Event Title
Construction and Use of a Microbial Fuel Cell for Generating Electrical Power from Municipal Waste Water
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Biomedical Sciences
Mentor Information
Cory DiCarlo, dicarloc@gvsu.edu
Department
Chemistry
Location
Kirkhof Center KC26
Start Date
13-4-2011 3:00 PM
End Date
13-4-2011 4:00 PM
Keywords
Environment, Sustainability
Abstract
A simple fuel cell has been described previously in the literature using consortia bacteria native to India. The India cell produced significant power from relatively mundane cell components, suggesting the possibility of using United States microbes to obtain a similar result for low cost. The use of consortium bacteria in an anaerobic fuel cell was investigated in this project using consortium bacteria native the the United States and an in-house constructed proton exchange membrane. This fuel cell was a proof of concept design toward the use of such a system in flow-through waste water treatment facilities. Power output is provided by microbial metabolism using a food source of municipal waste water. Output from the cell is treated waste water and electrical power. Power levels resulting from the model system were good, with an average voltage of 0.60 V/cell and a power density of 1.2 Watts per square meter. The future direction of this project is discussed.
Construction and Use of a Microbial Fuel Cell for Generating Electrical Power from Municipal Waste Water
Kirkhof Center KC26
A simple fuel cell has been described previously in the literature using consortia bacteria native to India. The India cell produced significant power from relatively mundane cell components, suggesting the possibility of using United States microbes to obtain a similar result for low cost. The use of consortium bacteria in an anaerobic fuel cell was investigated in this project using consortium bacteria native the the United States and an in-house constructed proton exchange membrane. This fuel cell was a proof of concept design toward the use of such a system in flow-through waste water treatment facilities. Power output is provided by microbial metabolism using a food source of municipal waste water. Output from the cell is treated waste water and electrical power. Power levels resulting from the model system were good, with an average voltage of 0.60 V/cell and a power density of 1.2 Watts per square meter. The future direction of this project is discussed.