By the Gazette-Times | Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007 12:00 am
Engineers at Oregon State University have designed a microbial fuel cell that is 10 times more powerful than other versions of the technology.
This design breakthrough could allow microbial fuel cells to be used more widely as sources of sustainable energy, said Hong Liu, an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering.
Microbial fuel cells, also known as biological fuel cells, use bacteria to convert biodegradable materials such as wastewater pollutants into electricity.
As the bacteria consume the pollutants, they shed electrons, which flow through a circuit and generate electricity. In the process, pollutants are broken down, resulting in clean water.
The new design could ultimately lead to portable systems for power generation that are simultaneously capable of providing reusable water for developing nations and remote areas. The fuel cell design could also significantly reduce the amount of electricity used at large wastewater treatment facilities.
The research results will be published in Journal of Power Sources, a professional publication.
Microbial fuel cells, especially those with air cathodes, hold great promise for many practical applications, due to their simple configuration and renewable and abundant fuel sources. However, the power outputs have historically been so low the devices have not been considered as viable sources of electricity.
The new design developed by the OSU researchers involves sandwiching a cloth layer between the anode and the cathode parts of the microbial fuel cell, a configuration that greatly reduces the internal resistance, resulting in a much higher power density, Liu said.