PEM-Less Microbial Fuel Cells
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Date
2018-05
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IntechOpen
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are comparatively new technique of simultaneously generating
electricity from bio-waste while degrading the organic waste. The use of microbes
to generate electricity is an uninterrupted process in MFCs since the bacteria replicate
and continue to produce power indefinitely as long as there is enough food source to
nurture the bacteria. Besides, MFCs have the potential to produce hydrogen for fuel cells,
desalinate sea water, and provide sustainable energy sources for remote areas. Factors
like type of electrodes used in the cells, partitioning of cells, oxygen complement and
configurations are important factors that affect the performance of MFCs. The fabrication
of microbial fuel cells of different configurations and the relationship between the
factors affecting the efficiency of single chambered (SC-MFCs) and double chambered
(DC-MFCs) will be presented. The experimental data on observations made on the effects
of these materials on the MFCs characteristics, electricity generation and wastewater
treatment have also been included. The main aim of this study is to find out whether a
nonconventional inexpensive clay could be used as an ion-exchange medium alternative
to the conventional expensive PEM in the fabrication of MFCs. The results obtained on
power generation, current density, open circuit voltage, etc., clearly show that PEM-less
MFCs can be used as practical devices for sustainable energy generation.
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This article is published by IntechOpen 2018 and is also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71479