Development of a biofuel cell using high temperature waste water

• Project/Area Number: 24656479
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Reaction engineering/Process system
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAGAWA Nobuyoshi 群馬大学, 大学院理工学府, 教授 (70217678)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TSUJIGUCHI Takuya 金沢大学, 機械工学系, 助教 (10510894)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: バイオ燃料電池 / 電極構造 / 酵素固定化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It was revealed that a sort of enzyme in Yast Extract (YE) catalyzed the glucose oxidation in the glucose-air fuel cell operated at the high temperatures. It was also clarified that YE solution contains a substance that act as a mediator. An electrode consists of carbon powder on which YE is fixed by using chitosan was developed for the fuel cell. The fuel cell generated power by supplying only a glucose solution without adding mediator and YE as fuel. A three times higher power density compared to that of the previous fuel cell using YE was obtained. Based on the glucose consumption during 24 h operation, the energy conversion efficiency was calculated to be 0.3 %.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Catalytic activity of yeast extract in biofuel cell (2012)
  • Author(s): E. T. Sayed, Y. Saito, T. Tsujiguchi, N. Nakagawa
  • Journal Title: Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering Volume: 114 Issue: 5 Pages: 521-525
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2012.05.021
  • NAID: 110009553585
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 酵母エキスを用いた高温型バイオ燃料電池の電極作製方法の研究 (2015)
  • Author(s): 山森将太、石飛一宏、中川紳好
  • Organizer: 第17回化学工学会学生発表会八戸大会
  • Place of Presentation: 八戸高専
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-07
• [Presentation] 酵母エキスを触媒に用いたバイオ燃料電池の電極作製に関する研究 (2014)
  • Author(s): 笠原晃一，石飛宏和，中川紳好
  • Organizer: 化学工学会第79年会
  • Place of Presentation: 岐阜大学
• [Presentation] 酵母エキスを用いたバイオ燃料電池の電極作製に関する研究 (2012)
  • Author(s): 笠原晃一，辻口拓也，中川紳好
  • Organizer: 化学工学会横浜大会
  • Place of Presentation: 横浜国立大学
• [Presentation] バイオ燃料電池における酵母エキス固定化法の研究 (2012)
  • Author(s): 井田文佳，辻口拓也，中川紳好
  • Organizer: 化学工学会横浜大会
  • Place of Presentation: 横浜国立大学