Electricity Production by the Application of a Low Voltage DC-DC Boost Converter to a Continuously Operating Flat-Plate Microbial Fuel Cell

Young Eun Song, Hitesh C. Boghani, Hong Suck Kim, Byung Goon Kim, Taeho Lee, Byong-Hun Jeon, Giuliano C. Premier and Jung Rae Kim
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Young Eun Song: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-Dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
Hitesh C. Boghani: Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd CF37 1DL, UK
Hong Suck Kim: The MFC Research and Business Development (R&BD) Center, K-water Institute, Jeonmin-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 34045, Korea
Byung Goon Kim: The MFC Research and Business Development (R&BD) Center, K-water Institute, Jeonmin-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 34045, Korea
Taeho Lee: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-Dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
Byong-Hun Jeon: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Giuliano C. Premier: Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd CF37 1DL, UK
Jung Rae Kim: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-Dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: An ultra-low voltage customized DC-DC booster circuit was developed using a LTC3108 converter, and used continuously on a flat-plate microbial fuel cell (FPM) system. The boost converter successfully stepped up the microbial fuel cell (MFC) voltage from ~0.5 V to 3.3 and 5.0 V of outputs. The designed circuit and system displayed the dynamic variations of the source FPM as well as the output voltage through the designed three connection points within the booster circuit. The source MFC voltage was interrelated with the booster circuit and its performance, and it adapted to the set points of the booster dynamically. The maximum output power density of the MFC with the DC-DC booster circuit was 8.16 W/m 3 compared to the maximum source FPM input power of 14.27 W/m 3 at 100 ?, showing a conversion efficiency of 26–57%, but with a 10-fold higher output than that of the source voltage. The combined LTC3108 with FPM supplied power for electronic devices using synthetic and real domestic wastewater. This report presents a promising strategy for utilizing the electrical energy produced from MFCs, and expands the applicability of bioelectrochemical systems with an improved energy efficiency of the present wastewater treatment system.

Keywords: energy efficient wastewater treatment; microbial fuel cell; power quality; DC-DC boost converter; LTC3108 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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