Bio-Electrical Energy from Seafloor Methane Sources
Abstract
This project will provide basic and applied research to determine the levels of power that a benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC) will produce when fueled by methane emanating from the seafloor. By mechanisms whereby anaerobic methanotrophs (ANME) mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), with an anode poised to accept electrons, electrical energy will be produced, metered and applied to power seafloor sensors and acoustic communication devices at a continental slope seafloor site with methane hydrate deposits and active gas seepage. It is hypothesized that syntrophic associations will be formed between different species of microorganisms (archaea and bacteria) growing in association with the BMFC’s anode, and that these will be mainly responsible for power production. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that power levels will exceed (perhaps greatly) what has been harvested previously with BMFCs because of advective flow of abundant reductants (including methane) through the BMFC. We will access the performance of the BMFC in situ through daily polarizations, and power budgets (data retrieved acoustically), and we will verify the underlying mechanism(s) of AOM by (1) following chemical changes in the anode chambers using in situ gastight water samplers (so called osmopump samplers) and a mini methane sensor; (2) characterizing the anode biofilm sampled after a year of energy harvesting; and (3) using novel high-pressure bioelectrochemical reactors to quantitatively assess the contributions of methane, sulfate/sulfide, iron and an inert conductor to methane-derived power production.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912244
Entities
People
- Peter R. Girguis
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- President and Fellows of Harvard College
- United States Navy