Naringin,Anti Inflammatory Effect,Antibacterial Grapefruit Extract,Antiviral Grapefruit Extract MIANYANG DI'AO PHARMACEUTICAL CO.,LTD , https://www.diaopharma.com
Recently, a research team led by scientist Logan of the Pennsylvania State University announced that they have developed a new type of microbial fuel cell that can convert untreated sewage into clean water and power.
Microbiological fuel cells (Microbiological FuelCells) is not a technology that has just emerged. As early as 1910, the British botanist Markbit discovered for the first time that the bacteria's culture fluid could generate electricity. So he used platinum as an electrode and put it into E. coli and common yeast culture fluids, successfully creating the world's first A microbial fuel cell; in 1984, the United States produced a microbial fuel cell that could be used in outer space. Its fuel was astronauts’ urine and live bacteria.
Significant innovations: single-groove design Logan's battery device is similar to a hydrogen fuel cell. It is a cylindrical, resin-glass sealed tank that looks like a soda bottle. Unlike hydrogen fuel cells, however, the microbial fuel cell is a single reaction cell containing eight anode graphite rods surrounding a cathode rod with a proton exchange membrane in the middle of the closed cell. A closed circuit consisting of a copper wire outside the closed cell serves as a path for the flow of electrons. When sewage is injected into the reaction tank, bacterial enzymes decompose organic matter in the sewage, releasing electrons and protons during this process. Electrons flow to the anode, and protons flow through the proton exchange membrane in the cell to the negative electrode, where they combine with oxygen and electrons in the air to produce clean water. To complete the treatment of sewage. At the same time, the exchange of electrons between the positive and negative electrodes in the reaction cell creates a voltage that enables the device to supply power to external circuits.
A single reaction tank is an innovation in the design of microbial fuel cells. Logan pointed out that most fuel cell designs are based on two reaction vessels—an anode and a cathode, respectively, in which anaerobic methods are used to maintain the growth of microorganisms; in the cathodes, they need to be maintained under aerobic conditions. Electrons combine with oxygen and form water molecules with protons. However, a single reaction tank connects two tanks with a proton exchange membrane, and its function not only separates two tanks of aqueous solution, but also prevents oxygen from diffusing into another tank. The two-cell electrolyzers require dissolved oxygen to be supplied to the cathode by external forces. The single-cell microbial fuel cells can bring air into the cathode by means of continuous water injection, thereby reducing the cost of the oxygen-conducting equipment.
The sample will be completed after 6 months.
In terms of power generation, according to Logan, in the lab, the device can generate 72 watts of current and can drive a small fan. Although there is not much current at the moment, there is a lot of room for improvement in this equipment. From the filing of the invention report, Logan’s R&D team has increased the power capacity of the fuel cell to 350 watts, but Logan hopes that this value will eventually reach 500-1000 watts. After the technology is mature, the power generation capacity of the microbial fuel cells that can be mass produced will be greatly improved. Logan believes that it can generate a stable current of 500 kilowatts, which is about the electricity consumption of 300 households. Logan plans to build a large microbial fuel cell sample that is expected to be completed after six months.
Wide application prospects Although the current energy output of the device is relatively low, Logan said that they are continuously improving the technology, and believe that it can eventually be used in small-scale sewage treatment plants. It is said that the equipment can also be used to treat waste water and waste from livestock plants, and it can also be used in food processing plants and even manned spacecraft.
Logan pointed out that the battery can be used anywhere it is rich in organic matter. However, the best use of microbial fuel cells is to treat the sewage. If the sewage treatment plant uses such equipment, then they can generate electricity while treating the wastewater, thereby greatly reducing the cost of sewage treatment. Maintaining the normal operation of the wastewater treatment plant is a very expensive matter. For both developing and industrialized countries, new fuel cell technologies that treat wastewater while generating electricity are attractive. According to the statistics of the National Development Committee of the United States, the United States needs to handle 33 billion gallons of domestic sewage every year, and the processing cost is about 25 billion US dollars. Most of the costs are spent on maintaining the energy needed to operate the treatment plant. Therefore, if the microbial fuel cell can reduce costs and improve the efficiency of power generation, it will save huge expenditure on wastewater treatment.
This technology is especially useful for developing countries with serious pollution, because it can not only purify water, dispose of waste, but also generate electricity. From the standpoint of power generation alone, the government has sufficient reason to build and maintain a sewage treatment plant. If the technology can be commercialized, waste or sewage treatment will become a cash cow for the country rather than a heavy burden.
David Berger, a scientist at the University of Toronto, estimates that the potential energy in wastewater is 10 times the cost of its disposal. Logan believes that as long as the potential energy can be used 1/20, the sewage treatment plant can solve the cost of sewage treatment.
Microbial fuel cells can also be used to treat food processing plants and farms, especially pig farm wastewater. In the past, the treatment of these foul-smelling, foul-smelling wastewater was costly. NASA is also developing a similar technology that will convert astronauts’ domestic waste into energy during manned space flights.
Microbial Fuel Cell: Dealing with sewage power generation is correct
Since the industrial revolution, sewage treatment has always been a major problem for both developed and developing countries because it is costly and it is completely an investment-only industry. The new microbial fuel cell can not only purify water, but also generate electricity. Its emergence is expected to turn sewage treatment into a profitable industry. Although the product is still undergoing continuous improvement and has not yet been put into commercial production, we have every reason to believe that it has broad prospects for development.