Biomass cells: A key for sustainable rural area applications

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) use microorganism as natural catalyst to produce bioelectricity from organic substrate and proving to be an efficient means of sustainable energy generation. Based on this concept, biomass cell technology has been used for development of biomass cells by using metal anode zinc. The natural redox potential ability of zinc metal is the main contributor to enhance the performances of biomass cells. In Indian rural areas, cattle dung obtained from livestock are one of the main organic waste and abundant. Being rich in microbes, these cattle dung's are used as substrate for biomass cells. These cells are kept under observations for period of 45 days and electrical parameters have been obtained from polarization techniques. The maximum current and power density obtained are 1425 mA/m² and 861 mW/m² respectively. Although the efficiency of biomass cells in power generation are initially low, but the stacking of cells in series and parallel combinations can enhance the efficiencies. These stacking can produce enough electricity for off grid locations to small power applications in rural areas.