University of Bath
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| (Left to right): Ph.D. student Jon Chouler; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr. Mirella Di Lorenzo; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Dr. Petra Cameron. Credit: Tim Gander |
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed an
innovative miniature fuel cell that can generate electricity from urine,
creating an affordable, renewable and carbon-neutral way of generating power.
In
the near future this device could provide a means of generating much needed
electricity to remote areas at very little cost, each device costs just £1-£2.
With growing global pressures to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and the
associated greenhouse gas emissions, microbial fuel cells could be an exciting alternative.
A
microbial fuel cell is a device that uses natural biological processes of
'electric' bacteria to turn organic matter, such as urine, into electricity.
These fuel cells are efficient and relatively cheap to run, and produce nearly
zero waste compared to other methods of electricity generation.
In
practice, urine will pass through the microbial fuel cell for the reaction to
happen. From here, electricity is generated by the bacteria which can then be
stored or used to directly power electrical devices.
This
novel fuel cell developed by the researchers, measures one inch squared in size
and uses a carbon catalyst at the cathode which is derived from glucose and
ovalbumin, a protein found in egg white. This biomass-derived catalyst is a
renewable and much cheaper alternative to platinum, commonly used in other
microbial fuel cells.
The
researchers worked on the cell's design to maximize the power that could be
generated. By increasing the cell's electrodes from 4mm to 8mm, the power
output was increased tenfold. Furthermore, by stacking multiple units together,
the power was proportionally increased.
Currently,
a single microbial fuel cell can generate 2 Watts per cubic metre, enough to
power a device such as a mobile phone. Whilst this value is not comparable with
other alternative technologies such as hydrogen or solar fuel cells and other
methods of bioenergy digesters, the significant advantage of this technology is
its extremely cheap production cost and its use of waste as a fuel, a fuel that
will never run out and does not produce harmful gasses.
The
research team is now looking at ways of improving the power output of the
microbial fuel cell and is confident that by optimising the design of the cell,
they will be able to increase the cell's performance.
Lecturer
in the University of Bath's Department of Chemical Engineering and
corresponding author, Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo, said: "If we can harness the
potential power of this human waste, we could revolutionise how electricity is
generated.
"Microbial
fuel cells can play an important role in addressing the triple challenge of
finding solutions that support secure, affordable, and environmentally
sensitive energy, known as the 'energy trilemma'.
"There
is no single solution to this 'energy trilemma' apart from taking full
advantage of available indigenous resources, which include urine."
Lead
author and CSCT PhD student, Jon Chouler said: "Microbial fuel cells could
be a great source of energy in developing countries, particularly in
impoverished and rural areas.
"To
have created technology that can potentially transform the lives of poor people
who don't have access to, or cannot afford electricity, is an exciting
prospect. I hope this will enable those in need to enjoy a better quality of
life as a result of our research."
Head
of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Co-Director of CSCT, Dr Tim Mays,
added:
"Renewable 'pee-power' is a brilliant idea and its use in
developing countries will have huge positive impact on people's lives in areas
of energy poverty. Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo, her PhD student Jon Chouler and their
research collaborators must be congratulated on the innovative science and
engineering that has led to this exciting development."
