BIOCHEMICAL FUEL CELL AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

• US 3,811,950 A
• Filed: 01/26/1972
• Issued: 05/21/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dominic C. Avampato, Robert N. Dibella, Roger E. Vasas
• Original Assignee: Dominic C. Avampato, Robert N. Dibella, Roger E. Vasas
• Inventors: Avampato, Dominic C., Dibella, Robert N., Vasas, Roger E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Curtis, A. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feeley, H. A.
• Application Number:
  US05/220,901
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 136/83,86E 260/211.5
• US Class Current: 429/2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A chemical fuel cell is presented wherein electrical energy is generated by the reaction of enzymes, substrates and nucleotides, the reaction being, in part, similar to parts of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the human body.

Claims

2. D-isocitric acid

3. A fuel cell as in claim 2 wherein said enzyme is selected from the group consisting of:

4. succinic acid

5. malate dehydrogenase each of the enzymes (1) through (5), respectively being specific to and corresponding to substrates (1) through (5).

6. A fuel cell as in claim 1 wherein:

said aqueous solution is of deionized water.

7. A fuel cell as in claim 1 including:

methylene blue in said solution.

8. A process for obtaining electrical power from a biochemical process including the steps of:

forming a fuel cell containing an aqueous solution of an organic substrate and an enzyme which is dehydrogenous with respect to the substrate whereby hydrogen ions and electrons are liberated;

promoting the release of hydrogen ions and electrons by the presence of a nucleotide in said aqueous solution;

buffering said aqueous solution to maintain the desired pH level; and

immersing an anode and cathode in said aqueous solution.

9. A process as in claim 8 wherein said step of forming a fuel cell containing an aqueous solution includes incorporating in said aqueous solution an organic substrate selected from the group consisting of:

10. The process as in claim 9 wherein the step of forming a fuel cell having an aqueous solution incLudes incorporating an enzyme selected from the group consisting of:

11. The process as in claim 9 wherein the step of promoting the release of hydrogen ions and electrons by the presence of a nucleotide includes:

incorporating in said solution the nucleotide DPN for a solution containing the corresponding substrate and enzymes (1), (2), (3) or (5), and incorporating in said solution the nucleotide FAD for a solution containing the corresponding substrate and enzyme (4).

12. The method as in claim 8 wherein said step of buffering said solution includes:

maintaining the pH of said solution at a level not less than 6.

13. The method as in claim 8 including:

incorporating methylene blue in said solution.