Power Generation

The scientists are increasingly finding ways to produce electricity in newer ways.

Fuel cell:

The commercialisation of fuel cells started in 2007, according to Fuel Cell Today in its 2008
Industry Review, released on 30th January. The Review, titled “Fuel Cells: Commercialisation”,
reports that in the last year the fuel cell industry has seen a growth of 75 per cent in new units
delivered, with some 12,000 new fuel cell units shipped during 2007.

Fuel Cell Today believes that the current global manufacturing capability for fuel cells is around 100,000 units per annum, with a quarter of this coming from companies whose business activity is exclusively the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The Fuel Cell Industry Review aims to provide a concise and accurate summary of worldwide fuel cell activity.

Alongside informationon legislation, finance, applications and key fuel cell companies, the Review publishes, for the first time, the Fuel Cell Today analysts’ forecasts of fuel cell shipments for the next two years. The forecasts include data by geographical region, fuel cell technology type and end use application. (1)

(Shucheng Sun et al.) Fuel cells for automobile application need to operate in a wide temperature range including freezing temperature.

(Chun wong et al.) The electrochemical activity of Glucose oxidase makes it an important component in glucose sensors and potentially in fuel cell applications.

Microbial Fuel Cell:
(Y. K. Cho et al.) Scientists working on solar-powered electricity generation by Rhodobacter sphaeroides in a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). They have shown that solar energy can serve as an alternative energy source for MFC operation. (Liping Huang et al.) Xylose can be used in the MFC for electricity production. Comparatively higher electricity generation and coulombic efficiency can be obtained by adjusting initial xylose concentration and applying stirring in the anode chamber.


References:
(1). Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2008
“FUEL CELLS: COMMERCIALISATION”. Platinum Metals Review, Volume 52, Number 2, April 2008 , Pages.123-123.
Chun wong, Kwun Wong, Xiao Chen, Glucose oxidase: natural occurrence, function, properties and industrial applications. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Volume 78, Number 6, April 2008 , Pages 927-938.
Liping Huang, Raymond J. Zenga and Irini Angelidaki. Electricity production from xylose using a mediator-less microbial fuel cell. Bioresource Technology, Volume 99, Issue 10, July 2008, Pages 4178-4184.
Shucheng Sun, Hongmei Yu, Junbo Hou, Zhigang Shao, Baolian Yi, Pingwen Ming and Zhongjun Hou. Catalytic hydrogen/oxygen reaction assisted the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) startup at subzero temperature. Journal of Power Sources, Volume 177, Issue 1, 15 February 2008, Pages 137-141
Y. K. Cho; T. J. Donohue; I. Tejedor; M. A. Anderson; K. D. McMahon; D. R. Noguera. Development of a solar-powered microbial fuel cell
Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 104, Number 3, March 2008 , Pages 640-650.