American engineer learned to print on paper batteries that work in the dirty water

Seokeun Choi, an engineer from Binghamton University (USA) придумал manufacturing technology inexpensive batteries. At the heart device battery - paper, bacteria and water. This battery can be used for a variety of sensors and other devices in areas remote from civilization. The author called his system "microbial fuel cells". The work was published in the journal Nano Energy .

Battery extracts energy from microbial. As explained by the creator of the device, in any dirty water is enough organic matter and bacteria. A drop of water deposited on the paper substrate can be used as an energy source. Paper is cheap, environmentally friendly, and perfectly absorbs water.

The basis for the battery is printed on paper, which can then be folded and compact package. Used as the cathode nickel particles sprayed on a paper substrate. The anode carbon particles are deposited on the paper by трафаретной Print . Its contours delineate the boundaries of the battery on paper. The remaining surface of the paper is impregnated with a water-repellent wax. The cost of production of this battery is only five cents.



Thanks to the ancient Japanese art of origami, several printed batteries composed whole battery. Four elements stacked in the battery delivers a current voltage of 0.12 V at the external resistance of 470 ohms.

Dirty water is added to the hard-working bacteria inside the folds of a folded panels, where, thanks to the capillary effect, penetrates in all directions. After impregnation, the battery is set to the access of oxygen to the cathode and to maximize the effect of the working.

This is not the first attempt to create the batteries on a paper basis. According to the author, previous attempts to use materials that were either expensive or are not environmentally friendly, or a fire hazard. In addition, researchers at MIT a few years ago created a solar , which can be printed on any flexible surface - including on fabric and paper.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/251868/