Bacteria Energy Recovery System Using Natural Soil Bacteria in Microbial Fuel Cells
Nathaniel Brochu,
Benjamin Belanger-Huot,
Dmytro Humeniuk,
Lingling Gong,
Mehran Abbaszadeh Amirdehi,
Jesse Greener,
Amine Miled
Affiliations
Nathaniel Brochu
LABioTRON Bioengineering Research Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Adrien-Pouliot Build., 1065 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Benjamin Belanger-Huot
LABioTRON Bioengineering Research Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Adrien-Pouliot Build., 1065 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Dmytro Humeniuk
LABioTRON Bioengineering Research Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Adrien-Pouliot Build., 1065 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Lingling Gong
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Alexandre-Vachon Build., 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Mehran Abbaszadeh Amirdehi
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Alexandre-Vachon Build., 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Jesse Greener
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Alexandre-Vachon Build., 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Amine Miled
LABioTRON Bioengineering Research Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Adrien-Pouliot Build., 1065 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
This paper describes a two-cycle bacteria energy recovery system (BERS) to power two embedded sensors: an ultra-low portable pH sensor and a sound sensor. The designed unit can handle up to seven microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to charge a super-capacitor. This allows the BERS to provide a constant 0.14 mW without further electrical components for signal conditioning. The two cycles were driven with a 100 kΩ load and a 10 Hz frequency. The BERS is also self-powered with an integrated start-up unit to be self-activated when the MFCs charge the energy-storing unit after three days. The BERS powered pH sensor has an error below 5% at 25 ∘C and is able to work continuously while being activated for 4 h. The performances of the pH and sound sensors were determined based on a compromise between accuracy and power consumption.
