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Andrew Huizenga
Lindsay Arnold
Diane Esquivel
Jeff Christians
Project Overview
Develop an Economical
Microbial Fuel Cell
 Improve Upon Existing
Designs

 Increase maximum output
 Easy assembly and
maintenance
microbialfuelcell.org
Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Project Overview

Metabolism and respiration
 Electron transport (ET)
Facilitate ET by providing anode where
electrons can be deposited
 Proton exchange membrane
 Oxygen is reduced at cathode
 Some bacteria are “better” at this than
others

Project Overview
microbialfuelcell.org
Design Norms

Transparency
 Intuitive
 Easy maintenance

Stewardship
 Cost effective
 Eco-friendly

Cultural Appropriateness
 Attainable ingredients
Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Design Decisions
Final Prototype
Architecture
 Pump system
 Optimization
○ Cultural
 Ease of testing
Appropriateness
 Filter
○ Transparency
 Media Storage
Chamber
Overview
Design
Small Research
Prototypes
Prototype
 Multiple,
simultaneous
experiments
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Final Prototype
Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Research Prototype

Simplified components
 Agar vs. proton exchange membrane (PEM)
 No pump or filter

Ease of reproducing and testing
 Easy to dump and refill
 Multiple experiments
 Optimization
Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Testing
Overview
Design
Prototype

Learned anaerobic
& sterile procedures

Media substitution
experiments

Bacterial growth
kinetics experiment
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Obstacles
Output control
 Over budget
 Quick and easy research prototypes

Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Next Step




Optimizing research prototypes
Test robustness of bacteria
‘Kitchen’ friendly measurements
Order parts for final prototype
Overview
Design
Prototype
Testing
Obstacles
Next Step
Questions?