Preliminary Study on Electricity Production of Phototrophic Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell (PSMFC)

• Main Author: Livianus Gatalie, Kreszen
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38789
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The use of light buoys as a tool of maritime navigation still employs a power supply that needs frequent maintenance. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is one of the potential methods that can overcome the trouble found in light buoys running on power supply and its frequent maintenance. The purpose of this research is to create an MFC design that can substitute the power supply of a light buoy in a sustainable fashion. Phototrophic Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell (PSMFC) was chosen, as the microalgae provided oxygen to be reduced on the cathode and to release necessary nutrients for the bacteria on the anode. To achieve this, this research studied the effect of illumination, the period of the illumination, and the distance between 9 cm2 stainless steel mesh electrodes to the performance of the MFC. Illuminated cells were able to produce higher OCP (max. 205,2 mV) and higher power density (max. 0,68 mW/m2). However, highest current was achieved during unilluminated variation (max. 5,3 ?A unilluminated and 3,3 ?A illuminated). Prolonged illumination produces higher OCP, current, and power density. Longer electrode distance produces higher OCP, power density and current. SEM analysis showed that biofilm formation tended to be scattered in lower electrode distance and more clumped (filling the anode area) in higher electrode distance. Through FTIR analysis, it was found that all MFCs variations had the same organic matter albeit a more concentrated organic content was found in MFC with longer electrode distance.