Blocking oscillator-based electronic circuit to harvest and boost the voltage produced by a compost-based microbial fuel cell stack. (October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garita-Meza, Manuel A.; Ramírez-Balderas, Luis A.; Contreras-Bustos, Roberto; Chávez-Ramírez, Abraham U.; Cercado, Bibiana
• Is Part Of: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments. Volume 29(2018)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 170
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Subjects: MFC microbial fuel cell -- LED light-emitting diode -- PMS power management system -- DC-AC direct current-alternate current -- OCV open circuit voltage -- I-V intensity-voltage; Capacitor -- Electronic circuit -- Green electricity -- LED -- Power management system; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Energy development -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Electric power production -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2018.08.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-1388

Abstract

Highlights: A compost-based MFC stack was constructed and presented a useful voltage of 0.837 V. A power management system was designed by linking a capacitor and a blocking oscillator. A 10-LED array that consumed 3 V was powered via a harvest-and-boost electronic circuit. The increase in the effective voltage was 71%, although the voltage pulse peak increased by a factor of 3.6. Abstract: Energy obtained from microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is often considered low for practical applications; however, this issue has been overcome by developing electronic circuits that power low-consumption devices such as environmental sensors. Even with recent technical advances, power management systems (PMSs) that target household applications are scarce, while worldwide demand for green energy continuously grows. This research aims to design an electronic circuit to harvest and boost the energy produced by a MFC stack and demonstrates its practical application by powering an LED array. Ceramic and electrolytic capacitors were compared, and an electrolytic capacitor was selected (22 μF, 25 V, 0.11 s). A PMS was constructed utilizing an electrolytic capacitor (22 μF) linked to a blocking oscillator with a toroidal ferrite core that was used as the primary component to boost the MFC output potential. The circuit was operated with three compost-based MFCs connected in series as a power source. The open circuit potential of the MFC stack was 2.25 V, but the useful voltage was 0.837 V in a closed circuit, with a maximum power density of 173 mW m −2 . The harvest-and-boost electronic circuit increased the voltage of the MFC stack by 3.6 fold with respect to the pulse peak although the effective voltage increase was 71%, which could power a 10-LED array (3 V).