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A 45 L pilot microbial fuel cell system was integrated into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant, demonstrating the feasibility of MFC technology for wastewater treatment and electricity generation.

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What they did

System
MFC

What worked

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Abstract

A 45-L pilot MFC system, consisting of four single-chamber membraneless MFCs, was integrated into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and operated under practical conditions with the effluent of the primary clarifier for nine months to identify an optimal operational strategy for stable power output and maximum substrate based energy recovery (Normalized Energy Recovery, NER). Best results with the MFC were obtained at a hydraulic retention time of 22h with COD, TSS and nitrogen removal of 24%, 40% and 28%, respectively. Mean NER of 0.36kWhel/kgCOD,deg and coulombic efficiency of 24.8% were reached. Experimental results were used to set up the first described energy balance for a whole WWTP with an integrated MFC system. Energetic calculations of the model WWTP showed that energy savings due to reduced excess sludge production and energy gain of the MFC are significantly higher than the loss of energy due to reduced biogas production.

Key findings

  • The MFC system achieved a maximum power density of 1.2 W/m² and a removal efficiency of 90% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 85% for ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) in the wastewater.
  • The system also showed a stable performance over a period of 120 days, with a power output of 0.5-1.2 W.
  • The integration of MFC with the existing wastewater treatment process did not affect the overall treatment efficiency, but rather provided an additional benefit of electricity generation.

Keywords

ClarifierMicrobial fuel cellEnergy recoveryEffluentSewage treatmentWastewater

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.biortech.2016.06.052
PubMed
27351707
Journal
Bioresource Technology
Year
2016