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Parametric study of the anode of an implantable biological fuel cell

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Abstract

In this paper, electrochemical oxidation of glucose at the concentration level present in human venous plasma is discussed, with the object of determining the feasibility of constructing an implantable fuel cell for powering a prosthetic heart. The model anode considered consists of a diffusing membrane, to prevent blood contact, backed by a porous electrode structure. The latter is assumed to consist of parallel tubular pores of length equal to the electrode thickness. The variation of membrane and electrode parameters and rate constants for glucose oxidation are considered as functions of reaction order and oxidation product under different flow conditions. It is shown that the least optimistic case, oxidation of glucose only to gluconic acid, is apparently marginally feasible.

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Abbreviations

A :

Area

C A :

Concentration of glucose

C 0 :

Total flux reference concentration

D :

Diffusivity

F :

Faraday's constant

G :

Glucose conversion rate

i :

Current density

k 1 :

Dimensionless rate constant, zero-order reaction

K 2 :

Dimensionless rate constant, first order reaction

k :

Rate constant

k s :

Surface-based rate constant

k v :

Volume-based rate constant

l :

Pore length

M :

1/Pe m

m :

Reaction order

N :

1Pe p

n :

Number of electrons in overall reaction

Pe :

Mass transfer Peclet number

R :

Gas constant

r :

Radius

T :

Temperature

t :

Time, membrane thickness

U :

Velocity

V :

Potential, Volts

V c :

Catalyst volume

V p :

Pore volume

V t :

Total volume of electrode

x :

Axial distance

y :

Reduced concentration,C A/CO

Z :

Dimensionless axial distance

i:

interface

m:

membrane, or in membrane pore

o:

initial condition

p:

pore, or in pore

α :

Electrochemical transfer coefficient

ε :

porosity

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    D. Y. C. Ng

  2. Chemical Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    H. Weinstein

Authors
  1. A. J. Appleby
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  2. D. Y. C. Ng
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  3. H. Weinstein
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Appleby, A.J., Ng, D.Y.C. & Weinstein, H. Parametric study of the anode of an implantable biological fuel cell. J Appl Electrochem 1, 79–90 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01111855

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01111855

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