Low flow microbial fuel cell and hydro-kinetic turbine

A method of generating electricity underwater, comprising:

• providing an underwater power generation system, the system comprising:
• a base frame;
• a hybrid hydro-kinetic (HK) turbine;
• a shaft rotationally coupled to the HK turbine, the shaft having an axis of rotation;
• a generator rotationally coupled to the shaft for generating alternating current (AC) electricity;
• an electronics module in communication with the generator and configured to convert the AC electricity into primary direct current (DC) electricity;
• a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with at least one anode affixed to a bottom of the base frame and configured to rest in anoxic conditions in sediment and at least one cathode affixed to the base frame above the sediment, the MFC in communication with the electronics module and configured for gathering secondary DC electricity;
• a battery in communication with the electronics module and configured for storing the primary and the secondary DC electricity;
• and
• the base frame configured to support the HK turbine, the shaft, the generator, the electronics module, the MFC and the battery on a seafloor or riverbed with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the seafloor or the riverbed;
• placing the underwater power generation system on the seafloor or the riverbed at a location exhibiting low flow water moving horizontally through the HK turbine with the MFC resting on or in the sediment;
• the low flow water rotating the HK turbine and the shaft;
• the generator generating AC electricity;
• the electronics module converting the AC electricity to the primary DC electricity;
• and
• the primary DC electricity charging the battery.

A renewable energy underwater power generation system, the system comprising:

• a hydro-kinetic (HK) turbine;
• a shaft driven by the HK turbine, the shaft having an axis of rotation;
• a gearbox driven by the shaft for increasing rotational speed of the shaft;
• a generator driven by the gearbox outputting alternating current (AC) electricity;
• an electronics module converting the AC electricity into primary direct current (DC) electricity;
• a base frame supporting the HK turbine, the shaft, the generator, the gearbox, the electronics module and the battery on a seafloor or riverbed with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the seafloor or the riverbed;
• a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with at least one anode affixed to a bottom of the base frame for placement on or within sediment on the seafloor or the riverbed and at least one cathode affixed to the base frame above the sediment, the MFC configured for gathering low voltage electricity from the sediment;
• a flyback converter for converting the low voltage electricity into secondary DC electricity;
• and
• a battery for selectively storing the primary and the secondary DC electricity.