Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Raphael Policarpio
Southeast Asian Journal of Agriculture and Allied Sciences · 2023
The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a system that can efficiently and directly transform several non-purified organic substrates and various waste classes into electrical energy from the activity of bacteria. The performance of the dual chamber MFC system using cow and carabao wastewater were compared under identical conditions. Each set-up comprised anode and cathode with 25L wastewater (cow or carabao), microbial inoculant derived from effective microorganisms and molasses, stainless-steel electrodes, and salt bridge as proton exchange membrane (PEM). In these conditions, the MFC was operated for twenty (20) days and three (3) replications. Maximum power densities per surface area generated were 29.19 mW/m2 for cow wastewater and 10.88 mW/m2 for carabao wastewater. Meanwhile, peak power densities per volume were recorded at 583.87 mW/m3 and 217.51 mW/m3 for cow and carabao wastewater, respectively. Deductively, cow wastewater shows significantly higher results in bioelectricity generation than carabao wastewater. Furthermore, in terms of wastewater treatment, cow wastewater provided a greater TDS reduction efficiency of 41.23% than carabao wastewater, with only 28.59%.
Alaa A Abbas, Ehab N El Sawy
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2020
Fossil foil depletion and their environmental impact make it inevitable to find alternative energy resources. One of the promising energy sources is to generate electricity through degrading organic compounds, using biofuel cells. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biofuel cells that produce electricity while treating wastewater, allowing for more sustainable wastewater treatment and energy production 1 . For MFC to be a real-life application, the material of its components should be efficient, cost-effective, and commercially available. MFCs anodes are the interface where the bio-electrochemical reaction takes place through electron transfer from the bacteria to the electrode to produce an electrical current 2 . Herein we test a 3D nanostructured 316L stainless steel (SS) anode to provide a high specific surface area for the bacteria to adhere to the surface, and in turn, enhances the bacterial catalytic behavior. Furthermore, the SS nanostructured samples were annealed in various gaseous atmospheres to identify the effect of different surface oxidation states on MFC anodes performance. The surface of the bare SS and the nanostructured anodes were imaged using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), before and after using them in the MFCs. The as anodized SS had a 3D nanostructured surface of interconnected nanorods that kept its morphology upon annealing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed at a glancing angle (θ <5°), which interpreted that 316 L as received SS had a face-centered cubic structure that has gamma phase iron with the γ(111), γ (200), γ (220), γ (311), and γ (222) facets 3 , while the film formed on the as anodized SS had amorphous regions that were transferred to crystalline film upon annealing for one hour in 450 C temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the composition of the fabricated SS anodes that interpreted that the film formed on SS was iron-chromium oxyhydroxide film 4 and upon annealing the ratio of metal oxides especially Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 increased which increased the metal surface conductivity. The surface conductivity of annealed anodes was tested using cyclic voltammetry (CVs) in the ferricyanide solution. The annealed samples had enhanced to electron transfer kinetics on its surface relative to both the as-received and as anodized samples that showed nearly no redox activity. The fabricated SS samples were tested using a dual-chamber MFCs inoculated with sludge, using acetate as a substrate and potassium ferricyanide as the oxidant in the cathode. The power output of the MFCs with different anodes was observed using a data acquisition system for 20 days. CVs were done on the anodes on the 10th day. The results emphasized that the nanostructured SS samples highly increased cell voltage (≈ 80 times). This enhancement in the MFCs power performance is explained by the enhanced biofilm growth offered by the high specific area for the nanostructured SS. The FESEM images taken after the end of the experiment showed an obvious biomass growth on the surface of the as anodized SS relative to the biofilm on the as-received one. In addition, the annealed samples showed an enhanced activity after annealing. Annealing, especially in O 2 , increased the surface content of the more biocompatible Fe 2 O 3 component, as interpreted by the XPS, which in turn increased the voltage production (≈ 120 times) relative to the as-received sample. The enhancement of the power generation was further supported using the CVs, with the anodized anode annealed in O 2 showing an enhancement anodic current in comparison to smooth SS samples. References 1. B. E. Logan, Nat. Rev. Microbiol. (2009). 2. J. Hou, Z. Liu, S. Yang, and Y. Zhou, J. Power Sources (2014). 3. O. Gokcekaya, S. Yilmaz, C. Ergun, B. Kaya, and O. Yücel, in, p. 135–146, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (2010) http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/9780470943960.ch11. 4. M. Ray and V. B. Singh, J. Electrochem. Soc. , 158 , C359 (2011) http://jes.ecsdl.org/cgi/doi/10.1149/2.047111jes.
Rahmat Tubagus Hakiem, Ganjar Samudro Samudro, Muhammad Arief Budiharjo
Prosiding Sains Nasional dan Teknologi · 2017
Solid Phase Microbial Fuel Cells (SMFC) bisa menjadi alternatif metode pengolahan sampah yang ramah lingkungan sekaligus menghasilkan energi. Sampah yang digunakan sebagai substrat merupakan sumber nutrisi bagi mikroorganisme pada SMFC. Banyak volume sampah yang dimasukkan tersebut akan berpengaruh pada pengoptimalan kinerja SMFC. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan variasi volume sampah daun yang optimal terhadap kinerja SMFC. Variasi volume sampah daun yang diteliti yaitu 1/3, 1/2 dan 2/3 volume dari volume reaktor. Sumber bakteri yang digunakan diambil dari sedimen sungai. Pengujian dilakukan secara batch selama 14 hari untuk seeding-aklimatisasi dan running-batch selama 30 hari. Parameter yang diuji yaitu COD (Chemical Oxigen Demand) dan PD (Power Density) serta pH dan suhu sebagai kontrol penelitian. Dari hasil penelitian yang dilakukan, diketahui kinerja SMFC yang optimal terdapat pada reaktor volume sampah 1/2 dengan power density tertinggi pada hari-15 yaitu sebesar 52,8 mW/m2 dan efisiensi penurunan COD optimal sebesar 88,1%.Kata kunci: Sampah daun, volume sampah, bakteri MFC, kinerja SMFC, power density
Sudarlin Sudarlin, Andika Wahyu Afrianto, Melly Khoerunnisa et al.
Jurnal Kimia Sains dan Aplikasi · 2020
Modifications of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) membrane need to be carried out to increase its electric potential energy. This research aims to determine the effect of montmorillonite from bentonite-Ca as a composite in modified earthenware (GT), which is then used as a membrane of the MFC-based on tempe wastewater as substrate. The results obtained were compared to MFC that used pure earthenware membrane (GM). The ratio of bentonite-Ca and clay in GT was 50:50, while GM used 100% of clay. Characterizations of GT dan GM were performed using FTIR, XRD, and SAA. MFC testing was carried out for 24 hours, where every 2 hours, measurements of potential difference (V), current (A), and power density (W/cm2) were carried out. FTIR and XRD data showed an increase in montmorillonite content in GT, while SAA data showed a decrease in pore volume in GT. The decrease in pore volume GT occurs due to an increase in the number of trivalent cations (Al3+, Fe3+) and bivalent (Mg2+). These cations help transfer protons from the anode to the cathode, which causes a decrease in the potential difference and an increase in the current strength and the MFC-GT power density. The average difference between the decrease in potential difference from MFC-GM to MFC-GT is 0.043 V, while the increase in current is 0.022 mA, and the increase in power density is 0.163 mW/cm2.
Olja Simoska, Shelley D. Minteer
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2023
Establishing an efficient and successful extracellular electron transfer (EET) between microorganisms and electrode surfaces plays a critical role in the design, development, and application of mediated microbial electrochemical technologies, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Most microbial-based systems require the use of artificial, redox-active mediator systems in order to facilitate and/or increase electron transfer. Our previous work established an exogenous phenazine-based library as a mediator system to enable electron transfer from the model microorganism Escherichia coli . However, the addition of exogenous mediators to a microbial electrochemical system has certain limiting downsides, specifically with regard to mediator toxicity to cells and increased operational expenses. Herein, we demonstrate the metabolic and genetic engineering of E. coli to self-generate phenazine metabolites endogenously by introducing the phenazine biosynthetic pathway from Pseudomonas aeruginosa into E. coli . This pathway consists of a seven-gene phenazine biosynthetic cluster phzA-G responsible for the synthesis of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and two phenazine accessory genes phzM and phzS to produce pyocyanin (PYO). We present the characterization of the engineered E. coli cells via electrochemical measurements, RNA sequencing, and microscopy imaging. Finally, the engineered E. coli cells were used for the design of a microbial fuel cell with enhanced performances, demonstrating a maximum power density increase from 305 mW/m 2 with non-engineered E. coli cells to 1555 mW/m 2 with the genetically engineered, phenazine-producing E. coli . Our results indicate that introducing a heterologous electron shuttle into E. coli can be an efficient approach to establishing efficacious mediation in living bioelectrochemical systems and improving the performance of MFCs.
Priji Chandran, Sundara Ramaprabhu
· 2020
One of the effective ways to increase the electrocatalytic activity of carbon based electrocatalyst in a fuel cell is by in-situ incorporation of heteroatom into the carbon nanostructure. Herein, a cost effective catalyst support material, nitrogen rich carbon nanostructure (NCNS) with high surface area and tubular morphology was synthesized. NCNS supported palladium-alloy based electrocatalyst (Pd 3 Co/NCNS) was successfully prepared and used on both sides of a fuel cell as potential alternative to expensive Pt-based electrocatalysts. The large number of nitrogen-carbon moieties present in NCNS served as anchoring sites for catalyst nanoparticles. Moreover, the tubular morphology and high surface area plays an important role in enhanced electrochemical activity of the prepared nanocomposite. The Pd-based bimetallic alloy dispersed on NCNS exhibited high activity towards both oxidation of hydrogen and reduction of oxygen in acidic medium. Thus, a fully Pt-free electrocatalyst was constructed using a cost effective electrocatalyst. The peak power density achieved using Pd 3 Co/NCNS at both anode and cathode simultaneously was found to be almost 25 % of the maximum power density attained using commercial Pt/C on both sides, which is the maximum value reported so far in PEMFC without using Pt on either side.
Tae-Jin Park, Weijun Ding, Shaoan Cheng et al.
AMB Express · 2014
Abstract High power densities have been obtained from MFC reactors having a purple color characteristic of Rhodopseudomonas . We investigated the microbial community structure and population in developed purple MFC medium (DPMM) and MFC effluent (DPME) using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. In DPMM, dominant bacteria were Comamonas (44.6%), Rhodopseudomonas (19.5%) and Pseudomonas (17.2%). The bacterial community of DPME mainly consisted of bacteria related to Rhodopseudomonas (72.2%). Hydrogen oxidizing bacteria were identified in both purple-colored samples: Hydrogenophaga and Sphaerochaeta in the DPMM, and Arcobacter , unclassified Ignavibacteriaceae , Acinetobacter, Desulfovibrio and Wolinella in the DPME. The methanogenic community of both purple-colored samples was dominated by hydrogenotrophic methanogens including Methanobacterium, Methanobrevibacter and Methanocorpusculum with significantly lower numbers of Methanosarcina . These results suggeste that hydrogen is actively produced by Rhodopseudomonas that leads to the dominance of hydrogen consuming microorganisms in both purple-colored samples. The syntrophic relationship between Rhodopseudomonas and hydrogenotrophic microbes might be important for producing high power density in the acetate-fed MFC under light conditions.
Lo Gorton, Minling Shao, Muhammed Nadeem Zafar et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2013
Abstract not Available.
Victoria M Ehlinger, Andrew R Crothers, Ahmet Kusoglu et al.
Journal of Physics: Energy · 2020
Abstract One of the primary limiting factors for proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel-cell lifetime is membrane degradation driven by operational stressors such as generation of highly reactive radical species, which result in cell failure and voltage decay. To extend the lifetime of the membrane, cerium ions are added to the membrane to mitigate the effects of chemical degradation by scavenging radicals produced by crossover of reactant gases across the PEM. Although cerium has shown to be very effective at reducing chemical degradation during PEM fuel cell operation, the cerium ions also lead to a decrease in performance due to changes in the membrane transport properties and possible site blockage in the catalyst layers. In this paper, a full-cell, transient performance and durability model is presented in which a micro-kinetic framework accounts for gas crossover induced degradation and concentrated-solution theory describes transport in the PEM. The transport model takes into account the coupled nature of the electrochemical driving forces that cause transport of cerium ions, protons, and water. The cell model predicts the migration of cerium out of the membrane and into the catalyst layers and its impact on performance. A comparison between dilute-solution-theory and concentrated-solution-theory models shows how water management in the cell also effects cerium distribution, where higher relative humidity leads to better retention of cerium in the membrane. A voltage loss breakdown shows that cerium leads to performance losses in the cell both by decreasing proton activity and by modifying transport properties of water and protons through the membrane. Transient simulations show that the optimal tradeoff between performance and durability metrics is reached at low cerium concentrations in the membrane (less than 1% of membrane sulfonic acid sites occupied by cerium for our analysis). Finally, analysis of membrane thickness and catalyst layer thickness as design parameters shows that thicker membranes and thinner catalyst layers best optimize both performance and durability.
M. Golzarian, M. Ghiasvand, S. Shokri et al.
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · 2024
Abstract Plant microbial fuel cells (PMFC) have attracted great scholarly attention as a renewable energy source. These cells have three main components: anode, cathode chambers, and a proton exchange membrane. In this study, a dual-chamber plant microbial fuel cell system was designed using Cyperus papyrus and Shewanella oneidensis . The effects of various factors, including the size of the electrodes, the distance between the electrodes, and the inoculation volume of Shewanella oneidensis , on the ability of electricity generation, were scrutinized. The results indicated that increasing the size area of the electrodes from 2 × 2 to 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 cm 2 caused an increase in the output voltage by 43% and 58%, respectively. The PMFC produced a maximum power of 240 mW, with a Coulombic efficiency ranging from 0.66 to 0.75%. The plant microbial fuel cell designed in this study seemed to have a high potential to remove wastewater contaminants. Based on the results, during five days of setting up the system, COD and BOD decreased by 61.75% and 93.16%, respectively, which shows that in addition to generating power, the designed PMFC had a high potential to remove wastewater contaminants.
Chang Su, Wenyi Wang, Bolong Jiang et al.
Electroanalysis · 2022
Abstract The development of a non‐noble metal cathode ORR catalyst with low cost, high activity and high stability has become an inevitable trend in MFC. The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient and stable Cu, N‐codoped porous carbons catalysts with multi‐pore structure for MFC. Herein, Cu, N‐codoped porous carbons materials (Cu−NC−T) with high N content and multi‐pore structure were successfully developed by co‐pyrolysis with MOF‐199 and melamine. By contrast, Cu‐doped porous carbon (Cu−C−T) without melamine was synthesized using MOF‐199 as template. The results showed that Cu−NC−T possessed a rough octahedral crystal with a unique multi‐mesopore structure with pore centers of 3.4 nm and 11.2 nm, respectively. Owing to high N content, abundantly exposed Cu−N x active sites and the multi‐pore structure, Cu−NC−800 had a pronounced electrochemical ORR activity in neutral solution (onset potential and limiting current density were 0.161 V and −6.256 mA ⋅ cm −2 ), which were slightly lower than 20 wt % Pt/C (0.189 V and −6.479 mA ⋅ cm −2 ). Moreover, the MFC with Cu−NC−800 showed a power density of 662.8±3.6 mW ⋅ m −2 , which was higher than that of Cu−C−800 (425.7±3.9 mW ⋅ m −2 ) and was slightly lower than that 20 wt % Pt/C (815.0±6.2 mW ⋅ m −2 ). The output voltage of MFC with Cu−NC−T had no obvious decreasing trend in 30 days, demonstrating that the Cu−NC−T had great stability.
Pimprapa Chaijak, Purimprach Sinkan, Areeyah Madloh et al.
Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry · 2022
Rhodamine B (RB) is a basic color for natural plant textile dyeing. This study aims to use the laccase and manganese peroxidase-producing consortium to degrade the RB and generate electrical energy in a novel model microbial fuel cell (MFC). The results revealed that the MFC with consortium KJW40 had current densities and power densities of 4,816.6728.87 mA/m3, and 2,320.0827.86 mW/m3, respectively. The RB removal rate was 80.560.13 % was reached. This work gained new knowledge about using a bacterial consortium producing laccase and manganese peroxidase to treat contaminated RB and generate electrical power.
Panisa Michu, Junjira Thipraksa, Pimprapa Chaijak
Trends in Sciences · 2023
Biodegradation is a commonly used method to treat seawater polluted by petroleum. In addition to its ability to selectively degrade pollutants, it is also important to investigate the effectiveness of degradation and the benefits of restoration. This study focused on selecting a group of bacteria that can degrade diesel from marine sediment. The bacterial consortium called MB11 was found to be the most effective in removing diesel, with a removal rate of 53.77 ± 0.59 %. The consortium MB11 consists mainly of 6 types of bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabillis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoutella planticola, Enterobacter soli and Oceanotoga teriensis. The effective bacterial consortium MB11 was integrated with the floating MFC for electricity generation. The maximal open circuit voltage (OCV) and power density (PD) of 676.88 ± 5.94 mV and 0.16 ± 0.02 W/m3, respectively. HIGHLIGHTS The diesel degrading bacterial consortium was enriched and selected from the marine sediment sample. The consortium can degrade the contaminated diesel in artificial seawater and generated the electrical energy. The maximal power density of 0.16 ±02 W/m3 was gained when diesel was remove. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Marcelinus Christwardana, J. Joelianingsih, Linda Aliffia Yoshi
Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis · 2021
The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the efficiency of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system incorporated with the fermentation process, with the aim of reducing COD and generating electricity, using sugarcane bagasse extract as a substrate, in the presence and absence of sugarcane fibers. There is a possibility of turning bagasse extract into renewable bioenergy to promote the sustainability of the environment and energy. As a result, the integration of liquid fermentation (LF) with MFC has improved efficiency compared to semi-solid state fermentation (S-SSF). The maximum power generated was 14.88 mW/m2, with an average COD removal of 39.68% per cycle. The variation margin of the liquid fermentation pH readings remained slightly decrease, with a slight deflection of +0.14 occurring from 4.33. With the absence of bagasse fibers, biofilm can grow freely on the anode surface so that the transfer of electrons is fast and produces a relatively high current. Experimental data showed a positive potential after an effective integration of the LF and MFC systems in the handling of waste. The product is then simultaneously converted into electrical energy. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Munaf S. Majeed, Raghad Majeed Rasheed, Muhsin Jaber Jweeg et al.
Polish Journal of Chemical Technology · 2025
Abstract Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) is one of the main techniques for synthesizing nanoparticle materials. The carbon target was dissolved in ultrapure water (UPW) and exposed to a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser (1064 nm) with a 6 ns pulse duration to produce carbon nanoparticles. In this sequence, the Nd: YAG laser beam was focused on the carbon surface. In the investigation of nanoparticles prepared by laser irradiation, the effect of different incident laser pulse energies (500, 1000 mJ) on particle sizes (52.09, 26.49 nm) was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), pH test, and lightning energy conductivity (EC) test of nanosolution was used to characterize the nanoparticles. Particle size was generated using (1000 mJ) laser pulse energy. The performance of the H-shaped microbial fuel cell (MFC) was also tested, using nanocolloids in a salt bridge. This work shows that (Co) NPs synthesized with an energy of (1000 mJ) pulsed laser can act as salt bridge catalysts to improve MFC power output.
Pimprapa Chaijak
Acta Scientiarum Polonorum-Formatio Circumiectus · 2020
Aim of the study: This study aims to develop the novel model of multi-electrode MFC with the termite-associated yeast G. reessii for MG decelorization and electricity generation. Material and methods: The termite-associated yeast G. reessii was inoculated into modified midia with 150 mg/L MG. The laccase activity and MG removal was studied. Then, the G. reessii was immobilized on anode surface. The electrical properties and color removal were tested. Results and conclusions: The results showed it successfully removed the MG with 98.15±0.92% within 1 day of operation. Moreover, the OCV, CD and PD of 550.00±10.00%, 3.90±0.10 A/m3 and 1.52±0.08 W/m3 were achieved. Therefore, the system could have the potential for treatment of high concentration MG contaminated wastewater and produce a bio-electric energy.
Dipankar Nath, Prakash Rewatkar, Sanket Goel
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2020
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical devices that produce electrical current from the electrochemically active bacteria (EABs). These bacteria generate the electrons from the degraded organic matter and harness renewable and pollution-free energy in a self-sustaining manner. Due to its user-friendly architecture, neutral pH, simple operating conditions and amenability to integrate with the on-chip technology, MFCs are the economical and convenient alternative to conventional power sources. Since the first development of MFC, an ample amount of studies have been reported especially to harness new bacteria types, inoculation protocols, and cell and bioelectrode fabrication methodologies. As a result, several MFCs have been successfully developed as a biosensor and power hub by utilizing various fluid resources, such as domestic and industrial wastewater, urine, and soiled water from sewage. However, in order to be commercially viable, the device architecture and size of the MFCs become the essential parameter for power generation, which decides the potential application. In this context, several micro-scale MFC architectures have been proposed. Among these, the paper-based microfluidic fuel cell technology has drawn remarkable attention due to its inexpensive and inherent fluid flow capillary action properties. In addition, wide array (series/parallel) configurations have been incorporated to further enhance the power output. With these MFCs, a extensive range of applications, such as powering LEDs, digital thermometer, wireless, sensors, radio nodes etc., have been successfully demonstrated. With this flexibility and unique features, paper-based MFCs have the ability to monitor the on-field parameter (temperature, humidity, hazardous gas etc.) using the Internet of Things (IoT) cloud network. Currently, The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is the most popular technology in the field of wireless data transmission with IoT cloud. It connects various devices and their protocols over internet infrastructure which can be monitored, analyzed, and controlled remotely over the internet. It has an immense application in the field of healthcare, agriculture, automotive, and remote sensing sectors. In this study, as a proof of concept, the Shewanella putrefaciens powered stacked origami MFCs have been demonstrated to drive an ultra-low-power (ULP) IoT node to measure the on-field ambient temperature and transmit corresponding data to a mobile phone. The IoT node requires 2.5–3.3 volt for proper operation, therefore a DC-DC booster was used just after the fuel cell to step-up the low voltage. This step-up voltage was further stored in the supercapacitor to supply power to the IoT node in case of a high current requirement. Finally, after powering the IoT node, it sends the temperature data over low-power Bluetooth low energy (BLE) that can be observed by any smartphone supporting Bluetooth 4.0 and nRF connect android app. The detailed stepwise integrated block diagram from MFC to a mobile phone has been displayed in Figure 1. The proposed approach offers autonomous environmental monitoring using paper-based MFC as a viable substitute for conventional power sources. Figure 1: Block diagram of complete setup MFCs powering IoT node which communicates to smartphone and IoT cloud servers Figure 1
Ethan Allen, Daria Popugaeva, Carlos Munoz-Cupa et al.
Research Square · 2024
Abstract In the current study, a water treatment approach integrating freezing technology, so-called cryopurification, and microbial fuel cell (MFC) process is proposed and tested towards zinc removal. Contaminated water samples used for laboratory experiments were received from the Faro Mine site, Yukon, Canada. Through cryopurification, the effect of freezing temperature, mixing and the direction of ice front propagation on zinc removal from the Faro mine water was investigated and quantitively analyzed. The MFC was used to treat a post-cryopurification brine, both at a laboratory scale. When the coolant temperature ranged from − 5 to − 1 ̊ C and 180 rpm solution mixing was used, up to 80–95% of zinc was removed after a single freezing cycle. The results of laboratory experiments demonstrated that zinc concentrations in mine water can be reduced by cryopurification to 0.5 mg/L (effluent quality standard) under optimal experimental conditions. The MFC process was run for 120 h to test the capacity of the microorganism ( Shewanella oneidensis ) towards zinc removal from the brine concentrated by freezing. Based on the results of laboratory experiments, MFC showed a reliable and high zinc removal up to 90–93 % with Shewanella oneidensis incubated in the anode. The MFC generated a power density and open-circuit voltage with a maximum result of 8.8 mW/m 2 and 168.5 mV , respectively.
Ling-ling Zhao, Tian-shun Song
Water Science and Technology · 2013
A 10 L upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) was constructed for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal. During the 6-month operation, the UMFC constantly removed carbon and nitrogen, and then generated electricity with synthetic wastewater as substrate. At 5.0 mg L−1 dissolved oxygen, 100 Ω external resistance, and pH 6.5, the maximum power density (Pmax) and nitrification rate for the UMFC was 19.5 mW m−2 and 17.9 mg·(L d)−1, respectively. In addition, Pmax in the UMFC with chicken manure wastewater as substrate was 16 mW m−2, and a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 94.1% in the UMFC was achieved at 50 mM phosphate-buffered saline. Almost all ammonia in the cathode effluent was effectively degraded after biological denitrification in the UMFC cathode. The results can help to further develop pilot-scale microbial fuel cells for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal.
Asriani Asriani, S.R.A. Rani, J. Agus et al.
Gravitasi · 2022
Microbial Fuel Cell technology using dangke, whole milk, and whey cheese as substrates have been done. Dangke, whole milk, and whey cheese were placed in the anode chamber. As for the cathode chamber, KMnO4 electrolyte solution was used. The two chambers were then connected by a membrane made of a salt bridge. The highest voltage measurement results for dangke, whey cheese, and whole milk substrate were respectifley obtained at 659 mV, 998 mV, and 670 mV. As for the current measurement on each substrate, it was 0.29 mA, 0.37 mA, and 0.23 mA. In general, the measurement results show that the MFC made using whey cheese substrate has the best quality with a power density of 9.23 x 10-3 W/m2 . Thus, whey cheese which is an industrial waste can be used as an alternative source of electricity by converting organic compounds using microorganisms.
Parisa Nouri, Ghasem Najafpour Darzi
Engineering in Life Sciences · 2016
Energy harvest from optimized annular single chamber microbial fuel cell (ASCMFC) with novel configuration, which treats chocolate industry wastewater, was investigated. In this study, optimization of operational parameters of the ASCMFC in terms of efficiency water‐soluble organic matter reduction and capability of electricity generation was evaluated. During the experiment, effluent from the anode compartment was examined through current and power density curves for variation in temperature and pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and turbidity removal, and substrate concentration. The performance analyzed at different temperature ranges such as 25, 30, 35, and 40°C, which showed 88% increase by uprising temperature from 25 to 35°C. The ASCMFC was used to produce electricity by adjusting pH between 5 and 9 at resistance of 100 Ω. Under the condition of pH 7 power density (16.75 W/m 3 ) was highest, which means natural pH is preferred to maximize microbial activities. Wastewater concentration with COD of 700 and 1400 mg/L were investigated to determine its affection on current production. Reduction of current density was observed due to decrease in wastewater concentration. Significant reduction in COD and turbidity of effluent were 91 and 78%, respectively. The coulombic efficiency of 45.1% was achieved.
Sharaddha Sharma, D. C. Tiwari
Contemporary Advances in Science and Technology · 2023
Nanocomposite of polypyrrole/polyaniline multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PANI/PPY-multiwalled carbon nanotubes [MWCNT]) was electrochemically deposited on surface of porous carbon cloth (CC). The Modified nanocomposite was used as anode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sewage waste water treatment while generating electrical power. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR. The electrochemical properties and conductivity of the electrode have been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composite electrode shows good conductivity and power Density 1,145.4 + 5.5 mWm-2 obtained at seventh day, 15th and 27th day of incubation Composite also shows stability and biocompatibility for sewage waste water treatment while generating electricity.
Rodrigo Moreno‐Cervera, Manuel Aguilar‐Vega, Jorge Domínguez‐Maldonado et al.
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology · 2019
Abstract BACKGROUND Greywater and blackwater treatment is necessary to make sanitation and water reuse possible, and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising technology for achieving this objective. Ion exchange membranes play a key role in double chamber microbial fuel cell performance, but there are differences of opinion as to which membrane type is better. RESULTS This project was set up to study the effect of three ion exchange membranes (Nafion® 117, Ultrex™ CMI‐7000 and Ultrex™ AMI‐7001) in MFCs using greywater as catholyte in stacks of three microbial fuel cells each. The results demonstrate that the stacks with cationic membranes (Nafion® 117 and Ultrex™ CMI‐7000) generated higher power (201.50 ± 21.62 and 178.74 ± 56.89 mW m −3 , respectively) than those with the anionic membrane stack Ultrex™ AMI‐7001 (71.57 ± 3.46 mW m −3 ). For the greywater catholyte, a 31% of chemical oxygen demand removal was achieved and proved to be an option as a catholyte in microbial fuel cells for countries that carry out wastewater separation. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained in this study demonstrated that an anion exchange membrane is not a better option for double chamber MFCs. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Mohammad Amin Mousavian, Sepideh Hosseini, Bita Ayati
Water · 2022
In this study, the simultaneous enzymatic decolorization of reactive blue 221 (RB221) and the performance of different electrode carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified/unmodified carbon graphite cathodes were investigated in a dual-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) at a permanent temperature of 25 °C. The maximum power density and maximum voltage increased by approximately 13.6% and 50%, respectively, when using the CNT-modified carbon graphite electrode as the cathode. A suspended laccase enzyme was utilized in the cathode compartment for dye decolorization. In the absence of the dye, laccase caused an increase in power density to about 28%. In addition, this research revealed that an initial dye concentration of 80 mg/L simultaneously resulted in an enzymatic decolorization efficiency of 73.4% in the cathode chamber and 82.3% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of sucrose in the anode chamber. Finally, this study substantiates the fact that an MFC equipped with a CNT-modified carbon graphite electrode can be used for bioelectricity generation and effective dye removal.
Juliana John, Karnapa Ajit, Haribabu Krishnan et al.
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology · 2024
Abstract BACKGROUND Bio‐electro‐Fenton (BEF) systems, specifically microbial fuel cell (MFC) driven electro‐Fenton (EF) systems, have gained significant attention in wastewater treatment in recent years. The role of the cathode catalyst in BEF is crucial, as it undergoes O 2 reduction via a 2e − oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to produce H 2 O 2 . In this study, we have harnessed the abundant lignocellulosic composition of cocoa pod husk (CPH) to prepare a novel iron‐doped heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the BEF system. Cocoa is typically grown for its wet beans, which constitute only one third of cocoa fruit by weight, while CPH makes up about two‐thirds of the weight and is often discarded as by‐product or waste. As a result, approximately 10 million tons of CPH are produced globally each year, highlighting the potential for transforming it into a value‐added product. To date, CPH has been utilised as a natural fertiliser, soil amendment, biomass fuel, poultry and livestock feed ingredient, and more. RESULTS The presence of mesoporous structure, iron content, oxygen containing functional groups, and prominent reduction peaks in cyclic voltammetry validated the Fe‐doped cocoa husk biochar's (Fe‐CHB) potential to act as an ORR catalyst. The BEF system achieved an open circuit voltage, current, and power densities of 0.697 V, 0.15 A/m 2 , and 0.040 W/m 2 , respectively, at an optimum resistance of 350 Ω. Optimisation of the process parameters using RSM and ANN predicted maximum dye removal efficiencies of 93.34% and 92.45%, respectively, at dye and substrate concentrations of 10 mg/L and 1 g/L. These predictions closely aligned with the experimental findings of 92.5%. CONCLUSION The synthesised catalyst provided large surface area, electrical conductivity, superior ORR catalytic efficiencies, and ample sites for H 2 O 2 activation. Hence, Fe‐CHB can serve as a highly effective electrocatalyst in BEF systems. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Asimina Tremouli, Pavlos K. Pandis, Theofilos Kamperidis et al.
E3S Web of Conferences · 2018
A stack of two identical single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was assessed during using fermentable house hold extract as substrate. The design of the MFC units was based on the single chamber membrane-less technology using four cathode electrodes. The total power output was 492 mW either in series or parallel connection considering a total anolyte volume of 240 cm 3 . During continuous operation, the COD removal was 80% for each cell and for both operation modes (series and parallel). The electrochemical profiles provided significant information on the behaviour of the stack. During continuous operation, parallel connection is preferred over series connection, as it results to the same power output values, and COD removal but it provides lower internal resistances leading to more stable electrochemical performance behaviour.
B. Neethu, M. M. Ghangrekar
Water Science and Technology · 2017
Abstract Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are bio-electrochemical devices generating electricity from redox gradients occurring across the sediment–water interface. Sediment microbial carbon-capture cell (SMCC), a modified SMFC, uses algae grown in the overlying water of sediment and is considered as a promising system for power generation along with algal cultivation. In this study, the performance of SMCC and SMFC was evaluated in terms of power generation, dissolved oxygen variations, sediment organic matter removal and algal growth. SMCC gave a maximum power density of 22.19 mW/m2, which was 3.65 times higher than the SMFC operated under similar conditions. Sediment organic matter removal efficiencies of 77.6 ± 2.1% and 61.0 ± 1.3% were obtained in SMCC and SMFC, respectively. With presence of algae at the cathode, a maximum chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen removal efficiencies of 63.3 ± 2.3% (8th day) and 81.6 ± 1.2% (10th day), respectively, were observed. The system appears to be favorable from a resources utilization perspective as it does not depend on external aeration or membranes and utilizes algae and organic matter present in sediment for power generation. Thus, SMCC has proven its applicability for installation in an existing oxidation pond for sediment remediation, algae growth, carbon conversion and power generation, simultaneously.
Ibrahim M. Abu-Reesh
Processes · 2020
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment. Various parameters affect the performance of dual-chamber MFCs, such as substrate flow rate and concentration. Performance can be assessed by power density ( PD ), current density ( CD ) production, or substrate removal efficiency ( SRE ). In this study, a mathematical model-based optimization was used to optimize the performance of an MFC using single- and multi-objective optimization (MOO) methods. Matlab’s fmincon and fminimax functions were used to solve the nonlinear constrained equations for the single- and multi-objective optimization, respectively. The fminimax method minimizes the worst-case of the two conflicting objective functions. The single-objective optimization revealed that the maximum PD , CD , and SRE were 2.04 W/m2, 11.08 A/m2, and 73.6%, respectively. The substrate concentration and flow rate significantly impacted the performance of the MFC. Pareto-optimal solutions were generated using the weighted sum method for maximizing the two conflicting objectives of PD and CD in addition to PD and SRE simultaneously. The fminimax method for maximizing PD and CD showed that the compromise solution was to operate the MFC at maximum PD conditions. The model-based optimization proved to be a fast and low-cost optimization method for MFCs and it provided a better understanding of the factors affecting an MFC’s performance. The MOO provided Pareto-optimal solutions with multiple choices for practical applications depending on the purpose of using the MFCs.
Marcelinus Christwardana, Linda Aliffia Yoshi, J. Joelianingsih
Reaktor · 2021
This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing bioelectricity utilizing yeast microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology with sugarcane bagasse juice as a substrate. Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was employed as a bio-catalyst in the production of electrical energy. Sugarcane bagasse juice can be used as a substrate in MFC yeast because of its relatively high sugar content. When yeast was used as a biocatalyst, and Yeast Extract, Peptone, D-Glucose (YPD) Medium was used as a substrate in the MFC in the acclimatization process, current density increased over time to reach 171.43 mA/m2 in closed circuit voltage (CCV), maximum power density (MPD) reached 13.38 mW/m2 after 21 days of the acclimatization process. When using sugarcane bagasse juice as a substrate, MPD reached 6.44 mW/m2 with a sugar concentration of about 5230 ppm. Whereas the sensitivity, maximum current density (Jmax), and apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (𝐾𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑝) from the Michaelis-Menten plot were 0.01474 mA/(m2.ppm), 263.76 mA/m2, and 13594 ppm, respectively. These results indicate that bioelectricity can be produced from sugarcane bagasse juice by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.Keywords: biomass valorization, biofuel cell, acclimatization, maximum power density, Michaelis-Menten constant
Ahmed Yasir Radeef, Zainab Ziad Ismail
Journal of Engineering · 2018
This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of treatment actual potato chips processing wastewater in a continuously operated dual chambers microbial fuel cell (MFC) inoculated with anaerobic sludge. The results demonstrated significant removal of COD and suspended solids of more than 99% associated with relatively high generation of current and power densities of 612.5 mW/m3 and 1750 mA/m3, respectively at 100 Ω external resistance.
Yuyang Wang, Yu Song, Zhijie Wang et al.
Coatings · 2025
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bioelectrochemical device for biomass power generation, and the anode material determines the performance of the MFC. In this study, a novel anode material, which is a combination of graphite oxide/polythiophene (GO/Pth), was prepared on a carbon felt (CF) substrate and exhibited excellent capacitive performance. The MFC equipped with the CF/GO/Pth anode achieved a significant increase in power density, reaching a maximum value of 2.9 W/m3, which is a 3.32-fold increase in power density compared to that of the CF anode. Meanwhile, the CF/GO/Pth anode stored charge Qt value was as high as 11,258.68 C/m2, which was 4.13 times higher than that of the CF anode (2727.66 C/m2). High-throughput analysis showed that the percentage of charge-producing bacteria on the surface of the CF/GO/Pth anode was more than 90%, which was significantly higher than that of the charge-producing bacteria attached to the CF anode. This further confirms the significant enhancement of MFC performance by materials such as GO and Pth coated on the CF surface. In this study, CF/GO/Pth anode materials were prepared to successfully enhance the power output and charge storage capacity of MFC, and they also showed broad application prospects in the degradation of polluted waste liquids.
Jawad Ahmed, Imdad Ali, Sudheer Hussain et al.
Sukkur IBA Journal of Emerging Technologies · 2025
Abstract This study investigates the thermal behavior of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells using hydrogen and hydrogen methanol fuels. An extensive 3D model was constructed for the simulation of the temperature, current density, and thermal efficiency distribution, with Nafion EW1100 membranes under high-temperature conditions using COMSOL Multiphysics. Moreover, this study highlights the essential connection between temperature profiles and the performance of the entire fuel cell. However, at a given voltage of 0.4 V and 0.8 V, hydrogen consistently operated at lower temperatures between the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL), Gas Diffusion Electrode (GDE), and the PEM compared to the hydrogen methanol fuel. For instance, at 0.4 V hydrogen temperatures 4-5 K lower than that of hydrogen, and methanol at 0.8 V, this difference increased to 4-6 K. The temperature differential is indicative of hydrogen's ability to manipulate its heat-generating and dissipating processes more efficiently than PET. This demonstrates hydrogen’s advantages over other fuel cells because the current density correlates with temperature. For all temperatures, hydrogen provides higher current densities than hydrogen-methanol, supporting its usefulness in improving fuel cell efficiency. This increased thermal management not only improves the thermal efficiency of the fuel cell but also prolongs PEM, GDL, and GDE life by decreasing the thermal stress. Hence, from this analysis, it is shown that hydrogen fuel contributed to better thermal management causing superior performance and greater lifetime for PEMFC. This could be more efficient fuel cell systems for the application of advanced membrane technology such as Nafion EW1100.
Mohamed Derbeli, Oscar Barambones, Lassaad Sbita
Applied Sciences · 2018
Taking into account the limited capability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to produce energy, it is mandatory to provide solutions, in which an efficient power produced by PEMFCs can be attained. The maximum power point tracker (MPPT) plays a considerable role in the performance improvement of the PEMFCs. Conventional MPPT algorithms showed good performances due to their simplicity and easy implementation. However, oscillations around the maximum power point and inefficiency in the case of rapid change in operating conditions are their main drawbacks. To this end, a new MPPT scheme based on a current reference estimator is presented. The main goal of this work is to keep the PEMFCs functioning at an efficient power point. This goal is achieved using the backstepping technique, which drives the DC–DC boost converter inserted between the PEMFC and the load. The stability of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by means of Lyapunov analysis. To verify the ability of the proposed method, an extensive simulation test is executed in a Matlab–Simulink TM environment. Compared with the well-known proportional–integral (PI) controller, results indicate that the proposed backstepping technique offers rapid and adequate converging to the operating power point.
David Tucker, Larry Lawson, Randall Gemmen
ASME 2005 Power Conference · 2004
Air flow management and control in a fuel cell gas turbine hybrid power system is evaluated using the Hybrid Performance (Hyper) hardware simulation facility at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), U.S. Department of Energy. The Hyper facility at NETL is a hardware simulation of a fuel cell gas turbine hybrid power system capable of emulating systems in the range of 300kW to 900kW. The hardware portion is comprised of a modified single-shaft gas turbine, a high performance exhaust gas recuperator, several pressure vessels that represent the volumes and flow impedances of the fuel cell and combustors, and the associated integration piping. The simulation portion consists of a real time fuel cell model that is used to control a natural gas burner which replicates the thermal output of a solid oxide fuel cell. Thermal management in the fuel cell component of the hybrid system, especially during an imposed load transient, is improved through the control of cathode air flow. This can be accomplished in a fuel cell turbine hybrid by diverting air around the fuel cell system. Two methods for air flow control are presented in the paper. In this paper, the use of bleed air by-pass and cold air by-pass are characterized quantitatively in terms of compressor inlet flow, process limits, system efficiency and system performance.
Takemi Chikahisa, Yutaka Tabe, Kazushige Kikuta et al.
ASME 2006 Fourth International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, Parts A and B · 2005
This paper observes phenomena related to water production behavior inside a fuel cell and analyzes the effect on the current and temperature distribution across the reaction area. A fuel cell permitting direct observation of the phenomena in the cell, 2-D temperature measurements in the cathode channels, and local current density measurements on the anode side was manufactured. The experimental results showed the production and flow of liquid water in the cell, and there were good correlations among the distributions of current density, temperature, and water amounts in the channels. The behavior of current, voltage, water distribution, and pressure differences in the cathode channels were used to hypothesize about the possibility of gas paths deep in the gas diffusion layer in the flooded condition and a positive feedback mechanism in the drying-out condition.
Sebastian Roa Prada, Oscar Eduardo Rueda Sanchez
Volume 6: Energy · 2017
Wastewater treatment plants help removing organic matter from wastewater, and at the same time, generate digester gas as a useful byproduct. Digester gas is rich in methane, which can be used to generate electricity. Fuel cell systems are the cleanest technology for power recovery from digester gas, since all other technologies generate electricity by burning all the digester gas. The most commonly used type of fuel cell for power generation from digester gas in wastewater treatment plants is the molten carbonate fuel cell. This type of fuel cell can tolerate the impurities usually found in digester gas, such as CO2 and H2S; however, this kind of fuel cell systems is more suitable for large wastewater treatment plants. This prevents the use of fuel cells for power generation from digester gas in wastewater treatment plants serving medium and small size cities, or even farms. This research attempts to explore solutions to make fuel cell technologies technically and economically feasible for medium and small size wastewater treatment plants. The most suitable type of fuel cells for small applications is the Proton Exchange Membrane, PEM, fuel cell. The main challenge in using PEM fuel cells for power recovery from digester gas is that they are highly sensitive to impurities in its hydrogen gas supply. Therefore, in order to use PEM fuel cells in this application, energy must be spent in cleaning the digester gas before it enters the PEM fuel cell and reformer system. Energy is also required in the form of heat by the reformer system to produce the hydrogen needed by the fuel cell. Both the energy used in the cleaning of the digester gas and the hydrogen generation process comes from burning part of the digester gas. This reduces the amount of digester gas available for hydrogen production and electricity generation, respectively. The approach followed in this investigation seeks to develop a Simulink® model of the reformer and fuel cell so that the modeling tools of Matlab® can be used to simulate the performance of the system under different operating conditions. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to identify critical operating parameters affecting the performance of the overall system. The results obtained in this work provide guidelines for future studies of performance optimization and optimal control using the tools available in Matlab®, in order to get maximum electricity generation from digester gas using PEM fuel cell systems.
Shuang Yu, Peng Dou, Yue Yin et al.
Research Square · 2021
Abstract A constructed wetland (CW) coupled microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that treats wastewater and generates electricity was constructed. The total phosphorus in the simulated domestic sewage was used as the treatment target, and the optimal phosphorus removal effect and electricity generation were determined by comparing the changes in substrates, hydraulic retention times, and microorganisms. The mechanism underlying phosphorus removal was also analyzed. The experimental results showed that the best removal efficiencies of the two CW-MFC systems that used magnesia and garnet as substrates were 80.3% and 92.4%, respectively. Phosphorus removal by the garnet matrix mainly depends on a complex adsorption process whereas the magnesia system relies on ion exchange reactions. The CW-MFC system can also generate electricity. The highest output voltage and stable voltage of the garnet system were both higher than those of the magnesia system. The maximum stable voltage of the garnet device was 500 mV, while that of the magnesia device was 290 mV. The microorganisms in the soil and in the electrode within the wetland sediments also substantially changed, indicating that microorganisms positively respond to the removal of organic matter and power generation. Combining the advantages of constructed wetlands and microbial fuel cells also improves phosphorus removal in the coupled system. Therefore, when studying a CW-MFC system, the selection of electrode materials, matrix, and system structure should be taken into account in order to find a method that will improve the power generation capacity of the system and remove phosphorus.
Munawar Ali, Aerani Arifani Widodo
JURNAL ENVIROTEK · 2019
Limbah cair Rumah Pemotongan Hewan (RPH) mengandung bahan organik dengan konsentrasi tinggi, padatan tersuspensi, serta bahan koloid seperti lemak, protein, dan selulosa. Bahan organik ini dapat menimbulkan berbagai permasalahan lingkungan jika dibuang langsung ke badan air. Oleh karena itu, pengolahan limbah cair RPH perlu dilakukan untuk meminimasi potensi pencemaran lingkungan. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) adalah salah satu alternatif pengolahan air limbah dan penghasil bioenergi listrik yang dapat terbarukan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui kuat arus listrik dan power density yang dihasilkan oleh MFC dan menurunkan kadar COD pada limbah cair RPH. Pada penelitian ini digunakan reaktor dual-chamber MFC dengan variasi jenis elektroda dan lama waktu inkubasi substrat selama 120 jam penelitian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa MFC menghasilkan kuat arus listrik maksimum sebesar 2,14 mA dan power density maksimum sebesar 4738,55 mW/m2 oleh reaktor C. Reaktor MFC mampu menurunkan kadar COD limbah cair RPH hingga 71% dengan lama waktu inkubasi substrat 10 hari.
Iori Kazama, Yuji Aso, Tomonari Tanaka et al.
Energies · 2023
In this paper, we presented a novel microbial fuel cell (bMFC) structure, with a bipolar membrane separating the anode and cathode chambers. A bipolar membrane divides the bMFC into anode and cathode chambers. The bipolar membrane comprises anion and cation exchange layers. The anode chamber side has the cation exchange layer, while the cathode chamber side has the anion exchange layer. The anode chamber of the bMFC was loaded with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and lactic acid, while the cathode chamber was loaded with pure water and iron (III) hydroxide. The bMFC generated electrons for 20 days at a maximum current density of 30 mA/m2 and the ohmic resistance value was estimated to be 500 Ω. During the operation of the bMFC, both the anode and cathode chambers kept anaerobic conditions. There was no platinum catalyst in the cathode chamber, which is required for the reaction of protons with oxygen. Therefore, oxygen could not serve as an electron acceptor in the bMFC. We considered a bMFC mechanism in which protons produced by S. oneidensis react with hydroxide ions, the counter anions of Fe3+, inside the bipolar membrane to produce water. In other words, the electron acceptor in bMFC would be Fe3+.
Praveena Gangadharan, Indumathi M. Nambi
Water Science and Technology · 2014
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is utilized to treat hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from wastewater and to generate electricity simultaneously. The Cr(VI) is bioelectrochemically reduced to non-toxic Cr(III) form in the presence of an organic electron donor in a dual-chambered MFC. The Cr(VI) as catholyte and artificial wastewater inoculated with anaerobic sludge as anolyte, Cr(VI) at 100 mg/L was completely removed within 48 h (initial pH value 2.0). The total amount of Cr recovered was 99.87% by the precipitation of Cr(III) on the surface of the cathode. In addition to that 78.4% of total organic carbon reduction was achieved at the anode chamber within 13 days of operation. Furthermore, the maximum power density of 767.01 mW/m2 (2.08 mA/m2) was achieved by MFCs at ambient conditions. The present work has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using MFCs for simultaneous energy production from wastewater and reduction of toxic Cr(VI) to non-toxic Cr(III).