MFCs and algae

Ieropoulos, I. A.; Greenman, J.; Sauer, M.

Abstract

Algae and photosynthetic bacteria may be integrated or associated with Microbial Fuel Cells MFCs in a number of different ways including: (1) use of whole (intact) or lipid-extracted lyzed cells as the primary carbon-energy source for anodic microbial metabolism; (2) use of algal cultures (with light) as cathodic oxygenators to improve output. The idea that microalgae can grow continuously producing oxygen in close proximity to a cathode, and that their cell production as biomass can be later fed to the anode as substrate, would represent an attractive self-contained autonomous system to extract useful energy from carbon dioxide and light. The aims of the present study were to investigate the suitability of processed algal by-products as suitable fuel (C-E substrate) in the anodic feedstock (at constant flow) for electricity generation and to investigate whether live algal cultures could be used as an efficient cathodic oxygenator in a self-sustaining (catholyte) circulatory system. ©The Electrochemical Society.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2010
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Dec 9, 2020
• Journal: ECS Transactions
• Print ISSN: 1938-5862
• Electronic ISSN: 1938-6737
• Publisher: Electrochemical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 23-30
• ISBN: 9781607681854
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.3492223
• Keywords: algae, microbial fuel cells (MFCs), carbon-energy, fuel
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6804566