Scaling up benthic microbial fuel cells using flyback converters

By Babauta, Jerome T.; Kerber, Maxwell; Hsu, Lewis; Phipps, Alex; Chadwick, D. Bart; Arias-Thode, Y. Meriah
Published in Journal of Power Sources 2018

Abstract

Benthic microbial fuel cells (BMFCs) are alternative energy sources that can power sensors underwater. However, their use underwater is limited by low conversion efficiencies of the low-voltage energy to higher voltages required by modern electronics. Additionally, BMFC systems detailed in the literature are incompatible with the deployment difficulties associated with underwater sensing. In this work, we present an optimal underwater scaling strategy combined with an integrated power management system. We successfully demonstrate the modular scale-up of BMFCs using in-line flyback converters that held the BMFC input voltage at an optimal cell potential of 0.35

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