Uncertainties of Yeast-Based Biofuel Cell Operational Characteristics

The commonly used parameters characterizing fuel cells and in particular microbial fuel cells (MFCs) electrical performance are open circuit voltage (OCV), maximum power, and short circuit current. These characteristics are usually obtained from polarization and power curves. In the present study, the expanded uncertainties of operational characteristics for yeast-based fuel cell were evaluated and the main sources of uncertainty were determined. Two approaches were used: the uncertainty budget building for sources uncertainty estimation and a statistical treatment of identical MFCs results for operational characteristics uncertainty calculation. It was found that in this particular bioelectrochemical system the major factor contributing to operational characteristics uncertainties was the electrodes' resistance. The operational characteristics uncertainties were decreased from 19 to 13% for OCV, from 42 to 14% for maximal power, and from 46 to 13% for short circuit current with the usage of electrodes with resistance in the interval 67?O. The described approaches can be used for operational characteristics expanded uncertainties calculation of all types of fuel cells using data from polarization measurements.