Substrate-enhanced microbial fuel cells

• US 8,277,984 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Inventors: Logan, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arciero, Adam A
• Application Number:
  US11/799,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20070259216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/8684 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8657 layered
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• 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 microbial fuel cell configuration of the invention includes a substrate particularly formulated for a microbial fuel cell configured to produce electricity and/or a modified microbial fuel cell configured to produce hydrogen. A substrate formulation according to one embodiment includes a solid biodegradable organic material in a package porous to bacteria. A microbial fuel cell provided according to embodiments of the present invention includes an anode, a cathode, an electrically conductive connector connecting the anode and the cathode, a housing for an aqueous medium, the aqueous medium in contact with the anode, and a solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate disposed in the aqueous medium, the solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate formulated to support electron generation and transfer to the anode by anodophilic bacteria over a selected minimum period of time.

Claims

1. A microbial fuel cell, comprising:

a housing an anode at least partially disposed in the housing;

a cathode at least partially disposed in the housing;

an electrically conductive connector connecting the anode and the cathode;

a solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate, the solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate fully enclosed and retained in a package porous to bacteria, the package disposed in the housing.

2. The microbial fuel cell of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the package is electron conductive and forms at least a portion of an anode.

3. The microbial fuel cell of claim 2, wherein the package comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

carbon paper, carbon cloth, carbon felt, carbon wool, carbon foam, graphite, porous graphite, graphite powder, graphite granules, graphite fiber, a conductive polymer, a conductive metal, and a combination of any of these.

4. The microbial fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a biodegradable polymer.

5. The microbial fuel cell of claim 4, wherein the polymer is a polysaccharide.

6. The microbial fuel cell of claim 5 wherein the polymer is a biodegradable plastic.

7. The microbial fuel cell of claim 4 wherein the biodegradable polymer is substantially insoluble in an aqueous medium.