Pee Power: Building a Microbial Fuel Cell in an Attempt to Find More Renewable Energy Sources

Overview

Objectives/Goals My project investigated possible sources of renewable energy, and the best way to build a microbial fuel cell in order to maximize the electrical output. My goals were to figure out which source produced the most power in a microbial fuel cell, and to get more than 220 millivolts. Methods/Materials I built a homemade microbial fuel cell. I tested its output in volts with using ocean water as a source. I than made numerous improvements to my microbial fuel cell with by testing different sizes of the salt bridge, a second pump, and different sizes of electrodes in an attempt to maximize its electrical output. When I reached the most successful combination, I tested it with mud and urine as well. Results The most successful design was the fuel cell with the larger salt bridge, a second air pump, and one electrode of each size. I got a maximum output of 401 millivolts with ocean water, a maximum output of 360 millivolts with mud, and a maximum output of 345 millivolts with urine. Conclusions/Discussion My data shows that larger salt bridges, more oxygen, and different sized electrodes increased the electrical output of microbial fuel cells. Ocean water produced the most energy; mud and urine were just about even.

Competition history

• CSEF 2015 Alternative Energy (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0212

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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