bioremediation of...
Is the microbial fuel cell a useful technology?
Ever since the conception of the idea of a Microbial Fuel Cell by Michael C. Potter in 1910 [19], the technology has often had the reputation of a lab scientific curiosity, rather than that of a useful technology.
What are the applications of residential fuel cells?
Residential fuel cell applications may be divided in the following categories: Here the fuel cell is used to provide electric power only for example during power outages or as a part of power management system. Electricity and heat provided by the fuel cell are used simultaneously on site.
Can graphite-based microbial fuel cells be used for bio-electrogenesis?
In the present study, the novel paraboloid of graphite-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) configuration has been designed, by eliminating different types of casings and the membranes, for the bio-electrogenesis and the treatment of the PIW.
Can microbial fuel cells remove sulphur pollutants with electricity?
More recently, microbial fuel cells employing SRB have been used to test coupling of sulphur pollutant removal with the generation of electricity. D. propionicus ( Holmes, Bond, & Lovley, 2004) and, more efficiently, Desulfuromonas strain TZ1 ( Zhang et al., 2014) were shown to oxidize sulphur with an anode serving as electron acceptor.
What are some current applications of fuel cells?
10 Industry applications of hydrogen fuel cells.Global Distribution. Fuel cells boast both the range and power required for long-haul trucking and local distribution. ... Buses. ... Trains. ... Personal Vehicles. ... Planes. ... Backup Power Generation. ... Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) ... Boats and Submarines.
What are applications of small fuel cells?
Some portable fuel cell applications include laptops, cellular phones, power tools, military equipment, battery chargers, unattended sensors, and unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles. A notable difference between rechargeable batteries and fuel cells is that a fuel cell needs a continuous supply of fuel.
What microbes are used in microbial fuel cells?
Gram-negative microorganisms used in MFC are presented Bacillus violaceus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas methanica, Desulfuromonas acetoxidans, Geobacter sulfurreducens, Methylovorus dichloromethanicum, Methylovorus mays, Shewanella putrefaciens, Geobacter metallireducens, ...
What can microbial fuel cells power?
Introduction. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bioelectrochemical device that can generate electricity by the use of electrons obtained from the anaerobic oxidation of substrates.
Which type of fuel cell is best suited for mobile applications?
Among a few different fuel cell types, the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been known to have advantages especially for portable applications [1-2].
What are the advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells?
Expensive to manufacture due the high cost of catalysts (platinum) Lack of infrastructure to support the distribution of hydrogen. A lot of the currently available fuel cell technology is in the prototype stage and not yet validated. Hydrogen is expensive to produce and not widely available.
Why microbial fuel cells are considered a source of sustainable energy?
Microbial fuel cells are considered a source of sustainable energy. Why? 1. They use living organisms as catalysts to generate electricity from certain substrates.
What are the 4 types of microbes?
Current estimates suggest there could be at least 1 billion different species of microbe on Earth, possibly more. Microbial diversity is truly staggering, yet all these microbes can be grouped into five major types: Viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and Protists.
How efficient are microbial fuel cells?
Microbial fuel cells (MFC) allowed more than 99.9% of Fe removal (final pH of 7.7). Electrocoagulation using Fe electrodes efficiently removed Fe (>94%) after 60 min. MFC is more efficient than electrocoagulation to treat Fe-rich acid mine drainage.
What is the purpose of a microbial fuel cell experiment?
This microbial fuel cell's experiment that convert microorganisms activity inside mud into electricity by redox reaction was predetermined as one of a green solution as it have a possibility to instill a non-harmful energy and environmentally friendly.
Where are MFCs used?
MFCs are immensely used in the production of biomass and in the generation of bioelectricity. For example, an algae Chlorella vulgaris, acts as the biological electron acceptor at the cathode while reducing CO2 to biomass using a mediator resulting in the generation of bioelectricity.
Is microbial fuel cell a renewable energy?
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is an emerging area for alternative renewable energy generation and it offers additional opportunities for environmental bioremediation. Recent scientific studies have focused on MFC reactor design as well as reactor operations to increase energy output.
What is fuel cell?
Fuel cells are a novel addition to the inventory of alternate energy sources having minimal or no net-CO2 emission. Electricity production using microbial cultures was first reported early in the last century [1].
How do chemotrophic microbes utilize organic compounds?
Chemotrophic microbes utilize organic and other biodegradable compounds, under diverse conditions. The electrons resulting from the oxidation are conveyed to an electron transport chain, across appropriate electron carriers depending on the terminal electron acceptor molecule.
How efficient are MFCs?
MFCs have high conversion efficiency as compared to Enzymatic Fuel Cells, in harvesting up to 90% of the electrons from the bacterial electron transport system. MFC technology represents a multi-disciplinary approach to the quest for alternate sources of energy.
What is the dual duty of microorganisms?
Wastewater treatment. Micro-organisms can perform the dual duty of degrading effluents and generating power. MFCs are presently under serious consideration as devices to produce electrical power in the course of treatment of industrial, agricultural, and municipal wastewater.
What are the sources of energy that are eco friendly?
Non-conventional, carbon-neutral sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and nuclear energy are being explored and exploited to a considerable extent. At this juncture, when the atmosphere is laden with greenhouse-gases, ...
Why are sediment fuel cells low in power density?
Power densities are low in sediment fuel cells because of both the low organic matter concentrations and their high intrinsic internal resistance.
What are the advantages of MFCs?
The operational and functional advantages of MFCs are: MFCs use organic waste matter as fuels and readily available microbes as catalysts . MFCs do not require highly regulated distribution systems like the ones needed for Hydrogen Fuel Cells. MFCs have high conversion efficiency as compared to Enzymatic Fuel Cells, ...
What is fuel cell?
Fuel cells are a novel addition to the inventory of alternate energy sources having minimal or no net-CO2 emission. Electricity production using microbial cultures was first reported early in the last century [1].
How do chemotrophic microbes utilize organic compounds?
Chemotrophic microbes utilize organic and other biodegradable compounds, under diverse conditions. The electrons resulting from the oxidation are conveyed to an electron transport chain, across appropriate electron carriers depending on the terminal electron acceptor molecule.
How efficient are MFCs?
MFCs have high conversion efficiency as compared to Enzymatic Fuel Cells, in harvesting up to 90% of the electrons from the bacterial electron transport system. MFC technology represents a multi-disciplinary approach to the quest for alternate sources of energy.
What is the dual duty of microorganisms?
Wastewater treatment. Micro-organisms can perform the dual duty of degrading effluents and generating power. MFCs are presently under serious consideration as devices to produce electrical power in the course of treatment of industrial, agricultural, and municipal wastewater.
What are the sources of energy that are eco friendly?
Non-conventional, carbon-neutral sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and nuclear energy are being explored and exploited to a considerable extent. At this juncture, when the atmosphere is laden with greenhouse-gases, ...
Why are sediment fuel cells low in power density?
Power densities are low in sediment fuel cells because of both the low organic matter concentrations and their high intrinsic internal resistance.
What are the advantages of MFCs?
The operational and functional advantages of MFCs are: MFCs use organic waste matter as fuels and readily available microbes as catalysts . MFCs do not require highly regulated distribution systems like the ones needed for Hydrogen Fuel Cells. MFCs have high conversion efficiency as compared to Enzymatic Fuel Cells, ...
Design of Microbial Fuel Cell
An MFC has two designs where each of these works on different mechanisms. Every mechanism is dependent on the organisms that are used, wastewater source, and others.
Types of MFC
There are various types of microbial fuel cells, and this section explains clearly each type of MFC.
Components of Microbial Fuel Cell
This section explains on what are the necessary and optional components needed in MFC and what are the materials used for the components.
Advantages and Disadvantages of MFC
MFC’s hold the ability to generate electricity from unused sources like wastewater and organic components.
Microbial Fuel Cell Applications
There are a wide variety of applications of MFC. A few of those are discussed here:
What are microbial fuel cells?
Microbial Fuel Cells. In microbial fuel cells, microbes such as bacteria catalyze electrochemical oxidations or reductions at an anode or cathode, respectively, to produce an electric current (Fig. 12.9 ). These fuel cells were originally inefficient and only served the purpose of a battery in very remote areas.
What would happen if a microbial fuel cell was used to make electricity?
For example, if a microbial fuel cell were to reduce carbon dioxide to make electricity, not only would there be a renewable source of fuel, but the excess carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels could be used.
How do MFCs produce electricity?
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a new bioelectrochemical process that aims to produce electricity by using the electrons derived from biochemical reactions catalyzed by bacteria. The energy generated by MFCs is expected to supply enough energy to partially cover the energy demand in urban WWTPs.2.
What is sediment based MFC?
Sediment-based MFCs are, due to their low complexity and low power expectation, the type of MFCs that is closest to application. Fig. 9 shows photographs of a prototype, denominated as benthic unattended generator (BUG), based on this simple, yet striking, concept. The anode is embedded in the (anoxic) sediment, while the cathode is placed in the above sea water, where oxygen is available. Generally, sediment MFCs yield only small current and power outputs. However, these amounts of electric energy are typically sufficient to power small devices such as radio sensors or meteorological buoys in remote areas and the deep ocean ( Tender et al., 2008; Thomas et al., 2013 ).
What is MEC in biology?
The microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a modified microbial fuel cell operating without a supply of oxygen to the cathode. Biodegradable material is decomposed anaerobically by bacteria in the cell. A low voltage is produced at the anode and external voltage is also supplied to the circuit.
What can a microorganism convert to at the cathode?
At the cathode, microorganisms can convert the electrons to reduce oxygen to water under aerobic conditions, or convert nitrate to nitrite or N 2, or convert CO 2 to acetate. These reactions can create fuel precursors. (B) Actual microbial fuel cell showing the anode chamber (left) and cathode chamber (right).
How do bacteria transfer electrons to anodes?
Transfer of Electrons to the Anode in a Microbial Fuel Cell. Three different methods exist for bacteria to pass electrons from the oxidizing reaction to the anode. There can be an extracellular mediator that absorbs the electrons and passes them onto the anode (top).
When will the new model for fuel cell density be published?
Researchers have published a new mathematical model in the May 2020 edition of Nature for the calculation of microbial fuel cell density.
What microorganisms produce electric current?
One of the potential microorganisms that produce electric current is Sporomusa ovata, which is an anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium that converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide to acetate through fermentation.
How does MFC work?
In comparison to conventional methods, MFC significantly decreases the energy requirement of wastewater treatment plants. MFC realizes this by engaging electroactive bacteria capable of oxidation of organic substances and transferring the electrons released to a solid electron acceptor, i.e., an electrode-anode.
Why is MFC important?
It is essential to assess the quality of water for humans, animals, and plant consumption. The water quality depends on several crucial parameters. MFC acts as a fitting sensitive system (biosensor) since the presence of any toxic substance would adversely affect the metabolic activity of microbes.
How do MFCs generate electricity?
In other words, MFC utilizes several bacteria that can catalyze electrochemical oxidations or oxidation/reduction reactions to har vest electric current.
What is microrganic technology?
Its VIVA module, based on MFC, is an advanced system that provides 24/7 real-time monitoring, a significant reduction in sludge, production of DC power, and treatment of organic waste to the discharge phase.
What is a microbe?
Microbes are dynamic organisms that are associated with building various innovative technologies. One such developing technology is microbial fuel cells (MFC) that can produce electricity from organic waste and reduce carbon footprint and environmental pollution. Many industries have adopted this technology for various applications such as ...
