Review on MFC for application to monitoring

In the last years, technological advances have allowed to reduce the energy demands to power electronic devices, like a node of wireless sensor network (WSN). Low-power electronic devices allow now the design of electronic systems characterized by very low energy consumption. It consents the use of power sources based on energy harvesting techniques that involve clean renewable sources. An energy harvesting technology such as a microbial fuel cell (MFC) can produce suitable power for normal operation of a wireless sensor network. Also, MFC can be used as biosensor or as bio-decontaminator. An MFC is a bioreactor that transforms energy stored in chemical bonds of organic compounds into electrical energy, through a series of reactions catalysed by microorganisms. A survey is presented regarding the setup needed to exploit MFCs and enable them to empower a WSN. The system includes a power management system with DC/DC converter and transceiver module. A measuring instrument is necessary to do prior surveys on electrical characteristic of cells. The best option is a custom electronic board dedicated to MFC measurement. A review of power management systems is presented with a survey on the possible choice for transceiver devices (Table 1) and transmission protocols. Device [Protocol] ActiveTx (I) Supply Range Frequency Sleep Mode (I) Nordic nrF24LE1 [802.11] 11.1 mA 1.9 V to 3.6 V 2.4 GHz 550 nA CC2533 [802.15.4] 28.5 mA 2 V to 3.6 V 2.4 GHz 1 μA CC1310 [802.15.4g] 13.7 mA 1.8 V to3.8 V 686 MHz 7 μA RN313C [802.11/Wi-Fi] 210 mA 2 V to 3.3 V 2.4 GHz 4 μA Enocean STM312 [802.15.4] 100 mA 2.1 V to 5 V 868 MHz 4 μA XbeePRO S2B [802.15.4 ZigBee] 233 mA 3.1 to 3.46 V 2.4 GHz 4 μA MRF24J40MA [802.15.4] 23 mA 2.4 to 3.6 V 2.4 GHz 2 μA ATMEL ATA8510 [802.3] 9.4 mA 1.9 V to 3.6 V 868 MHz 600 nA Table 1: Comparison of low power transceivers for WSN empowered by MFCs