### Session RS: Biofluids: General

3:05 PM–4:23 PM, Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Long Beach Convention Center Room: Grand Ballroom A

Chair: Dimitrios Papavassiliou, University of Oklahoma

Abstract ID: BAPS.2010.DFD.RS.5

### Abstract: RS.00005 : Power generation by flagella-propelled Serratia Marcescens

3:57 PM–4:10 PM

MathJax On | Off     Abstract

#### Authors:

Trung-Hieu Tran
(Department of Aerospace and Information Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea)

Min Jun Kim
(Department of Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Doyoung Byun
(Department of Aerospace and Information Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea)

In this study, we present electrical power generation by using swimming Serratia marcescens which is a rod shaped bacterium species and has about 10 um long and about 20 nm thin helical filaments. Flow in micro channel is driven by bacteria attached on the wall, which is around 25 to 50 $\mu$m/sec. The driven electrolyte solution flow (buffer solution containing high concentration of S. marcescens) may be considered as movement of conductor. If we place permanent magnets on the top and bottom of the micro channel and electrodes on side walls in the micro channel, electrical current could be generated by the principle of Lorentz force acting on the moving charges. The potential between the two electrodes was measured to be up to 10mV and the electrical current was about 10pA with external load 50 Ohm. Even if the energy generated by bacteria swimming is small, it demonstrated the possible generation of power, which requires in-depth further research.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.DFD.RS.5