How to Make a Microbial Fuel Cell

[@josephdvid6]

I found the easiest way to make electrodes that works is to get a sock fill it with fish tank carbon and then get some copper wire and make it into a coil and put that into the sock too then tie off the end with a rubber band. It would work even better if you used wire mesh instead of a sock. It works really well actually. And you can make the proton exchange membrane super easily by making a thin tube out of terracotta clay and then wait a week or so for it to dry then you can literally fire it by putting it over a camp fire for several hours.

[@amphoravideo]

very interesting. Thanks!

[@ashj_2088]

I used 2L milk bottles 8 in series and 8 in parallel for 7v at .90 / 100 Mamps . I ran 3 leds for a year, it was truly bizarre to think why more people don't do this 👈🤯👍

[@amphoravideo]

OUTSTANDING!!

[@dhiren1047]

Hey , can I know what is mamps ?

[@nameremixx9311]

what is 8 in series and 8 in parallel?

[@gregorygregori1538]

@@dhiren1047 milli Amps - or 1/1000th of an Amp

[@gregorygregori1538]

a way of wiring up a circuit. any basic circuit textbook will explain this - as will a quick google seach

[@rudrashishmajumdar4251]

now you have my attention and I will have to make one too

[@neononabluepie6163]

Is it necessary to close the lid?

[@khushbusingh3068]

Can we use only steel mesh for anode and cathode

[@gordonzar992]

Dumb question. How do you connect the wires? Is the anode the negative terminal in this case or the positive?

[@pasdpasse439]

Hi. Could you send me please the link to your graphic that you indicated on 0:31 ?

[@isaacfontaron245]

@Amphora Video thanks I thought that I need to use 2 resistor to make a complete circuit. What Ohms do I need to use?

[@almaazdavids9581]

Quick question...how would I do something like this but instead of mud I use algae...

[@amphoravideo]

I honestly don't know if that would work. Seems like it might as long as it's damp. I'd love to hear how it turns out!

[@almaazdavids9581]

Thanks for the reply! I will hopefully try it out when school is on break.

[@josephdvid6]

Yes that would work. For wild algae you would need to get a huge thick clump of it. And it technically wouldn’t be the algae powering it it would be the bacteria inside of it that’s causing the power. You could also culture chlorella in fish tank, but if you wanted to use thay you would need to let it settle to the bottom and only use the super concentrated chlorella.

[@blazewtf4797]

Can I charge a battery even the slightest bit using the cell?

[@gilbertquarshie3932]

Will activated carbon filter sponge work in place of Carbon powder?

[@joshnolenarrieta5929]

What type of wire should be used for this?

[@blazewtf4797]

Is it possible to charge a device like your phone from the fuel cell?

[@invecojohn8030]

Sir, don't you think more voltage will be generated if left as an open circuit? Again, is that resistor just an ordinary nut or what? I'm working on similar case for my project. Mine is actually to remedy a contaminated soil, water or sediment using MFC and the same time generating electricity. More contributions would be appreciated. Is this membraneless better than those with proton exchange membrane? CO2 and H+ and e- are the by product of respiration of anaerobic bacteria at the anode. What happens to the CO2 build up especially in the case of double MFC with membrane. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

[@amphoravideo]

my (limited) understanding is that having a resistor (or other load) is necessary. Yes, it will naturally drop the voltage a bit but, having a closed circuit gives the electrons a pathway to the Cathode. I believe this encourages respiration and bacterial colonization. If the electrons have nowhere to go, the respiration process is hampered. I charted the voltage of each cell for several weeks and the voltage increase was impressive. I ended up with a total of four cells each with an output of about .5 volts. Their series voltage has been around 2 volts and have continuously illuminated a single LED for three straight months. I'm amazed and am anxious to experiment more.

[@alejandromamanivargas2019]

@@amphoravideo hi. Could you report your results o you have a document ? I am interested in see your results. Saludos.

[@amphoravideo]

@@alejandromamanivargas2019 I ended up with 4 cells in series. They kept a single LED lit for 9 straight months! The only thing I had to do was occasionally add a little water to compensate for evaporation. I suspect the voltage drop after 9 months was due to reduced nutrients in the soil.

[@rickssevilla4845]

It is necessary to use carbon in anode and cathode?

[@nivin5166]

can you use graphite for the anode and cathode instead?

[@amphoravideo]

absolutely! I believe that graphite would be superior.

[@nivin5166]

@@amphoravideo can the wires connecting the anode and cathode touch the mud or does it have to physically be inside the electrodes?

[@amphoravideo]

@@nivin5166 I don't think that would be a problem as long as they have a solid connection to the electrodes.

[@nivin5166]

@@amphoravideo one more question: do the electrodes have to cover all of the mud on each layer? or can they be partially fitting?

[@amphoravideo]

No, they don't have to be a perfect fit. btw, I just posted an update to this project in case you are interested. and I plan to make some more videos on this subject soon.

[@ozkang654]

Awesome video 👍( you are creative espacialy using your car to press 😁)

[@amphoravideo]

Thank you!

[@mr.uncharted1861]

Hello, nice project man! May I ask if how do i connect this to an LED light or something? To test if it really works on our christmas lights. Thanks

[@stem1203-mijares-vc4lo]

hi! would it still works if we use activated charcoal instead of carbon?

[@unifiedtogether2273]

Hi, what are the carbon chunks you use?

[@amphoravideo]

I used carbon for fish tank filters. I think I bought it at Walmart.

[@Luvannaaa]

Is it possible to get microbes from plant roots? If so, what plant would work best?

[@Luvannaaa]

plant soil**

[@amphoravideo]

Microbes are going to be present in pretty much any soil but, I believe you'll have the best luck with extremely rich soil with lots of organic material. I mixed mud from several sources such as ponds and compost in order to maximize my chances of getting some good ones.

[@kalamolang5677]

Can you make a 2V connection with that and I buy it for you?

[@djkivler1916]

whats the purpose of carbon?

[@magnaknight9252]

How much does the MFC generate? When powering up a small robot that's the size of a lawnmower, and how long do they last?

[@sekarmr900]

Can we do It without carbon .pls provide me a way to contact with you as I choose this one as my school project

[@roniecrisestimada2717]

Can i use the anodes and cathodes of a used car battery?

[@amphoravideo]

I suppose it's possible. I'm not sure if the microbes will like the materials but it's worth a try. I'm actually about to experiment with some of those same materials and will be posting videos very soon.

[@nilskiemle9556]

Sir do you really think charcoal would work? I am working for the same project but one of our criteria is cost effectiveness which means our project should be as cheap yet effective as possible...

[@amphoravideo]

I suspect it would but, it would probably have to be real charcoal. I tested store bought charcoal briquettes and they don't conduct electricity well.

[@vikashkumar-cr7ee]

Is it necessary to have cathode porous? I can understand that porous anode causes more bacteria attachment, but what is the benefit of porous cathode?

[@amphoravideo]

It would provide more surface area for contact with oxygen but I don't now if it is really necessary.

[@simarjitsinghsaini9167]

what was the current generated by it -milliampere ?? till what value of voltage were you able to achieve? did u made any changes to the fuel cell once it was made till it lasted for 9 months ??

[@amphoravideo]

the current was around 20mA. The only thing I did to it was to periodically add water.

[@louisesosomes]

can graphite plate be paired with the wire instead?

[@amphoravideo]

absolutely!

[@isaacfontaron245]

Can I ask what kind of epoxy did you use?

[@amphoravideo]

I'm not certain but probably Gorilla Glue brand epoxy. I doubt it matters, though. What does matter is choosing one that takes a while to cure. 20 or 30 minutes at least so, you have enough time to work.

[@isaacfontaron245]

@@amphoravideo I used a epoxy that dries for a day or so and is water proof because It can be used to seal roofs in my country. I think using a epoxy that can be super thick and hard when it dries can cause effects on the voltage and current flowing in the cells

[@isaacfontaron245]

@@amphoravideo Another question, can I used a normal resistor instead of a potentiometer and what would be the circuit if I use a normal resistor to create a complete circuit?

[@isaacfontaron245]

@Amphora Video Another question, can I used a normal resistor instead of a potentiometer and what would be the circuit if I use a normal resistor to create a complete circuit?

[@amphoravideo]

Yes, I would have used a standard resistor but didn't have one handy. Simply cut the wire and connect the resistor between the two pieces.

[@isaacfontaron245]

@@amphoravideo thanks I thought that I need to use 2 resistor to make a complete circuit. What Ohms do I need to use?

[@faizamushtaq4949]

Why we don't use ka salt bridge here?

[@shiningfever3476]

that's applicable for dual chamber setup i guess

[@louisesosomes]

can I use carbon cloth and weave the wire in there? will it still generate electricity?

[@amphoravideo]

I bet it would work. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!!

[@deobienthusiast7867]

Hi! Can we use different materials for both anode and cathode using dual chamber MFC? Or should it be the same materials?

[@amphoravideo]

I don't know. Maybe? I'd be concerned that a chemical reaction between the dissimilar metals might generate a small amount of electricity that could interfere with the microbial process. But that's really just a guess. It would be an interesting experiment.

[@josephdvid6]

One of the reasons to avoid using different metals for the anode and cathode is because the voltage can come from the electronegative difference between the two rather than from the microbes, which would flaw the experiment. Previous research adds metals like copper oxide power or platinum to the cathode which contains carbon as a catalyst to speed up the reaction.

[@SamuelBundrant]

I get why the cathode need contact with air, but Why does the cathode need contact with the muck?

[@amphoravideo]

Good Question. There's actually more going on than I explained. While the electrons are moving in one directions, Protons are moving in the other direction. It's basically an exchange. The cell needs to have a nice wet conductive path for that to happen otherwise...nothing will happen.

[@mahmoodhamed658]

can soil be replaced with gelatine? or will it prevent the co2 and protons from flowing up towards cathode?

[@amphoravideo]

Ooooo. interesting idea. I don't know for sure but, I bet it would work as long as there is enough sugar or other nutrients for the bacteria to feed upon. If you try it PLEASE let me know!

[@pasdpasse439]

Thanks for the video. Is it possible though to make a demonstrative one without, or with small pressure? (don't know where to find that apparatus), using acrylate instead of epoxy and activated carbon instead of the carbon from your video? Btw, is the voltage enough to lighten a light-emitting diode?

[@amphoravideo]

I put 4 cells in series and had enough to light an LED. It stayed lit for 9 months. I believe you would be successful with the products you mentioned and without pressure. I'd love to hear how it works out.

[@tobichoy279]

What kind of wire are you using

[@amphoravideo]

any generic wire will do. this was solid copper, maybe 16 gauge

[@tobichoy279]

@@amphoravideo is it okay if both electrodes are made out of same materials? considering the electrodes are made out of same materials, how can I identify which of which is the anode and cathode?

[@amphoravideo]

@@tobichoy279 Yes, both can be the same material. Traditional batteries require dissimilar metals for a chemical reaction. Microbial fuel cells simply capture electrons produced by microbes. The cathode is the one in contact with the air

[@Luvannaaa]

how can we use the active electricity to light a small bulb?

[@scottybranham3595]

Probably need to look up how to install a light fixture, then figure out how many watts you can get, plus watts you need. If you know that, it's really all you need.

[@lorenzanakurtlouiso.2986]

Thanks for the video sir. Just a question, what is that white board that you used to connect the microbial fuel cells in order to achieve 1.348 volts?

[@amphoravideo]

it's called a 'breadboard.' You can get them on Amazon for around $10. It's used to build temporary circuits, mainly while designing them. Wires and components can be connected together by plugging them into the board. Pretty handy.

[@frostmarkgalila3355]

Sir, please answer me.. how did you make a complete circuit of it? I cannot find a video how to make a complete circuit like yours... Please help me.. I make an expiration without a complete circuit about this but I only got .078 microvolt.. please help me how to make a complete circuit because I don't know how to make it

[@amphoravideo]

These are connected in "series." Meaning...the plus from one cell is connected to the minus of the next one. Connect all of your cells together this way. When you are done, you'll have one plus unconnected on one end and one minus unconnected on the other end. These are now your output for the entire circuit. These should be connected to your "load." The load can be anything that consumes the power such as a resistor and LED or simply a resistor.

[@ulisesferreira4862]

Hello, im doing a proyect about this subject and i want to know, because i read that you can not connect them in series because that generates reverse voltage, but can you connect them in paralel and obtain bigger current? And if you know, is there a way to avoid the reverse voltage? Thank you

[@amphoravideo]

I connected mine in series without any problems. They worked well that way for 9 months.

[@yuryadamov538]

How can you make sure that this is indeed microbial action that produce current, not the dissolution of metal electrodes?

[@amphoravideo]

the voltage is very slow to ramp up which suggests bacterial colony growth. Voltage is drastically impacted by the nutrient level of the soil. Adding sugar revives a dying cell for a while. This suggests biological (rather than chemical) action. Also, typically a chemical battery utilizes dissimilar metals and an acid. PH level of the soil isn't very acidic and the electrodes (that I've used) were identical. I'm fairly certain that some minimal voltage potential would exist between electrodes without microbes but, my (limited) experience suggests that microbes are largely responsible

[@yuryadamov538]

@@amphoravideo Great, thanks! Increasing voltage on adding sugar is rather clear indication. By the way, are there any hacks to add nutrients to lower level without disturbing the cell too much?

[@amphoravideo]

@@yuryadamov538 I haven't found a good way. I always partly dismantled the cell and gently mixed in some sugar water. After disrupting it, voltage drastically dropped but came back stronger over a day or so.

[@thedissatisfactoryman114]

Hi, might I ask if cigarette butts would work?

[@joandarliemangolare4632]

Hi! I find this amazing so I am making a project like this. May I know what kind of wire did you use in attaching the stainless steel?

[@amphoravideo]

Hello! I don't remember specifically what wire I used but it was probably around 22 gauge copper wire. The size (gauge) isn't very important so, whatever you find should work well.

[@joandarliemangolare4632]

Is it okay to use epoxy resin?

[@louisesosomes]

Excuse me sir what wire did you use? I was hoping on using a speaker copper wire, will it work?

[@amphoravideo]

Speaker wire will work just fine. The voltage is really low so, virtually any wire you care to use should work.

[@louisesosomes]

@@amphoravideo Thank you sir! But it increases right?

[@amphoravideo]

@@louisesosomes At their peak, I was getting about 1/2 volt per cell.

[@louisesosomes]

Do you think I could power a LED light with 10 cells

[@frostmarkgalila3355]

Nice video.. I want to ask something.. what do you mean real charcoal? Is the a kind of charcoal that people burns out if a coconut shell or something? And can I use a copper plate instead of a steal screen with charcoal as my anode and cathode? Please answer me I badly want to know because I have a project like this and my sources is a nypa fruit waste

[@amphoravideo]

I mean carbonized wood rather than charcoal briquettes that most people use in their grills. I experimented with making charcoal from pieces of oak. Being largely carbon, they conducted electricity nicely. Then I tested Charcoal briquettes. I'm not sure what they are...but they don't conduct electricity well at all. As far as copper...I suspect it would work for a while at least. I don't know how quickly the copper would corrode or what impact that might have. I'd love to hear what happens if you try it!

[@frostmarkgalila3355]

@@amphoravideo thank you for your quick response sir! I badly need that... I'm worrying about this material I've used since it's like a coconut shell.. it's very challenging to me to create electricity out of it because I'm not pretty sure if there's bacterias in this material since this one is hardly to decompose.. but I'll do my best to make this work because we all know that inventors push there limits

[@seacake4348]

Is there any substitute for epoxy???

[@ciberpangea]

hello anphora, we are a family from spain who lives in a home whith no electricity, I powering my home whith diferent systems, solar panels, but got lots of shadow, still usefull, plant lamps, starting to use my first ones, and I will like to build some microbial fuel cells, I followed your videos, very good work. and in the coments I've seen few interesting cuestions, can be used car batery catodes and anodes? ane more important the use of gelly and shugars, do you habe any answers to that? I allready thought it can be done. how do you see microbacterial cell whith plants? constant suply of bacteries and nutrients.

[@amphoravideo]

I suspect that the metals from inside a car battery might work but they would probably have to be cleaned very well so the acid doesn't kill the bacteria. I have an old car battery and will experiment with that very soon. I will definitely post a video so, check back. I did try adding sugar to some cells and it did seem to boost the voltage a bit and make it last longer.

[@ciberpangea]

@@amphoravideo thank you for answering me so fast. I'm experimenting now whitn melanine bateries, is so fine. they work, don't die and don'd eat. but so big, I asume the best choice is a mix of them, I'm allso doing some cool improvements to plant lamps, they work too, whith live pants wotks difernt way and better. is there any way to contact you over whatsapp? or facebook?

[@ciberpangea]

@@amphoravideo thank u for answering, about feeding bacteria I've heard gelly is great for some bacterias. about doing the bacteria batery, I'm serius about it I live whith my familly in a hause whith no electricity and no chance to contract it, for ever... I plan to do a mix of energies to power my home, I habe solar panels but so much shadow, I habe plants lamp but sp much care, 100's plants. I like to use batery cells becouse of the care, right level of water, and nutrients. on the other side, I use in this mix, other solar panels home made, I'm developing my own, for low resources, in the next days I'll build the first big units, very low voltage per m2, fut allmost free of cost. usefull for pour people. I will like to invite you to participate in a free energy group I organize on sundays, people whith no light and people who like to build free energies, I do it in my home, but I call other users, videoconference. just started, 2 reunions so far, but keep going. lots to do before I use mi microwave, After I get some energy next episode is motor bedini antilenz to optimize my energy, I'm light years away. I'll send you my num. tomorrow.

[@dihydrogenmonoxide6748]

what happens if i dont put resistors?

[@amphoravideo]

Good Question! There needs a path for the electrons to flow from the anode to the cathode BUT the flow needs to be limited to basically prevent the cell from burning itself out. Simply connecting the wires together for any length of time could kill the cell. The resistors (or any small load) are important because they provide that restrained pathway. In the next few days, I'll be posting a very clear explanation of how MFC's work and will be following up with more vids soon.

[@initha5154]

Where is the membrane here ??... actually membrane is need to transfer the protons ryt ??

[@amphoravideo]

the distance between electrodes acts as a membrane

[@initha5154]

@@amphoravideo ok... here... aluminum mesh acts as anode... graphite powder acts as cathode ...ryt ?

[@marcelanoemigatti5732]

Thanks for sharing this such a great experiment!! One question, please, what amount of resistance do you apply to get that voltage of 0.185 V at the final of the video?

[@amphoravideo]

I used 100K Ohms but you could go up or down with that value.

[@shemalbertd.corpuz2156]

Why do use epoxy?

[@amphoravideo]

It's a compromise. Ideally, you'd use nothing but, I needed something to bind the carbon to the metal mesh. Crushing it ensures that it's all making good contact even though the glue acts as an insulator.

[@iranziemiler8135]

Recommend me some more explanatory videos on MFCs please. And tell us the principle idea of MFCs. Thank you

[@amphoravideo]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJ7CqJ6ofrWKbac This video gives a general explanation of what they are and how they work

[@hannahkurian5390]

Sir , can we use carbonized urine instead of the carbon u have used

[@scottybranham3595]

Can't you just burn wood instead?

[@josephdvid6]

If you wanted to generate some serious power I would do this. Get a several foot in diameter pipe, cover it with paper towels taped together. Cover the paper towels with terrocotta clay and have it be as thin as it can be without breaking. Close it off on one end. Wait a week for it to try. Take the clay off the tube and twist the paper to towels off. Fill the clay tube wjrh wood. Put the whole thing above a bon fire for at least 5 hours, so it both fires the clay and turns the wood into activated charcoal. You would need a large amount of activated charcoal, like 100lbs. Cover the clay tube with towels. Between the towels and the clay tube stuff it with a ton of activated charcoal. You would also need to make a cathode. You could put several of these several feet in diameter tubes in a pond or something. Maybe every once in a a while you could put chlorine tablets inside of it to keep the cathode sterile. It should output several amps all together

[@adriannem.mariano3357]

Hello Joseph, are you also interested in working on MFCs as well?

[@josephdvid6]

@@adriannem.mariano3357 Yes. I am at Boston University doing a project on them as a grad student. Eventually I would like to do a thesis on it.

[@josephdvid6]

@@adriannem.mariano3357 Would you like to set up a zoom meeting to share our findings on MFCs?

[@josephdvid6]

@@adriannem.mariano3357 Would you like to set up a zoom meeting to share our findings on MFCs?

[@josephdvid6]

@@adriannem.mariano3357 Would you like to set up a zoom meeting to discuss out findings?

[@joandarliemangolare4632]

Hi! Great project! I'm doing a project similar to this, is there any alternative for epoxy glue? It's too hard to find one in our place. There are some epoxy which is not clear and there are ones that would dry up easily. Your response would be a great help 😊

[@josephdvid6]

Other types of adhesives should work as well. The epoxy is what is holding the chemicals together, it is not responsible for the chemical redox reactions within itself. In previous studies they typically combine laboratory polymers with metals, which they then spray onto the electrode material to make it cost effective.

[@angelochavez8890]

Sir good day! Can we use urine as replacement for mud?

[@amphoravideo]

I don't believe that would be a workable replacement. You need a substance that is full of bacteria....and nutrients for the bacteria.

[@angelochavez8890]

If we mix urine with other bacteria, will it work?

[@ulisesferreira4862]

@@angelochavez8890 Why are you so obssesed with urine?

[@natemiller6389]

hhmmmm no how to intergrade into methane digester....

[@gfhrb39qq]

I even do simpler, smaller, even cheaper than this results 800 - 1050 mV from only 1 cell. The KEY SUCCESS is soil density, nutrient, electrodes distance.

[@shiningfever3476]

hello, I'm interested in your experiments. do you have any paper that i can read on? or if you don't mind, may i know the nutrients you used and types of electrodes? Currently I'm using M1 media for nutrient and graphite rode as electrode but the voltage only gets until 300mV

[@gfhrb39qq]

@shiningfever3476 you can learn from BRISTOL UNIV. RESEARCH videos and papers, would be a good start. My cell is 8mm x 12mm x 8mm, using plain water, 500mV, more acid e.g. lemon water up to 850mV. I build paralel circuits to boost up the amps, to power white led. Technically, it is not MFC, but cell battery using plain water. Is it possible w/o electrolyte, yes it is, but the amperage quite low. You need to understand THE SECRET OF WATER, thats the key. Its KINETIC building energy in the water.

[@안유익한정보]

In the experiment we conducted, mud succeeded and water failed. Since the BOD and COD of mud and water were the same, I wonder why you chose mud over wastewater when you think the stickiness of mud influenced your success.