Real-Time Performance Optimization and Diagnostics during Long-Term Operation of a Solid Anolyte Microbial Fuel Cell Biobattery

• Main Authors: Ademola Adekunle, Vijaya Raghavan, Boris Tartakovsky
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-01-01
• Series: Batteries
• Subjects: MFC; solid anolyte; long-term; optimization; diagnostics; real time; biobattery
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/5/1/9

This study describes a novel approach for real-time energy harvesting and performance diagnostics of a solid anolyte microbial fuel cell (SA-MFC) representing a prototype smart biobattery. The biobattery power output was maximized in real time by combining intermittent power generation with a Perturbation-and-Observation algorithm for maximum power point tracking. The proposed approach was validated by operating the biobattery under a broad range of environmental conditions affecting power production, such as temperature (4–25 °C), NaCl concentration (up to 2 g L−1), and carbon source concentration. Real-time biobattery performance diagnostics was achieved by estimating key internal parameters (resistance, capacitance, open circuit voltage) using an equivalent electrical circuit model. The real time optimization approach ensured maximum power production during 388 days of biobattery operation under varying environmental conditions, thus confirming the feasibility of biobattery application for powering small electronic devices in field applications.