Relationship of methane and electricity production in two-chamber microbial fuel cell using sewage sludge as substrate

The relationship of methane and electricity production from sewage sludge in a two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was studied. The results showed that methane production in the anode chamber could enhance the electricity production from sewage sludge, and the output voltage of the MFC with methane production (0.505–0.600 V) was higher than that of the MFC without it (0.506–0.576 V) in the stable electricity-producing stage. The polarization curves analysis of the two MFCs suggested that methane production could improve the performance characteristics of the MFC. Simultaneous methane and electricity production from sludge in the two-chamber MFC could maintain the mixed sludge in a suitable pH range in the anode chamber for electricity production. Meanwhile, simultaneous methane and electricity production could enhance the hydrolysis of sludge, which increased the reduction of sludge concentration (about 8.31% VSS) and offered more substrates to alleviate the competition between methane and electricity production. Additionally, the addition of 2-Bromoethanesulfonate (BES) could substantially affect the dominant archaea but had little effect on the dominant bacteria in the anode chamber.     

Study on synergistic mechanism of PANDAN modification,current and electroactive biofilms on Congo red decolorization in microbial fuel cells

Effect on microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for decolorization of Congo red by Poly (aniline-1,8-diaminonaphthalene) (PANDAN) modification, current and electroactive biofilms (EABs) is investigated. With the synergism of the three factors: PANDAN modification, current and EABs (A2 reactor), the COD removal and decolorization rate significantly increase to 88% and 97%, as well as the Congo red is thoroughly degraded. The decolorization performance comparison and Redundancy analysis (RDA) results indicate that the EABs take more responsibility (contribute ~ 50%) for the decolorization, rather than the modification and current. Therefore, the effects and mechanism of PANDAN modification and current on EABs are further revealed by the Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM) and high-throughput sequencing analysis. The effects of current (anodic dynamical microenvironment), material adsorption, and electron transfer mediating act comprehensively on the thickness, viability, EPS and microbial community of the EABs, among which the relationship is discussed in depth by hierarchically comparison, with “independent and additional effects”. It is demonstrated that the modification, current and EABs present the synergistic effect and promote each other in the performance of the decolorization MFC.     

Performance comparison of up-flow microbial fuel cells fabricated using proton exchange membrane and earthen cylinder

Continuous bioelectricity generation was studied in a novel up-flow bio-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC). The performance of MFC-1, employing commercially available proton exchange membrane (PEM), was evaluated under different organic loading rates (OLRs). Maximum volumetric power density of 10.04 W m⁻³ was obtained in MFC-1 at the OLR of 0.923 kg COD m⁻³ d⁻¹. Overall chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency more than 90% was achieved under all the OLRs. The performance of MFC-1 was compared with MFC-2, in which the inner anode chamber was made up of earthen cylinder, without employing polymer membrane. MFC-2 generated maximum volumetric power density of 14.59 W m⁻³ at OLR of 0.923 kg COD m⁻³ d⁻¹, which was 46% higher than that produced in MFC-1. The internal resistance of MFC-1 (96 Ω) was higher than MFC-2 (69 Ω). The earthen cylinder MFC demonstrated better COD removal and power generation than the MFC employing PEM.     

Effects of mediator producer and dissolved oxygen on electricity generation in a baffled stacking microbial fuel cell treating high strength molasses wastewater

The effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pyocyanin, and influent dissolved oxygen (DO) on the electricity generation in a baffled stacking microbial fuel cell (MFC) treating high strength molasses wastewater were investigated. The result shows that the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 500–1000 mg l⁻¹ had the optimal substrate-energy conversion rate. The addition of a low density of P. aeruginosa (8.2 mg l⁻¹) or P. aeruginosa with pyocyanin improved the COD removal and power generation. This improvement could be attributed to the enhancement of electron transfer with the help of redox mediators. Influent DO at a concentration of up to 1.22 mg l⁻¹ did not inhibit the electricity generation. Large proportions of COD, organic-N and total-N were removed by the MFC. The MFC effluent was highly biodegradable. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis shows that the added pyocyanin resided in the MFC for up to 14 days. An analysis of anode voltage reveals that microbial proton transport to the cathode was importantly responsible for the internal resistance.     

Improved performance of air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment using microfiltration membranes and multiple sludge inoculation

Substantial optimization and cost reduction are required before microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be practically applied. We show here the performance improvement of an air-cathode single-chamber MFC by using a microfiltration membrane (MFM) on the water-facing side of the cathode and using multiple aerobic sludge (AES), anaerobic sludge (ANS), and wetland sediment (WLS) as anodic inoculums. Batch test results show that the MFC with an MFM resulted in an approximately two-fold increase in maximum power density compared to the MFC with a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The Coulombic efficiency increased from 4.17% to 5.16% in comparison with the membrane-less MFC, without a significant negative effect on power generation and internal resistance. Overall performance of the MFC was also improved by using multiple sludge inoculums in the anode. The MFC inoculated with ANS + WLS produced the greatest maximal power density of 373 mW m⁻² with a substantially low internal resistance of 38 Ω. Higher power density with a decreased internal resistance was also achieved in MFC inoculated with ANS + AES and ANS + AES + WLS in comparison with those inoculated with only one sludge. The MFCs inoculated with AES + ANS achieved the highest Coulombic efficiency. Over 92% COD was removed from confectionery wastewater in all tested MFCs, regardless of the membrane or inoculum used.     

Effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on nitrogen removal and electricity generation in self pH-buffer microbial fuel cell

A double-chamber self pH-buffer microbial fuel cell (MFC) was used to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on cathodic nitrification coupled with anodic denitrification MFC. It was found that nitrogen and COD removal, electricity generation were positively correlated with DO concentration in the cathode chamber. When total inorganic nitrogen of influent was 202.51 ± 7.82 mg/L at DO 6.8 mg/L, the maximum voltage output was 282 mV and the maximum power density was 149.76 mW/m². After 82 h operation, the highest removal rate of total inorganic nitrogen was 91.71 ± 0.38%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test showed that the internal resistance of the reactor with different DO concentration was related to the diffusion internal resistance. The data of bacterial analysis in the cathode chamber revealed that there were not only ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), but also a large number of exoelectrogens. Compared with the traditional biological denitrification and related MFC denitrification research, this method does not need pH-buffer solution and external circulation device through the anion exchange membrane (AEM). It can generate electricity and remove nitrogen simultaneously, and the oxygen utilization rate in the cathode can also be enhanced.     

Enhanced sludge stabilization coupled with microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

This study presents research results on electricity production from waste activated sludge using MFCs during stabilization process. Different MFC configurations equipped with various electrodes were used. Voltage measurements were continuously done during 35 days of MFC operation. Experimental results showed that bioelectricity generation was linked to volatile solids (VS) and protein reductions as a fraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Double chamber MFC reactor equipped with graphite electrodes had better power and current densities as 312.98 mW/m² and 39.07 μA/cm² while single chamber MFC equipped with titanium electrodes revealed better power and current densities as 97.60 mW/m² and 17.63 μA/cm², respectively. Molecular results indicated that power outputs of MFCs effected by diverse microbial communities in anode biofilms. Although organic matter degradation is reported as 35%–55% VS reduction for digesters, this research provided a promising approach for sludge stabilization with enhanced degrading of organic matters up to 75% by using MFCs.     

Harvest of electrical energy from fermented microalgal residue using a microbial fuel cell

The application of microalgal biomass for fermentation has been highlighted as a means of producing a range of value-added biofuels and chemicals. On the other hand, the microalgal residue from the fermentation process still contains as much as 50% organic contaminants, which can be a valuable substrate for further bioenergy recovery. In this study, a microbial fuel cell and automatic external load control by maximum power point tracking (MPPT) were implemented to harvest the electrical energy from waste fermented microalgal residue (FMR). The MFC with MPPT produced the highest amount of energy (1.82 kJ/L) compared to the other MFCs with fixed resistances: 0.98 (1000 Ω), 1.16 (500 Ω), and 1.17 kJ/L (300 Ω). The MFC with MPPT also showed the highest maximum power density (88.6 mW/m²) and COD removal efficiency (620.0 mg COD/L removal with 85% removal efficiency). The implementation of MPPT gained an approximate 12.9% energy yield compared to the previous fermentation stage. These results suggest that FMR can be an appropriate feedstock for electrical energy recovery using MFCs, and the combined fermentation and MFC system improves significantly the energy recovery and treatment efficiency from FMR.     

Production of electricity from the treatment of urban waste water using a microbial fuel cell

In this work, is studied the oxidation of the pollutants contained in an actual urban wastewater using a two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). By using an anaerobic pre-treatment of the activated sludge of an urban wastewater treatment plant, the electricity generation in a MFC was obtained after a short acclimatization period of less than 10 days. The power density generated was found to depend mainly on the organic matter contain (COD) but not on the wastewater flow-rate. Maximum power densities of 25 mW m⁻² (at a cell potential of 0.23 V) were obtained. The rate of consumption of oxygen in the cathodic chamber was very low. As the oxygen reduction is coupled with the COD oxidation in the anodic chamber, the COD removed by the electricity-generating process is very small. Thus, taking into account the oxygen consumption, it was concluded that only 0.25% of the removed COD was used for the electricity-generation processes. The remaining COD should be removed by anaerobic processes. The presence of oxygen in the anodic chamber leads to a deterioration of the MFC performance. This deterioration of the MFC process occurs rapidly after the appearance of non-negligible concentrations of oxygen. Hence, to assure a good performance of this type of MFC, the growth of algae should be avoided.     

Response of ceramic microbial fuel cells to direct anodic airflow and novel hydrogel cathodes

The presence of air in the anode chamber of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) might be unavoidable in some applications. This study purposely exposed the anodic biofilm to air for sustained cycles using ceramic cylindrical MFCs. A method for improving oxygen uptake at the cathode by utilising hydrogel was also trialled. MFCs only dropped by 2 mV in response to the influx of air. At higher air-flow rates (up to 1.1 L/h) after 43–45 h, power did eventually decrease because chemical oxygen demand (COD) was being consumed (up to 96% reduction), but recovered immediately with fresh feedstock, highlighting no permanent damage to the biofilm. Two months after the application of hydrogel to the cathode chamber, MFC power increased 182%, due to better contact between cathode and ceramic surface. The results suggest a novel way of improving MFC performance using hydrogels, and demonstrates the robustness of the electro-active biofilm both during and following exposure to air.     

Power generation from furfural using the microbial fuel cell

Furfural is a typical inhibitor in the ethanol fermentation process using lignocellulosic hydrolysates as raw materials. In the literature, no report has shown that furfural can be utilized as the fuel to produce electricity in the microbial fuel cell (MFC), a device that uses microbes to convert organic compounds to generate electricity. In this study, we demonstrated that electricity was successfully generated using furfural as the sole fuel in both the ferricyanide-cathode MFC and the air-cathode MFC. In the ferricyanide-cathode MFC, the maximum power densities reached 45.4, 81.4, and 103 W m⁻³, respectively, when 1000 mg L⁻¹ glucose, a mixture of 200 mg L⁻¹ glucose and 5 mM furfural, and 6.68 mM furfural were used as the fuels in the anode solution. The corresponding Coulombic efficiencies (CE) were 4.0, 7.1, and 10.2% for the three treatments, respectively. For pure furfural as the fuel, the removal efficiency of furfural reached up to 95% within 12 h. In the air-cathode MFC using 6.68 mM furfural as the fuel, the maximum values of power density and CE were 361 mW m⁻² (18 W m⁻³) and 30.3%, respectively, and the COD removal was about 68% at the end of the experiment (about 30 h). Increase in furfural concentrations from 6.68 to 20 mM resulted in increase in the maximum power densities from 361 to 368 mW m⁻², and decrease in CEs from 30.3 to 20.6%. These results indicated that some toxic and biorefractory organics such as furfural might still be suitable resources for electricity generation using the MFC technology.     

Microbial community dynamics and electricity generation in MFCs inoculated with POME sludges and pure electrogenic culture

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) requires treatment before disposal due to its high organic matter content. In this study, the electrical performance and wastewater treatment efficiency were evaluated for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) treating unsterile POME with chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 200 to 10 000 mg/L. Since the inoculum type is a key factor in MFC performance, three types of sludge (methanogenic sludge (MS), facultative sludge (FS), and dry sludge (DS), obtained from the current POME treatment ponds were evaluated as inoculum. Dry sludge (DS) developed a maximum power output of 3.30 W/m³ by oxidizing 71% out of the COD provided by POME (1000 mg/L). Also, raw POME microbiota contributed to an enrichment of the community in DS inoculum along with the operation, in which Geobacter was the predominant genus reaching a current generation of 247 mA/m² and a power density of 2.36 W/m³. Conversely, pure electrogenic (Shewanella sp.) inoculation led to a diversification process, resulting in a lower current generation of 52 mA/m² and a power density of 0.10 W/m³. Consequently, microbial community dynamics revealed that MFC inoculation tends to a microbial equilibrium wherein generation of high current density was achieved by gradual microbial enrichment rather than external electrogenic invasion.     

A graphite-granule membrane-less tubular air-cathode microbial fuel cell for power generation under continuously operational conditions

An air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an efficient and sustainable MFC configuration for recovering electrical energy from organic substances. In this paper, we developed a graphite-granule anode, tubular air-cathode MFC (GTMFC) capable of continuous electricity generation from glucose-based substrates. This GTMFC produced a maximum volumetric power of 50.2 W m⁻³ at current density of 216 A m⁻³ (R_EX = 22 Ω). Electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements demonstrated an overall internal resistance of 27 Ω, consisting of ohmic resistance of R_ohm = 13.8 Ω (51.1%), a charge-transfer resistance of R_c = 6.1 Ω (22.6%) and a diffusion resistance of R_d = 7.2 Ω (26.3%). Power generation with respect to initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration was described well by an exponential saturation model. Recirculation was to found to have a significant effect on electrochemical performance at low COD concentrations, while such effect was absent at high COD concentrations. This study suggests a feasible and simple method to reduce internal resistance and improve power generation of sustainable air-cathode MFCs.     

Improved performance of a tubular microbial fuel cell with a composite anode of graphite fiber brush and graphite granules

In this study, a composite electrode combined of a graphite fiber brush and carbon granules (MFC-GFB/GG) was adopted as the anode of a tubular microbial fuel cell (MFC). Compared with an MFC with graphite granules (MFC-GG) and an MFC with a graphite fiber brush (MFC-GFB), MFC-GFB/GG showed a longer lag time during the start-up process, while it reached the highest operating voltage at 50 Ω. Furthermore, during the stable operation, the MFC-GFB/GG achieved the highest power density of 66.9 ± 1.6 W m⁻³, which was about 5.3 and 1.2 times as that of MFC-GG and MFC-GFB, respectively. The highest performance of the MFC-GFB/GG can be attributed to the highest active biomass content on the electrode and the smallest internal resistance of the MFC. The optimum COD concentration was found to be 500 mg COD L⁻¹ for MFC-GFB/GG.     

Electrophoretic deposition of graphene oxide on carbon brush as bioanode for microbial fuel cell operated with real wastewater

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy harvesting. The properties of the anode material play a critical role in the performance of the MFC. In this study, graphene oxide was prepared by a modified hummer's method. A thin layer of graphene oxide was incorporated on the carbon brush using an electrophoretic technique. The deoxygenated graphene oxide formed on the surface of the carbon brush (RGO-CB) was investigated as a bio-anode in MFC operated with real wastewater. The performance of the MFC using the RGO-CB was compared with that using plain carbon brush anode (PCB). Results showed that electrophoretic deposition of graphene oxide on the surface of carbon brush significantly enhanced the performance of the MFC, where the power density increased more than 10 times (from 33 mWm^?2 to 381 mWm^?2). Although the COD removal was nearly similar for the two MFCs, i.e., with PCB and RGO-CB; the columbic efficiency significantly increased in the case of RGO-CB anode. The improved performance in the case of the modified electrode was related to the role of the graphene in improving the electron transfer from the microorganism to the anode surface, as confirmed from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements.     

Optimizing energy harvest in wastewater treatment by combining anaerobic hydrogen producing biofermentor (HPB) and microbial fuel cell (MFC)

This study focused on the optimization of energy harvest from wastewater treatment by integrating two novel biotechnologies: anaerobic hydrogen production and microbial fuel cell (MFC). The simultaneous production of hydrogen and electricity from wastewater was examined at continuous flow at different organic loading rates (OLR) by changing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The experimental results showed that the specific hydrogen yield (SHY, mole H₂/mole glucose) increased with the decrease in OLR, and reached at the maximum value of 2.72 mol H₂/mole glucose at the lowest OLR of 4 g/L.d. The effluent from hydrogen producing biofermentor (HPB) was fed to a single chamber MFC (SCMFC), obtaining the highest power density and coulombic efficiency (CE) of 4200 mW/m³ and 5.3%, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) increased with OLR and reached the peak value of 4.24% at the OLR of 2.35 g/L.d, but decreased with higher OLR. It was demonstrated that the combination of HPB and MFC improved the ECE and COD removal with the maximum total ECE of 29% and COD removal of 71%. The kinetic analysis was conducted for the HPB-MFC hybrid system. The maximum hydrogen production was projected to be 2.85 mol H₂/mole glucose. The maximum energy recovery and COD removal efficiency from MFC were projected to be 559 J/L and 97%, respectively.     

Photoautotrophic microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus attached on a cathode as oxygen producers for microbial fuel cell (MFC) operation

Photoautotrophic algae Scenedismus obliquus could attach on the surface of a cathode electrode and produced oxygen for electricity generation in microbial fuel cell (MFC). Oxygen concentration by algae aeration in the cathode chamber increased from 0 to 15.7 mg/l within 12-h, and a voltage generation of 0.47 ± 0.03 V was obtained with 1000 Ω external resistance. In polarization test, MFC with algal aeration exhibited the maximum power density of 153 mW/m², which was 32% higher than the value (116 mW/m²) with mechanical aeration at oxygen concentration of 5.9 mg/l. The internal resistance of MFC with algal aeration decreased in ohmic resistance (5.9–5.2 Ω) and charge transfer resistance (9.6–7.2 Ω) over 72-h operation. Cyclic voltammetry of cathode during algal aeration revealed higher reduction current of −9.3 mA compared to mechanical aeration (−4.7 mA).     

Graphite nanopowder functionalized 3-D acrylamide polymeric anode for enhanced performance of microbial fuel cell

3-D highly conductive polyvinyl formaldehyde sponges functionalized with acrylamide are fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol with varying concentrations of graphite nanopowder. The properties of the fabricated anodes are analyzed and its application in microbial fuel cells is evaluated. A comparative study with Graphite felt is also performed to evaluate its commercial viability. The presence of Hydroxyl and Amine functional groups enhanced the hydrophilic and biocompatible nature of the synthesized anodes. The phylogenetic analysis substantiated the biocompatible nature and mercury porosimetry showed macroporous nature of the fabricated anode. The highest power density of ~8 W/m² is recorded for C10 establishing solid biofilm formation. A ~94% COD removal revealed the versatility of the anode for MFC based wastewater treatment. The MFC performance was twice than that of control and was also highest among the most reported modified 3-D anodes. The durability study displayed the commercial opportunity of the anode for real-time MFC operation.     

Power generation of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 microbial fuel cells in bamboo fermentation effluent

This study successfully demonstrates the recovery of energy from the effluent of hydrogen fermentation (EHF) by generating electrical power in batch dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The effluent obtained from the hydrogen fermentation process of pretreated liquid on Bambusa stenostachya Hack. bamboo which contained organic compounds such as acetate, lactate, and butyrate as carbon sources for Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and other electro-active microorganisms. Two scenarios of the anolyte of MFC were considered. The first case comprises a supply of 10 mM of lactate in hydrogen fermentation wastewater while the second one is without lactate-supply. The power density and current density of these MFCs were determined to be 0.3–0.6 W/m² and 1.7–2.7 A/m², respectively. The highest voltage generating from MFC without lactate addition was 0.76 V while others were around 0.65 V. The percentage of COD removal on the effluent of hydrogen fermentation ranged from 75% to 83% after 8 operational days followed by the acclimation process. The differences in the impedance characteristics of these MFCs were analyzed by using EIS technique. The average thickness of biofilm formation on the anode electrode was from 7 μm to 23 μm which showed the enhanced electricity production of the MFC system. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrated that the performance of MFC without the lactate supply was better than the other one. Also, its lower substrate consumption efficiency was mentioned.     

Bioelectricity production on xylose with a compost enrichment culture

An exoelectrogenic culture was enriched on 1.0 g/L xylose from a compost sample in two-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Electricity production was optimized by changing mixing type, external resistance, xylose concentration and pH. Furthermore, the changes in microbial communities after each optimization step were monitored with PCR-DGGE. Electricity production was highly dependent on operational conditions that affected power densities (PD), Coulombic efficiencies (CE), substrate degradation, utilization of soluble metabolites for electricity production and stability of MFC performance. The optimum operational conditions for electricity production were without mixing, 100 Ω external resistance, 0.5 g/L xylose and pH 7. With optimized operational conditions PD of 590 mW/m² and CE of 82% were obtained. Microbial community composition, consisting mainly of Geobacter sulfurreducens, Escherichia coli, Sphaerochaeta sp. TQ1 and Bacteroides species, was mainly affected by MFC configuration, i.e. electrical connections, which likely affected the anode potential.