Stackable and submergible microbial fuel cell modules for wastewater treatment.

The stackable and submergible microbial fuel cell (SS-MFC) system was fabricated consisting of three MFC modules (#1, #2 and #3) that were immersed in an anaerobic tank as a 30 L anode compartment. Each module consisted of the anion exchange membrane-membrane electrode assembly (A-MEA) and cation exchange membrane-MEA (C-MEA). Two MEAs shared a cathode compartment in the module and the three modules shared a anode compartment The SS-MFC system was operated with two phase. After batch feeding (phase I), the system was operated under continuous mode (phase II) with different organic concentrations (from 50 to 1000 mg/L) and different hydraulic retention times (HRT; from 3.4 to 7.2 h). The SS-MFC system successfully produced a stable voltage. A-MEA generated a lower power density than the C-MEA because of the former's high activation and resistance loss. C-MEA showed a higher average maximum power density (3.16 W/m(3)) than A-MEA (2.82 W/m(3)) at 70 mL/min (HRT of 7.2 h). The current density increased as the organic concentration was increased from 70 to 1000 mg/L in a manner consistent with Monod kinetics. When the HRT was increased from 3.4 to 7.2 h, the power densities of the C-MEAs increased from 34.3-40.9 to 40.7-45.7 mW/m(2), but those of the A-MEAs decreased from 25.3-48.0 to 27.7-40.9 mW/m(2). Although power generation was affected by HRT, organic concentrations, and separator types, the proposed SS-MFC modules can be applied to existing wastewater treatment plants.

Prediction of bio-methane potential and two-stage anaerobic digestion of starfish.

The present work reports the first ever evaluation of the biological CH4 potential (BMP) of starfish, classified as invasive species. Since starfish contain a large amount of inorganic matter, only the supernatant obtained through grinding and centrifugation was used for BMP test. By applying response surface methodology, the individual and interactive effects of three parameters, inoculum/substrate ratios, substrate concentrations, and buffer capacities on CH4 production were investigated, and the maximum CH4 yield of 334 mL CH4/g COD was estimated. In addition, continuous CH4 production was attempted using a two-stage (acidogenic sequencing batch reactor+methanogenic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASBr)) fermentation process. Acidification efficiency was maximized at 2 days of hydraulic retention time with valerate, butyrate, and acetate as main acids, and these were converted to CH4 with showing 296 mL CH4/g COD added. Overall, the two-stage fermentation process could convert 44% of organic content in whole starfish to CH4.

Enhanced power production of a membrane electrode assembly microbial fuel cell (MFC) using a cost effective poly [2,5-benzimidazole] (ABPBI) impregnated non-woven fabric filter.

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) microbial fuel cell (MFC) with a non-woven paper fabric filter (NWF) was investigated as an alternative to a proton exchange membrane (PEM) separator. The MFC with a NWF generated a cell voltage of 545 mV and a maximum power density of 1027 mW/m(3), which was comparable to that obtained from MFCs with a PEM (551 mV, 609 mW/m(3)). The MFC with a NWF showed stable cell performance (550 mV) over 300 days, whereas, the MFC with PEM performance decreased significantly from 551 mV to 415 mV due to biofilm formation and chemical precipitation on the membrane surface. Poly [2,5-benzimidazole] (ABPBI) was evaluated with respect to its capacity to increased proton conductivity and contact between separator and electrodes. The overall performance of the MFC with ABPBI was improved by enhancing the ion conductivity and steric contact, producing 766 mW/m(3) at optimum loading of 50 mg ABPBI/cm(2).

Enhancing factors of electricity generation in a microbial fuel cell using Geobacter sulfurreducens.

In this study, we investigated various cultural and operational factors to enhance electricity generation in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) using Geobacter sulfurreducens. The pure culture of G. sulfurreducens was cultivated using various substrates including acetate, malate, succinate, and butyrate, with fumarate as an electron acceptor. Cell growth was observed only in acetate-fed medium, when the cell concentrations increased 4-fold for 3 days. A high acetate concentration suppressed electricity generation. As the acetate concentration was increased from 5 to 20 mM, the power density dropped from 16 to 13 mW/m2, whereas the coulombic efficiency (CE) declined by about half. The immobilization of G. sulfurreducens on the anode considerably reduced the enrichment period from 15 to 7 days. Using argon gas to create an anaerobic condition in the anode chamber led to increased pH, and electricity generation subsequently dropped. When the plain carbon paper cathode was replaced by Pt-coated carbon paper (0.5 mg Pt/cm2), the CE increased greatly from 39% to 83%.

Directly applicable microbial fuel cells in aeration tank for wastewater treatment.

The application of microbial fuel cell (MFC) for wastewater treatment is a promising strategy for the simultaneous treatment of pollutants and generation of electricity. However, for practical application, there are several limitations to the MFC that involve biological and engineering aspects. In this study, a single-chambered MFC able to submerge into the aeration tank of the activated sludge process was developed to optimize the cell configuration and electrode materials. Among four MFCs with different electrode materials, the MFC with a graphite felt (GF) anode and a GF cathode showed the highest power density of 16.7 W m(-3) and the lowest internal resistance of 17 Omega. When the blower was stopped to evaluate the effect of mixing intensity, the concentration of dissolved oxygen nevertheless remained at 8 mg O2 L(-1), and the cell voltage of MFCs dropped rapidly and reached 30 mV. However, the cell voltage immediately returned to around 200 mV after the blowing of air. The MFCs with a GF cathode were sensitive to mixing intensity. At the very low concentration of 0.2 mg O2 L(-1), the cell voltage remained at a high level of 200 mV when the oxygen close to the cathode remained and mixing was sufficient.

Application of biocathode in microbial fuel cells: cell performance and microbial community.

Instead of the utilization of artificial redox mediators or other catalysts, a biocathode has been applied in a two-chamber microbial fuel cell in this study, and the cell performance and microbial community were analyzed. After a 2-month startup, the microorganisms of each compartment in microbial fuel cell were well developed, and the output of microbial fuel cell increased and became stable gradually, in terms of electricity generation. At 20 ml/min flow rate of the cathodic influent, the maximum power density reached 19.53 W/m3, while the corresponding current and cell voltage were 15.36 mA and 223 mV at an external resistor of 14.9 Omega, respectively. With the development of microorganisms in both compartments, the internal resistance decreased from initial 40.2 to 14.0 Omega, too. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that five major groups of the clones were categorized among those 26 clone types derived from the cathode microorganisms. Betaproteobacteria was the most abundant division with 50.0% (37 of 74) of the sequenced clones in the cathode compartment, followed by 21.6% (16 of 74) Bacteroidetes, 9.5% (7 of 74) Alphaproteobacteria, 8.1% (6 of 74) Chlorobi, 4.1% (3 of 74) Deltaproteobacteria, 4.1% (3 of 74) Actinobacteria, and 2.6% (2 of 74) Gammaproteobacteria.