The Effectiveness of Glucose and Gluconolactone on Lifetime and Voltage of a Battery
Current batteries leave a lot of room for advancement in the fields of lifetime and eco-friendliness. To improve the lifetime of these batteries, as well as making them more ecofriendly, the following research project was created. A bio-battery was constructed from a solution of water, glucose, and gluconolactone, a copper anode, and an aluminum cathode. None of these materials are toxic as opposed to the batteries that are currently being used which have to be disposed of carefully. The purpose of the experiment was to find the most effective solution to power this battery. To determine this, a 2-factor DOE was run with low (5 g), standard (10g), and high (15 g) values that were assigned to the amounts of glucose and gluconolactone in the solution. Once the different concentrations were added into the solution, the battery was then tested for voltage and lifetime. The enzymes and gluconolactone converted the sugar into energy by breaking the bonds thus releasing elections and creating a spontaneous reaction. The electrons produced flowed through the circuit created with the aluminum anode, alligator wires, LabQuest (where the voltage was recorded), copper cathode, and the solution. The voltage produced by this bio-battery was similar to a typical household battery, and it was found that different concentrations had no effect on the voltage of the battery. The lifetime of the battery was found by connecting the bio-battery to an EiKO light bulb, and recording the amount of time it took before the light bulb was extinguished. It was found that the solution with the highest concentrations produced the longest lifetime. This research could be used to create a stronger and more ecofriendly battery to power the ever-growing technology world.
Research Conducted By:
Aaron Espere
Sterling Heights High School
Lauren Evert
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools