Patent Application
20240274851
The present invention relates to a device and a method for generating electrical energy from soil degradation, which is the energy source for a microbial fuel cell, and all system is regenerated or not from the waste of living plant.
Microbial fuel cells combined with living plants for the production of electricity are known from the prior art.
For example, WO 2007/006107 discloses to a plant-soil battery and, more particularly, to a plant-soil battery that includes: a plant body; a soil layer in which the plant body is planted. An anode electrode is disposed in the soil layer and includes micro-organisms that decompose glucose discharged from the plant body and generate electrons. A cathode electrode is further disposed in the soil layer for receiving the electrons. A further example of a device for converting light energy into electrical energy is disclosed in European Patent EP 2 137 782 B1, relating to a device comprising a reactor, where the reactor comprises an anode compartment and a cathode compartment. The anode compartment comprises an anodophilic micro-organism capable of oxidizing an electron donor compound, and a living plant or part thereof.
Also WO 2008/127109 discloses a device for converting light energy into electrical energy comprising a reactor, where the reactor comprises an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, and where the anode compartment comprises an anodophilic micro-organism capable of oxidizing an electron donor compound, and a living plant or part thereof.
A main drawback of known solutions is associated to the fact that physical contact between the soil in which the plant is cultivated and either the anode or the cathode of the fuel cell is required for proper operation of the system.
As a consequence, the whole device needs to be assembled at the same time, including both the electrical and the biological components.
This makes known solution unsuitable for industrial production since it would require cultivating the plant for a long time before use, from manufacturing to the actual installation of the device.
The object of the invention is to provide a device and a method for generating electrical energy from soil degradation which is structurally and functionally designed to overcome at least partially one or more of disadvantages mentioned with reference to the cited prior art.
Within this object, an aim of the invention is to provide a device for generating electrical energy from soil degradation that is suitable for production in industrial scale. A further aim is to provide a device for generating electrical energy from soil degradation in which electrical and chemical components can be assembled in their final state, even if the soil is not yet provided and the plant not yet planted.
Also, an aim of the invention is to provide a device for generating electrical energy from soil degradation in which the plant or more in general the energy source can be easily replaced.
This object and aims are reached by a device and a method for generating electrical energy from soil degradation comprising one or more of the features of the followings claims.
According to the invention, it is provided a device for generating electrical energy from soil degradation comprising a container, defining an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The device comprises a microbial fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, a separator material and anodophilic micro-organisms, preferably provided in the separator material. In some embodiments, the cathode is positioned at a transition area between the upper and lower compartments, while the anode and the separator material are preferably located in the lower compartment. Soil, which is subjected to degradation deriving from the waste of a plant, is provided in the upper compartment.
It will be therefore appreciated that in the present invention the upper compartment is adapted to contain soil as in a normal pot for plant cultivation, since no component of the fuel cell is provided therein. A draining layer is also provided in the transition area, allowing water poured onto the soil to drain to the separator material in the lower compartment.
Accordingly, water reaches the microbial fuel cell after being enriched with the waste of the plant, thus making energy generation possible. If a living plant is planted in the soil, water will also be used for its cultivation. Nevertheless, it will be appreciated that the device according to the invention can operate also in case a living plant is not located in the soil, provided that degradation occurs is said soil, i.e. that organic compounds (e.g. glucose) suitable for feeding anodophilic micro-organisms are provided in the soil and are drained towards the lower compartment by water.
According to some aspects of the invention, waste of living plants comprises organic compounds suitable for feeding the anodophilic micro-organisms. Preferably the organic compounds includes glucose.
In any case, in preferred embodiments, a living plant is planted in the soil and, therefore, production of organic compounds (e.g. glucose) can be achieved by means of the waste of the plant, during normal cultivation thereof.
It is to be understood that in the device, according to the invention, the microbial fuel cell is located in a separated compartment from the soil and, when provided, from the living plant. In this manner the device can be manufactured without providing in a first stage either soil or plant. Accordingly, the device can be easily stored and transported.
Also, in case the plant dies during use, it will be possible to replace it basically without requiring any technical skill, thus allowing the device to last longer.
According to a further aspect, the cathode can be contained in a bag, preferably made of biodegradable material. This allows properly protecting the cathode without impairing proper operation thereof.
In preferred embodiments, the draining layer comprises a plurality of openings for allowing water to flow from the upper compartment to the lower compartment. In this manner, water poured on the plant in the upper compartment can drain to the lower compartment after receiving from the waste of the plant the substances required for the microbial fuel cell.
In some embodiments, the separator material comprises partially reduced organic carbon. In this manner the system can operate basically with any kind of plant, or even without a plant, provided that organic compounds (e.g. glucose) suitable for feeding anodophilic micro-organisms are provided through the upper compartment.
Further preferred features of the invention are defined also in the dependent claims.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be better apparent from the following description of some exemplary and non-limitative embodiments, to be read with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
With reference initially to
As will be better explained in the following, according to an aspect of the invention, soil degradation preferably derives from waste of a living plant and, preferably, from cultivation of a living plant 6.
For this purpose, the device 100 comprises a container 10, into which the living plant 6 can be cultivated. Preferably, the container 10 defines an upper compartment 10A and a lower compartment 10B. It will be appreciated that the respective position of the upper compartment 10A and the lower compartment 10B is defined with respect to the vertical direction, i.e. with the upper compartment 10A positioned above the lower compartment 10B.
The device 100 of the invention further comprises a microbial fuel cell, overall shown in
In preferred embodiments, the microbial fuel cell 1 includes an anode 2, a cathode 3, a separator material 4 and anodophilic micro-organisms in the separator material 4. Suitable anodophilic micro-organisms are e.g. represented by Bacillus subtilis.
According to another aspect, the separator material 4 comprises partially reduced organic carbon.
In preferred embodiments, the anode 2 is composed of metal, preferably aluminium. The anode 2 can also comprise a side portion 21 emerging from the container 10 for improving electrical connection to any apparatus to be supplied.
The upper compartment 10A is preferably shaped as a pot and contains soil 5 and, in preferred embodiments, the living plant 6.
In some embodiments, the living plant 6 may belong either to Araceae or Cyperaceae family taxa, or to Picea abies L. species taxa. It will be appreciated that the device according to the present invention is only minimally influenced by the type of the living plant used and therefore also other taxa can be considered.
Between the upper and the lower compartments a transition area 10C is defined. Such transition area 10C can be either formed by a physical separation between the compartments or only virtually defined therebetween.
According to an aspect of the invention, the cathode 3 can be advantageously positioned at the transition area 10C, preferably below the upper compartment 10A.
To this end, the transition area 10C can further comprises a draining layer 7 configured for allowing water poured into the soil 5 in the upper compartment 10A to drain through the separator material 4 in the lower compartment 10B, while supporting said soil 5.
In view of the above configuration it can be understood that water in the soil can drain to the lower compartment 10B, transporting the waste of the living plant from the upper comportment 10A to the lower compartment 10B and reach the microbial fuel cell 1 located therein.
Water with organic compounds coming from the upper compartment 10A goes through the cathode 3 and then in the separator material 4, where, within the separator, the organic compounds are degraded by anodophilic micro-organisms capable of oxidizing organic compounds. Such degradation process frees electrons that are used to produce electrical energy.
Accordingly, electric energy can be generated by the fuel cell 1 by simply pouring water for irrigating the plant 6. The process is virtually endless as long as the plant lives. In any case, as previously mentioned, both soil and plant can be easily replaced in the device of the present invention, thus making possible an effective and long lasting production of electrical energy.
As a matter of fact, the waste for producing electrical energy can be produced by the living plant 6 and, in particular, by the cultivation of the plant 6 obtained by pouring water on the soil 5.
According to preferred embodiments, water flow is allowed by providing the draining layer 7 with a plurality of openings 70. The layer 7 can e.g. be formed by a mesh defining the openings 70 and, at the same time, allowing proper support for the soil 5 and the plant 6.
Proper protection of the cathode 3 is also achieved in preferred embodiments by providing a bag realized with non-conductive material, containing the cathode 3. Preferably, the bag is made of eco-sustainable non-conductive material.
The invention thus solves the problem stated, while at the same time offering a plurality of advantages, some of which are listed in the following:
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/065263 | 6/8/2021 | WO |
