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Microbial Fuel Cell as Alternate Power Tool: Potential and Challenges

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Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

The anxiety of mankind regarding the fast depletion of reserves of oil and natural gas has kindled the invention of viable alternate energy resources. Further the consequence of our heavy dependency on fossil fuels is reflected in the emission of greenhouse gases leading to global warming and ozone layer depletion which is adversely affecting our environment. In order to address these concerns, efforts are being made globally to develop alternate renewable energy technologies which are preferably green. Scientists have learnt, over the centuries, the technologies of energy conversion from one form to another. For example, harvesting of electrical energy is possible from different forms of energies such as tidal, wind, solar, hydro, thermal, chemical and mechanical. Conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy is known from the days of Volta (eighteenth century), the inventor of voltaic pile and who was the contemporary of Luigi Galvani who first observed animal electricity. The existence of electric field in living organisms can be explicitly seen in electric eel and in the electrical activity of human organs like heart (electrocardiography), brain (electroencephalogram), muscle (electromyogram), eye (electroocular) and in the transmission of signals in nerve cells and these phenomena indicate the scope of converting chemical energy available in biological systems to electrical energy.

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Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges Ms. S. Sundari and Mrs. V. Manju, Research assistants, for the figures and the preparation of the references list respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrodics and Electrocatalysis (Biosensors) Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, 630003, Tamil Nadu, India

    Sheela Berchmans

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  1. Sheela Berchmans
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Correspondence to Sheela Berchmans .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

    Debabrata Das

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Berchmans, S. (2018). Microbial Fuel Cell as Alternate Power Tool: Potential and Challenges. In: Das, D. (eds) Microbial Fuel Cell. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66793-5_21

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