China has created an electrochemical generator that works for 3 days on 1 spoon of sugar
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In China, a group of young specialists developed a unique electrochemical generator that can work for about 3 days on 1 spoonful of sugar.
Several students from the National Tianjin University in China received a prize for the best energy project at one of the international competitions held in September this year.
A group of young people used an entirely new technology to create their own electrochemical generator, combining several multicellular microorganisms to produce energy, which resulted in them getting a highly efficient device with stable electric power.
Research work on the development of a microbial electrochemical generator using a single strain of bacteria has been ongoing for several years, however, strict cultivation requirements and limited capabilities did not allow scientists to move too far. For a long time it was not possible to create an electric power generator with high efficiency, using one kind of bacteria capable of producing energy.
The young group of specialists Lin Wei, who studies at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Technology, headed the group. According to the young scientist, the perfect part of the work is that genetic modification of strains of three species of bacteria - Shewanella hay and E. Coli - was used.
According to the researchers, this approach is an innovation, because it was the young people who first tried to create a microbial electrochemical generator of three kinds of bacteria. As a result of this approach, scientists were able to achieve a high level of electricity generation.
According to Lin, in comparison with the currently available technologies for obtaining energy using solar radiation, wind or water, the microbial electrochemical generator is more stable, it does not depend on the environmental conditions, the location of the installation, the generator also shows the best results for generating electricity in future, and on a fairly large scale.
Energy production with the help of the sun or wind has a low conversion factor, so at present it is not possible to use them as efficiently as possible (today the efficiency of such energy production technologies is only 20%).
Microbial electrochemical generator has a much greater efficiency, while it is able to convert various inorganic substances into energy. After adding sugar or grass to the system, the unique generator reaches a power of 520 mV and works on average 3 days.
Young specialists noted that they would like to make the generator smaller, while achieving a longer life and more electricity. Biomechanical engineer Liu Yue noted that it is possible in the future, such a generator will become a new source of energy, for example, like lithium batteries now, which we are accustomed to using in our everyday life.
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