BIOLOGICAL FUEL CELL

• US 20100203361A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UGCS Limited
• Original Assignee: UGCS Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jung Rae, Premier, Giuliano Claudio
• Application Number:
  US12/665,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20100203361A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/004 Cylindrical, tubular or wound
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/225 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A biological fuel cell includes an elongate anode (1) and a flow conduit (2) though which a fluid having a substrate flows. The ratio of the length of the flow conduit (2) to the width of the flow conduit is at least 4:1. In use, the biological fuel cell is arranged so that fluid flows within the flow conduit (2) along the length of the elongate anode (1) and the fluid flows substantially parallel to the anode (1) for at least 80% of its length.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An apparatus for use in a microbial fuel cell, the apparatus comprising:

an elongate anode, a cathode and a flow conduit though which a fluid comprising a substrate flows in use, wherein the flow conduit is arranged so that, in use, the fluid comprising the substrate flows along the elongate anode and flows substantially parallel to at least 80% of the length of the elongate anode; and

the ratio of the length of said flow conduit to the width of said flow conduit is at least 20;

1.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the flow conduit is tubular.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the aspect ratio of the length of said flow conduit to the width of said flow conduit is at least 50:

1.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the flow conduit is curved in a coil.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the separation of the anode and the cathode is no more than 40% of the width of the flow conduit.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the anode forms at least a part of a wall of the flow conduit.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the anode is surrounded by the flow conduit.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathode is elongate and is arranged lengthwise parallel to the flow conduit.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cathode is outside the flow conduit and at least a part of a wall of the flow conduit is arranged to allow cations to pass through.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a separator, having ion exchange capability is arranged between the flow conduit and cathode.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein a surface of the cathode is in intimate contact with the separator.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the cathode is an air cathode and the surface of the cathode opposed to the surface of the cathode that is in intimate contact with the separator is exposed to the atmosphere.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the flow conduit is inclined upwardly in the direction of fluid flow at an angle of from 0.5 to 45°

to the horizontal.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprises a gas outlet in the region of the highest point of the incline of the flow conduit.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the flow conduit is divided into a plurality of sections for accommodating different biological catalysts.

40. A microbial fuel cell including the apparatus of claim 25 and which further includes, in operation, a microbe.

41. A method of operating a microbial fuel cell comprising an elongate anode, a cathode, a flow conduit through which a fluid comprising a substrate flows and a microbe which catalyses an electrochemical reaction, wherein the ratio of the length of said flow conduit to the maximum width of said flow conduit is at least 20:

1,

the method including the steps of;

a. causing the fluid to flow within the flow conduit along the length of the elongate anode; and

b. causing the fluid to flow substantially parallel to the anode for at least 80% of the length of the anode.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the flow conduit is inclined at an angle of from 0.5 to 45°

to the horizontal and the fluid is caused to flow up the incline.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the fluid flows substantially parallel to the anode for at least 80% of the length of the anode in a substantially plug flow.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the fluid flows substantially parallel to the anode for at least 80% of the length of the anode in at least 1% plug flow, wherein the percentage plug flow is measured by introducing a tracer at an tracer inlet and measuring the concentration of tracer at a downstream monitoring position, and the percentage plug flow being calculated according to the following formula:

P=100(1−

[V(T₂−

T₁)/D])

wherein;

P is the percentage plug flow;

D is the distance in meters between a the centre of the tracer inlet and the downstream monitoring position;

V is average flow velocity in meters per second of fluid in the flow conduit between the tracer inlet and the downstream monitoring position;

T₁ is the time taken in seconds for volume of tracer fluid to be introduced through the inlet; and

T₂ is the time taken in seconds for 70% of the volume of tracer fluid to pass the downstream monitoring position.