Aerobic Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert organic matter into electrical energy, and find applications in electricity generation and sensor powering for soil, salt and fresh water, and commercial waste environments. Typically, the anode chamber of the MFC must be kept under anaerobic conditions because of anoxic requirements for the bacteria. This both increases engineering costs and impedes proton transfer from the anode to the cathode.

Dr. Kelly Nevin Lovley and Dr. Derek Lovley patented an aerobic MFC anode electrode, allowing for the aerobic operation of an MFC. In their single-chambered design, an internal reservoir of fuel-bearing liquid is created at the anode. The anode is porous, allowing the fuel (e.g. acetate) to diffuse out and form a thick layer. At the outer layer of biofilm, oxygen will be reduced to water and the acetate fuel will be oxidized to CO2. This outer layer protects the inner layer from rapid oxidation, allowing the bacteria to generate current for weeks at a time.

•       Allows for simplified single-chambered MFC design

•       Improves electric potential by speeding proton transfer

•       Long steady run times and renewable fuel source

•       Operation in both fresh and salt water environments

•       Energy generation and storage

•       Marine sensors

•       Marine monitoring

Derek R. Lovley, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Lovley’s lab group has engineered several novel strains of Geobacter species to address a growing demand for alternatives to traditional technologies. A pioneer in his field, Dr. Lovley has collaborated with industry and secured millions of dollars in grants for his research. He has authored more than 400 articles, is cited in tens of thousands of publications, and has received media attention from popular publications like National Geographic and Time. Research interests include in-situ groundwater bioremediation, microbial fuel cells, directed and natural evolution of anaerobic respiration, microbial electrosynthesis, and extracellular electron transfer mechanisms.