A Low Cost and efficient Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

Energy demand is increasing day by day and renewable energy generation has some newlineconstraints due to the resources availability. There is a need of alternate energy to satisfy newlinethe demand and reducing the gap of the supply and demand. One amongst the alternate newlineenergy is generation of bioenergy from waste. By using wastewater microbes, the newlinegeneration of energy is the best solution which can be attached to the wastewater plant. newlineMicrobial fuel cells (MFCs) with configurations are used for increasing the performance. newlineIn this MFC there are two electrodes like anode and cathode. The Cost of the MFC is newlinedependent on the materials used for the development of the cell. In the present study, newlineanode and cathode materials are focussed to make MFC as low-cost and efficient newlinesolution for energy recovery. With the intention of reducing the cost of material, newlineindustrial waste graphite is used to synthesize the graphene. Synthesized graphene thin newlinefilm produced acts as an anode. Used castor oil is considered for synthesizing powder. newlineThe powder emitted from castor oil acts as cathode for the MFC. Analysis of synthesized newlinegraphene exhibits 1.7 layers having grade 1 category. Performance analysis is done by newlineincreasing the anode area twice, thrice and four times to study effect of electrode size on newlineperformance and can be implementable for scalable applications. Statistical analysis is newlinedone by using origin software and it is found that, increasing the area of anode, power newlinegoes on increasing. newlineCompared to conventional MFC with Nafion membrane, use of Clayware membrane newlinedrastically reduced the reactor fabrication cost. Even use of castor oil for cathode newlinemodification and also use of waste graphite for graphene synthesis in MFC minimize the newlineexpensive electrodes cost including Pt or metal based anode and catalysts. Such newlinedevelopment of novel efficient catalysts also boost the performance of MFC through newlineimproving the electrode kinetics and reducing the over-potential losses. Increasing in newlineelectrode surface area to volume ratio will be useful for develo