We have designed a thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) for microbial fermentations that is able to produce electric power from a microbial continuous culture using the intrinsic heat generated by microbial growth. While the TEHE was connected, the system proved able to stably self-maintain both the temperature and the optical density of the culture. This paves the way toward a more sustainable operation of microbial fermentations, in which energy could be saved by converting part of the metabolic heat into usable electric power.

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We have designed a thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) for microbial fermentations, able to control the temperature of a microbial continuous culture, and produce electric power. The system proved able to stably maintain both the temperature and the optical density of the culture during the exponential, highly productive phase.