Electricity Generation from Organic Wastewater Using a Continuous-Flow Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

A continuous Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (SC-MFC) was investigated systemically in this study. When fed by synthetic wastewater, with a 400mg/l COD concentration the maximum power density of the MFC was 71.5mW/m² (at 0.8 A/m²). With a NaCl concentration of 0.1M put into the influent, it increased from 42.0 mW/m² (at 0.25 A/m²) to 141.7mW/m² (at 1.1A/m²), and the internal resistance also decreased significantly from 300Ω to 77Ω. The optimal operation temperature was 30°C, with a power density of 140.7mW/m² (at 1.0 A/m²). When fed by starch processing wastewater, the average power density of the MFC was 100mW/m², while fed by the effluent from an anaerobic reactor treating the starch wastewater; it was 90mW/m². Different substrates resulted in significant influence on microbial community on the anode of the MFC, while the anode connected into the circuit or not did not cause obvious difference in the microbial community structure.

Key findings

• ▸5mW/m² (at 0.
• ▸8 A/m²).
• ▸1M put into the influent, it increased from 42.
• ▸0 mW/m² (at 0.
• ▸25 A/m²) to 141.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1149/1.3036208

Journal

ECS Transactions

Year

2008