Biological Fuel Cells - Isis Project No 974
An environmentally friendly and economical fuel cell technology employing enzymatic catalysts.
Problem
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The most commonly used electrocatalyst in fuel cells is platinum. Platinum is very efficient at oxidising hydrogen and enabling high currents to be produced in a fuel cell. The major disadvantage is that platinum is expensive and its availability is limited, making fuel cells an expensive method of energy production.
Platinum is also poisoned by carbon monoxide (CO) impurities that are often found in industrially produced hydrogen. Removal of CO adds to the cost of the fuel cell system.
Background
Fuel cells do not rely on the combustion of a fuel source, they run quietly and efficiently from renewable fuel sources. For a hydrogen fuel cell, the raw materials used are oxygen and hydrogen and the waste product is water vapour. A Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) cell can convert up to 60% of chemical energy in to usable energy.
Alternative enzyme systems have been considered but it has been shown that electron flow is too slow to make a viable fuel cell. It is difficult for enzymes to attain direct electrical contact with the electrodes of the cell and catalyse reactions effectively.
The Oxford Invention
A method of utilising an enzyme catalyst within a fuel cell for the generation of electricity. The choice of enzyme is dependent on the operational conditions of the fuel cell. The resulting fuel cells are suitable for large-scale energy production plants. The cost of production of enzymes is much lower than that of platinum and CO poisoning does not interfere so much with the operation of the cell.
Commercialisation Opportunity
The invention is the subject of a UK priority patent application. Isis Innovation Limited is in a position to offer this invention for licensing to a commercial partner.
Keywords
fuel cell, enzymes, catalysts, enzyme catalyst, renewable energy, carbon monoxide, CO, CO poisoning, hydrogen, platinum, electrocatalyst
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