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Andrew Huizenga Lindsay Arnold Diane Esquivel Jeff Christians. Team 1: BIOVOLT. Need. http://scienceblogs.com/. http://kahdalea.com/. Project Objectives. Develop a commercially viable Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) Sustainable Portable Simple operation Inexpensive. Design Norms.
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Andrew Huizenga Lindsay Arnold Diane Esquivel Jeff Christians Team 1: BIOVOLT
Need http://scienceblogs.com/ http://kahdalea.com/
Project Objectives • Develop a commercially viable Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) • Sustainable • Portable • Simple operation • Inexpensive
Design Norms • Transparency • Intuitive • Easy maintenance • Stewardship • Cost effective • Eco-friendly • Cultural Appropriateness • Common ingredients
Experiments Research Prototypes • Simplified components • Agar salt bridge vs. proton exchange membrane (PEM) • No pump or filter • Ease of reproducing and testing • Easy to dump and refill • Multiple experiments • Optimization
Experiments • Media simplification (substitution/elimination) • Bacterial growth kinetics • Extreme environment resistance • Electrode surface area to chamber volume
Experimental Results • Final media • Baking soda, vinegar, table salt, phosphate, ammonium chloride in water • Similar results temperatures 18-30 °C • Withstands extreme variation in media • Surface area : volume ≈ 1cm2 : 1cm3
Design Decisions • MFC Architecture • Proton exchange MFC • Air cathode • Waste water • Bacteria • Geobactermetallireducens • Geobactersulfurreducens • Rhodoferaxferrifeducens
Design Decisions • Electrode • Stainless steel • Graphite • Platinum loaded graphite • Membrane • Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) • Salt bridge • Feeding Process • Continuous • Batch Semi-Batch
Preliminary Results • Voltage • 666 mV with 975 kΩ • Power • 0.5 μW • MFC in operation since April 15th
Conclusions • Successful prototype • Sustainable • Portable • Simple operation • Inexpensive • Technology has potential • 22 μW / m2 of electrode • Literature cells produced ≈ 10-20 mW / m2
Project Assessment • Subpar performance due to lack of platinum loaded electrodes • Effectively combined biology and engineering • Developed teamwork skills
Acknowledgments • Professor Sykes – Team mentor • Professor Wertz – Biology consultant • Mr. Spoelhof– Industrial consultant • Professor VanAntwerp– Project idea • Ben Johnson – Biology consultant • Membranes International – Donated proton exchange membrane