Wageningen University - Sub-department of environmental technology, PO box 17, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
Biotechnol Biofuels. 2012 Sep 21;5(1):70. doi: 10.1186/1754-6834-5-70.
Due to a growing world population and increasing welfare, energy demand worldwide is increasing. To meet the increasing energy demand in a sustainable way, new technologies are needed. The Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell (P-MFC) is a technology that could produce sustainable bio-electricity and help meeting the increasing energy demand. Power output of the P-MFC, however, needs to be increased to make it attractive as a renewable and sustainable energy source. To increase power output of the P-MFC internal resistances need to be reduced. With a flat-plate P-MFC design we tried to minimize internal resistances compared to the previously used tubular P-MFC design. With the flat-plate design current and power density per geometric planting area were increased (from 0.15 A/m2 to 1.6 A/m2 and from 0.22 W/m2 to and 0.44 W/m2)as were current and power output per volume (from 7.5 A/m3 to 122 A/m3 and from 1.3 W/m3 to 5.8 W/m3). Internal resistances times volume were decreased, even though internal resistances times membrane surface area were not. Since the membrane in the flat-plate design is placed vertically, membrane surface area per geometric planting area is increased, which allows for lower internal resistances times volume while not decreasing internal resistances times membrane surface area. Anode was split into three different sections on different depths of the system, allowing to calculate internal resistances on different depths. Most electricity was produced where internal resistances were lowest and where most roots were present; in the top section of the system. By measuring electricity production on different depths in the system, electricity production could be linked to root growth. This link offers opportunities for material-reduction in new designs. Concurrent reduction in material use and increase in power output brings the P-MFC a step closer to usable energy density and economic feasibility.
由于世界人口的增长和福利的提高，全球能源需求正在增加。为了以可持续的方式满足不断增长的能源需求，需要新技术。植物-微生物燃料电池（P-MFC）是一种可以产生可持续生物电能并有助于满足不断增长的能源需求的技术。然而，为了使其成为有吸引力的可再生和可持续能源，需要提高 P-MFC 的功率输出。要降低 P-MFC 的内阻，需要降低内阻。与之前使用的管状 P-MFC 设计相比，我们使用平板 P-MFC 设计试图最大限度地降低内阻。通过平板设计，每几何种植面积的电流和功率密度增加（从 0.15 A/m2 增加到 1.6 A/m2 和从 0.22 W/m2 增加到 0.44 W/m2），每体积的电流和功率输出也增加（从 7.5 A/m3 增加到 122 A/m3 和从 1.3 W/m3 增加到 5.8 W/m3）。内阻与体积的乘积减小，尽管内阻与膜表面积的乘积没有减小。由于平板设计中的膜垂直放置，每几何种植面积的膜表面积增加，这允许在不降低内阻与膜表面积的乘积的情况下降低内阻与体积的乘积。阳极在系统的不同深度分为三个不同的部分，允许在不同的深度计算内阻。在系统的顶部部分，内阻最低且根系最丰富的地方产生了大部分电力。通过测量系统不同深度的电力生产，可以将电力生产与根系生长联系起来。这种联系为新材料的减少提供了机会。在新材料的使用减少的同时，功率输出增加，使 P-MFC 更接近可用的能量密度和经济可行性。
