| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/L002132/1 |
| Title: |
MFC Commercialisation through continued Research, Networking and Collaboration (MFCC-RNC) |
| Principal Investigator: |
Ieropoulos, Professor IA |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Faculty of Environment and Technology |
| Organisation: |
University of the West of England |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research |
| Starts: |
01 July 2013 |
Ends: |
30 June 2015 |
Value (£): |
247,108
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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22 May 2013
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Developing Leaders Meeting - CAF
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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One cost-effective way of maximising the utility of the microbial fuel cell technology in scaling-up, is to invest in raw materials that inherently possess multi-functionality but also produce composites (through heating and impregnation) that introduce multiple functionalities to different 'passive' substrata. The material multi-functionality will exploit the team's new findings regarding internal resistance governance, and several key properties have been identified, which will require further investigation. These primarily focus (amongst many other things) on cost of raw materials & production; efficacy in a broad range of environmental /operating conditions; optimal structural porosity characteristics for moisture control and concomitant ion conductivity; modularity of stack design for plug & play systems. These explorations can only benefit the society if implemented in practical applications, which can demonstrate their value to the public; e.g. the EcoBot platform, urine utilisation and intelligent toilets, as well as MFC domestic battery chargers. Such multidisciplinary work can progress at an accelerated pace if appropriate collaboration with world leaders is established, which is at the core of this programme of work. The Fellowship pioneering work on MFC-powered robots and devices paved the way to scale-up, by introducing the 'miniaturisation & multiplication' approach - an area that the UK maintains the lead. This forms the basis for the new direction research in materials and manufacturing. It is an area, which has so far received very little attention, yet it is directly on the critical path towards realising impact, which can be achieved through the commercialisation of the more mature aspects of the work. It is therefore both timely and at the forefront of the MFC research, thereby strengthening the UK lead in this pioneering area.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.uwe.ac.uk |