Module system for microbial fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9893375-B2
Application number	US-201113325411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2011
Priority date	Jun 10, 2011
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a module system for a microbial fuel cell used in the field of a microbial fuel cell, in which a plurality of unit cells electrically connected to each other in series cannot share an anode part solution. In the module system for the microbial fuel cell, the unit cells are electrically connected to each other in series, so that power is produced in a commercial scale. An anode part is given to each individual cell, so that voltage drop does not occur. The unit cells share an anode part solution together, so that the module system for the microbial fuel cell is simply designed. The module system for the microbial fuel cell is applicable when effectively producing power in the commercial scale.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A module system for a microbial fuel cell, the system comprising a plurality of modules and a conductive film, each module comprising:
a plurality of vertically arranged unit cells, each unit cell comprising
a reactor provided in a lower end and an upper end thereof with a plurality of substrate inlet ports and a plurality of substrate outlet ports, respectively;
a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a bottom surface and a top surface of the reactor, respectively; and
electrochemically active microorganisms,

wherein
the vertically arranged unit cells provided within at least a first module of the plurality of modules are electrically connected to each other in series through the conductive film, and
at least one of the substrate outlet ports of the unit cell provided in at least the first module is linked with at least one of the substrate inlet ports of a unit cell provided in at least a second module of the plurality of modules through a substrate sharing tube,
wherein a substrate solution received through each substrate inlet port flows horizontally through each substrate outlet port and the substrate sharing tube of each unit cell, so that the unit cells linked in the first module and the second module share the substrate solution that passes through a region of the reactor housing the first electrode and the second electrode of each unit cell linked through the substrate sharing tube, and
wherein the conductive film is arranged horizontally and completely separates the second electrode of the first module and the first electrode of the second module.

2. The module system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is an anode, and the second electrode is a cathode.

3. The module system of claim 2 , wherein the anode and the cathode include one of a carbon electrode and a metal-treated carbon electrode.

4. The module system of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active microorganisms include one selected from the group consisting of disulfovibrio vulgaris, geobacter metallireducens, geobacter sulfurreducens, and shewanella oneidensis, or a mixture of at least one selected from the group consisting of disulfovibrio vulgaris, geobacter metallireducens, geobacter sulfurreducens, and shewanella oneidensis.

5. The module system of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active microorganisms are attached to a surface of the first electrode.

6. The module system of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode of one unit cell is connected to the first electrode of another unit cell in series.

Assignees

• Chang In Seop
• Kim Daehee
• An Junyeong
• Gwangju Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Chang In Seop
• Kim Daehee
• An Junyeong

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/16 Primary

  Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts · CPC title

• Y02E60/527

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/04

  Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids · CPC title

• H01M8/24

  Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells · CPC title