Double Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell Julie Paone Period 3 http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/bioenergy/mfc_make_cell.htm

Need Alternate energy Efficiency and economically priced Fossil fuels are being used so rapidly that they are in danger of running out. America currently uses 4-5% of all the energy generated by power plants to clean wastewater. The wastewater that’s being treated has 9.3 times more energy in it than the energy that’s being used to treat it. Fuel cells seem like the ideal solution to our twin problems of increasing pollution and decreasing fossil fuel stocks. Alternate energy Efficiency and economically priced Wastewater has 9.3 more energy in it than what’s being used to treat it. Microbial Fuel Cell http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/web_presentations/MFC-MECs-Bruce-Logan-1-2-08.pdf

Knowledge Base Any organic material can create electricity Organic matter  useful energy Oxidation sends electrons to the anode The electrons flow to cathode and join with protons Voltage or Hydrogen Logan, 2009 A microbial fuel cell consists of an anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The MFC is a design that is heading towards wastewater treatment plants since they have tons of energy potential and clean water is a demand. The microorganisms go through a process called electrogenesis to produce this power. Microorganisms like bacteria have been proven to produce voltage. The microorganisms oxidize the organic matter and send electrons over to the anode. The electrons go through a circuit and to the cathode where they join with protons. This process creates power while cleaning the wastewater. Hydrogen is another output that the MFC is capable of. Making the cathode side anaerobic, the H’s can’t bond with the O’s and create pure hydrogen. Algae has also been proven to do this. http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/publications/2009-Logan-NatRevMicrobiol.pdf

Electrogenesis Process of converting food into energy Respiratory enzymes  ATP Terminal electron acceptor (TEA) Exogenously Electrogenesis is the process. The electrons produced at the anode travel through a series of respiratory enzymes in the cell and they make energy for the cell in the form of ATP. These electrons are released into a terminal electron acceptor (TEA) which takes the electrons and they are reduced. Some bacteria in a MFC are known to transfer electrons exogenously to a TEA, such as a carbon rod. These are the bacteria that are called exoelectrogens that can be used to produce power in a MFC. (Logan, 2008)

Construction Efficiency Cost Materials The construction of an MFC is very simple and also affordable, while still being efficient. The most expensive material is the carbon paper, which is purchased off of a website that Logan and other students have used. So its not very expensive. All of the other materials are provided in the Science Research room like copper wires, GLX Pasco Probe, simple E. coli and C. reinharrtti. http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/bioenergy/mfc_make_cell.htm

Literature Review A suggested experiment is measuring the power with different amounts of glucose. In one equation, 1 molecule of glucose provides a maximum of 24 electrons. Bennetto, 1990 Bennetto in 1990 suggested that an experiment can be conducted measuring the power with different amounts of glucose. 1 molecule of glucose provides a maximum of 24 electrons. http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/bioenergy/mfc_photos.htm

Literature Review Green algae can easily produce hydrogen, but can it directly produce electricity. Light is their food source and they grow photo synthetically. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Melis, Berkeley Green algae is known to produce hydrogen directly from light, but can it produce direct voltage. The light is their food source and converting the energy to voltage will be interesting. C. reinhardtii is a algae that has been used in the lab before and can be used in a MFC.

Literature Review Still many improvements needed to enhance the performance. The construction is a main part in the efficiency. The larger the anode and cathode, the greater the outcome. Logan, 2007 The construction is the main part of the efficiency, leaving no room for leaks and contaminations. The larger the anode and cathode, the greater the outcome. So the carbon paper is needed to boost the energy potential.

Literature Review Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1 Cell voltage and current were used to calculate the power density (P=I/V). Increase in anode surface increased performance. Xing, 2008 One bacteria that has been used is Rhodopseudomonas palustri. Cell voltage and current were used to calculate the power density (P=I/V). (Explain equation) Xing in 2008 stated that an increase in anode surface increased the performance. http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/publications/2008-Xing-etal-ES&T.pdf

Purpose To determine whether the amount of food source significantly affects the amount of voltage produced by e. coli and algae in a Microbial Fuel Cell. The null hypothesis states that the amount of food source will not significantly affect the voltage produced by bacteria and algae. The alternate hypothesis states that the food source has a significant affect on the amount of voltage produced. Hypothesis The purpose is to determine whether the amount of food source significantly affects the amount of voltage produced by e. coli and algae in a Microbial Fuel Cell. The null hypothesis states that the amount of food source will not significantly affect the voltage produced by bacteria and algae. The alternate hypothesis states that the food source has a significant affect on the amount of power produced.

Methodology Here is the methodology, starting with 20 trials with microorganisms of E. coli and algae. They will be separated into two groups, the e. coli and algae. Both will be controls with no food source. Then variables will be e. coli with various amounts of glucose as its food and algae with various amounts of light as its food source. The procedure will start with the construction of the MFC and follow with the culturing of e. coli and algae. A GLX Pasco Probe will record the data and store it on a laptop. Data studios will record the voltage and current and then both will be used in the equation to calculate power density.

Buy from Outside Stores Budget Provided Two plastic bottles Agar (used last year) E. coli (used last year) Glucose Light bulbs Fish tank air pump with plastic tubing Resistors Copper wire (plastic coated) Wires with alligator clips GLX Pasco Probe Buy from Outside Stores Short plastic pipe (PVC) Plastic flanges, end caps with holes drilled Carbon cloth (http://www.etek-inc.com/) Sealing materials (epoxy) (Home Depot) The budget is very small except for the carbon paper, which can be expensive. Most of the materials are either provided by the school, or can be easily purchased from Home Depot. (Read off some of the materials)

Do ability Experiment was done last year Most materials are familiar Background in culturing Data collection was previously done Materials are accessible http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/bioenergy/mfc_make_cell.htm This project is completely doable since a previous experiment using an MFC has been done before. The majority of the materials are familiar and I have a background in culturing the e. coli. Algae has been cultured in the lab before. The data collection was previously done and the Probe and Data studios has also been used before. All of the materials are accessible and the construction can easily be created from tips and ideas on Logan’s website.

Bibliography Bennetto, H. P., Electricity generation by microorganisms, National Centre for Biotechnology Education. Vol. 1, No.4, 1990 Pp. 163-168 Liu, Hong, Grot, Stephen, Logan, Bruce E., Electrochemically Assisted Microbial Production of Hydrogen from Acetate, Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 39, 2005 Pp. 4317-4320 Logan, Bruce E. Exoelectrogenic bacteria that power microbial fuel cells. Nature Reviews, Microbiology, Vol. 7, May 2009 Pp. 375-381 Logan, Bruce E., Call, Douglas, Cheng, Shaoan, Hamelers, Hubertus V. M., Sleutels, Tom H. J. A., Jeremiasse, Adriaan W., Rozendal, Rene A. Microbial Electrolysis Cells for High Yield Hydrogen Gas Production from Organic Matter. Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 23, 2008 Pp. 8630-8640 Logan, B.E., Microbial Fuel Cells, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hobeken, New Jersey, 2008.   Macdonald, Averil and Berry, Martyn, Science through Hydrogen: Clean Energy for the Future, Heliocentris energiesysteme, 2004. Pp. 74, 80 Melis, Anastasios, Green Alga Hydrogen production: progress, challenges and prospects. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Xing, Defeng, Zuo, Yi, Cheng, Shaoan, Regan, John M., Logan, Bruce E. Electricity Generation by Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1, Environmental Science and Technology Vol. 42, No. 11, 2008 Pp. 4146-4145