Energy harvest with microbial fuel cell and power management system

This paper presents a system that can harvest energy in the water and use the harvested energy to power electronic devices deployed in the water. The system consists of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) and a power management system. The MFC uses electrochemical reactions and bacteria that are safe and abundant in the water to harvest energy and generate electricity. The power management system, consisting of a charge pump, a super capacitor, and a boost converter, accumulates and stores the energy harvested by the MFC in the super capacitor and bursts power to the load. The power management system also boosts the voltage of the MFC to a sufficient level for the electronic devices. The presented energy harvest system is sustainable, environmentally friendly and maintenance free. The system has been tested and proven through experimental work.