Electrode development for microbial fuel cells with electrochemical systems modeling

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Electrochemical systems involve transfer of charge between ionic conductors, such as salt solutions, and electronic conductors, such as metals. Many systems and phenomena operate on an electrochemical basis including, fuel cells and batteries, and electro-winning of metals and corrosion. This research is focused on two of these electrochemical systems, fuel cells and corrosion. Previously, I have developed a system to generate bioethanol, biomass and electricity from yeast and algae. This system emits zero levels of carbon since carbon dioxide produced by the yeast is used by the algae. To generate electrical power, special electrodes need to be designed that interact with the microorganisms. However, these electrodes have in the past been usually made from gold or fragile carbon. In this research I intend on developing electrodes using inexpensive steels coated with polymers containing electrically conductive substances. For these electrodes to be used in an industrial scale fermentation-style fuel cell these coatings must be tenacious and this research will examine the use of different types of polymers and metal combinations to make this possible. The second part of this research is a concerned with developing a mathematical tool for the simulation of electrochemical systems. The ultimate goal of this work is to produce a model that can be used to simulate a multitude of electrochemical systems, such as a fuel cell or a corrosion cell. This tool will be useful in the design of systems and in predicting the life of infrastructure, such as bridges, or equipment such as distillation columns and pumps.