Comparison and utilization of potential green algal and cyanobacterial species for power generation through algal microbial fuel cell

ABSTRACT

Five green algae, namely Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella minutissima, and Botryococcus braunii, and three cyanobacteria, namely Anabaena variabilis, Nostoc muscorum and Westiellopsis prolifica, were investigated for their ability to generate power. Voltage and current in algal culture was measured against distilled water and growth media. Maximum power and power density against water were produced with B. braunii (0.6 nW, 0.3 mW/m³). Maximum power and power density against media was produced with C. minutissima (21.3 nW, 0.106 mW/m³). Addition of catalysts Fe₂O₃ and Mn₂O₃ led to increase in voltage and power in most of the algal species studied.

KEYWORDS:

• Chlorella
• cyanobacteria
• fuel cell
• microalgae
• power

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Fuel Cell Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India, for their help in carrying out the experiments.