Continuous electricity generation from domestic wastewater and organic substrates in a flat plate microbial fuel cell

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device that converts organic matter to electricity using microorganisms as the biocatalyst. Most MFCs contain two electrodes separated into one or two chambers that are operated as a completely mixed reactor. In this study, a flat plate MFC (FPMFC) was designed to operate as a plug flow reactor (no mixing) using a combined electrode/proton exchange membrane (PEM) system. The reactor consisted of a single channel formed between two nonconductive plates that were separated into two halves by the electrode/PEM assembly. Each electrode was placed on an opposite side of the PEM, with the anode facing the chamber containing the liquid phase and the cathode facing a chamber containing only air. Electricity generation using the FPMFC was examined by continuously feeding a solution containing wastewater, or a specific substrate, into the anode chamber. The system was initially acclimated for 1 month using domestic wastewater orwastewater enriched with a specific substrate such as acetate. Average power density using only domestic wastewater was 72+/-1 mW/m2 at a liquid flow rate of 0.39 mL/min [42% COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal, 1.1 h HRT (hydraulic retention time)]. At a longer HRT = 4.0 h, there was 79% COD removal and an average power density of 43+/-1 mW/m2. Power output was found to be a function of wastewater strength according to a Monod-type relationship, with a half-saturation constant of Ks = 461 or 719 mg COD/L. Power generation was sustained at high rates with several organic substrates (all at approximately 1000 mg COD/L), including glucose (212+/-2 mW/ m2), acetate (286+/-3 mW/m2), butyrate (220+/-1 mW/ m2), dextran (150+/-1 mW/m2), and starch (242+/-3 mW/ m2). These results demonstrate the versatility of power generation in a MFC with a variety of organic substrates and show that power can be generated at a high rate in a continuous flow reactor system.     

Electricity generation using an air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cell in the presence and absence of a proton exchange membrane

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are typically designed as a two-chamber system with the bacteria in the anode chamber separated from the cathode chamber by a polymeric proton exchange membrane (PEM). Most MFCs use aqueous cathodes where water is bubbled with air to provide dissolved oxygen to electrode. To increase energy output and reduce the cost of MFCs, we examined power generation in an air-cathode MFC containing carbon electrodes in the presence and absence of a polymeric proton exchange membrane (PEM). Bacteria present in domestic wastewater were used as the biocatalyst, and glucose and wastewater were tested as substrates. Power density was found to be much greater than typically reported for aqueous-cathode MFCs, reaching a maximum of 262 +/- 10 mW/m2 (6.6 +/- 0.3 mW/L; liquid volume) using glucose. Removing the PEM increased the maximum power density to 494 +/- 21 mW/m2 (12.5 +/- 0.5 mW/L). Coulombic efficiency was 40-55% with the PEM and 9-12% with the PEM removed, indicating substantial oxygen diffusion into the anode chamber in the absence of the PEM. Power output increased with glucose concentration according to saturation-type kinetics, with a half saturation constant of 79 mg/L with the PEM-MFC and 103 mg/L in the MFC without a PEM (1000 omega resistor). Similar results on the effect of the PEM on power density were found using wastewater, where 28 +/- 3 mW/m2 (0.7 +/- 0.1 mW/L) (28% Coulombic efficiency) was produced with the PEM, and 146 +/- 8 mW/m2 (3.7 +/- 0.2 mW/L) (20% Coulombic efficiency) was produced when the PEM was removed. The increase in power output when a PEM was removed was attributed to a higher cathode potential as shown by an increase in the open circuit potential. An analysis based on available anode surface area and maximum bacterial growth rates suggests that mediatorless MFCs may have an upper order-of-magnitude limit in power density of 10(3) mW/m2. A cost-effective approach to achieving power densities in this range will likely require systems that do not contain a polymeric PEM in the MFC and systems based on direct oxygen transfer to a carbon cathode.     

Substrate-enhanced microbial fuel cells for improved remote power generation from sediment-based systems

A sediment microbial fuel cell (MFC) produces electricity through the bacterial oxidation of organic matter contained in the sediment. The power density is limited, however, due in part to the low organic matter content of most marine sediments. To increase power generation from these devices, particulate substrates were added to the anode compartment. Three materials were tested: two commercially available chitin products differing in particle size and biodegradability (Chitin 20 and Chitin 80) and cellulose powder. Maximum power densities using chitin in this substrate-enhanced sediment MFC (SEM) were 76 +/- 25 and 84 +/- 10 mW/m2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area) for Chitin 20 and Chitin 80, respectively, versus less than 2 mW/m2 for an unamended control. Power generation over a 10 day period averaged 64 +/- 27 mW/ m2 (Chitin 20) and 76 +/- 15 mW/m2 (Chitin 80). With cellulose, a similar maximum power was initially generated (83 +/- 3 mW/m2), but power rapidly decreased after only 20 h. Maximum power densities over the next 5 days varied substantially among replicate cellulose-fed reactors, ranging from 29 +/- 12 to 62 +/- 23 mW/m2. These results suggest a new approach to power generation in remote areas based on the use of particulate substrates. While the longevity of the SEM was relatively short in these studies, it is possible to increase operation times by controlling particle size, mass, and type of material needed to achieve desired power levels that could theoretically be sustained over periods of years or even decades.     

Increased power generation in a continuous flow MFC with advective flow through the porous anode and reduced electrode spacing

The maximum power generated in a single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) has previously been shown to increase when the spacing between the electrodes is decreased from 4 to 2 cm. However, the maximum power from a MFC with glucose (500 mg/L) decreased from 811 mW/ m2 (R(ex) = 200 omega, Coulombic efficiency of CE = 28%) to 423 mW/m2 (R(ex) = 500 omega, CE = 18%) when the electrode spacing was decreased from 2 to 1 cm (batch mode operation, power normalized by cathode projected area). This decrease in power was unexpected as the internal resistance decreased from 35 omega (2-cm spacing) to 16 omega (1-cm spacing). However, providing advective flow through the porous anode toward the cathode substantially increased power, resulting in the highest maximum power densities yet achieved in an air-cathode system using glucose or domestic wastewater as substrates. For glucose, with a 1-cm electrode spacing and flow through the anode with continuous flow operation of the MFC, the maximum power increased to 1540 mW/m2 (51 W/m3) and the CE increased to 60%. Using domestic wastewater (255 +/- 10 mg of COD/L), the maximum power density was 464 mW/m2 (15.5 W/m3; CE = 27%). Although flow through the anode could lead to plugging, especially for particulate substrates such as domestic wastewater, the system was operated using glucose for over 42 days without clogging. These results show that power output in this air-cathode single-chamber MFC can be increased by reducing the electrode spacing if the reactors are operated in continuous flow mode with advective flow through the anode toward the cathode.     

Production of electricity from acetate or butyrate using a single-chamber microbial fuel cell

Hydrogen can be recovered by fermentation of organic material rich in carbohydrates, but much of the organic matter remains in the form of acetate and butyrate. An alternative to methane production from this organic matter is the direct generation of electricity in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Electricity generation using a single-chambered MFC was examined using acetate or butyrate. Power generated with acetate (800 mg/L) (506 mW/m2 or 12.7 mW/ L) was up to 66% higher than that fed with butyrate (1000 mg/L) (305 mW/m2 or 7.6 mW/L), demonstrating that acetate is a preferred aqueous substrate for electricity generation in MFCs. Power output as a function of substrate concentration was well described by saturation kinetics, although maximum power densities varied with the circuit load. Maximum power densities and half-saturation constants were Pmax = 661 mW/m2 and Ks = 141 mg/L for acetate (218 ohms) and Pmax = 349 mW/m2 and Ks = 93 mg/L for butyrate (1000 ohms). Similar open circuit potentials were obtained in using acetate (798 mV) or butyrate (795 mV). Current densities measured for stable power outputwere higher for acetate (2.2 A/m2) than those measured in MFCs using butyrate (0.77 A/m2). Cyclic voltammograms suggested that the main mechanism of power production in these batch tests was by direct transfer of electrons to the electrode by bacteria growing on the electrode and not by bacteria-produced mediators. Coulombic efficiencies and overall energy recovery were 10-31 and 3-7% for acetate and 8-15 and 2-5% for butyrate, indicating substantial electron and energy losses to processes other than electricity generation. These results demonstrate that electricity generation is possible from soluble fermentation end products such as acetate and butyrate, but energy recoveries should be increased to improve the overall process performance.     

阳电极面积对微生物燃料电池产电性能的影响

微生物燃料电池（MFC）最具应用前景之一是处理废水的同时能够产生电能。以糖蜜废水作为阳极基质,以金属离子的电镀废水做阴极溶液,研究了双室微生物燃料电池不同电极面积对产电性能和COD的影响。结果发现,当外电阻为300Q时,大反应器微生物燃料电池A．（阳极面积为78．15cm^2）及小反应器微生物燃料电池～（阳极面积为76．8cm^2）最大功率密度分别为0．28mW／cm^2和0．22mW／cm^2。在前200个小时内,A：电池在第60个小时时产生最大电压71．1mV和最大电流189．5μA,A,在第190个小时时产生最大电压81．1mV和最大电流228．1μA。同时,当Zn^2＋作阴极溶液时,小反应器微生物燃料电池阳极溶液的COD去除率在1．5％到7．02％之间,大反应器微生物燃料电池阳极溶液的COD去除率在0到14．96％之间。阴极中Zn^2＋去除率A1中为28．6％,A2为21．2％。     

Electricity generation by Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1

Bacteria able to generate electricity in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are of great interest, but there are few strains capable of high power production in these systems. Here we report that the phototrophic purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris DX-1, isolated from an MFC, produced electricity at higher power densities (2720 +/- 60 mW/m2) than mixed cultures in the same device. While Rhodopseudomonas species are known for their ability to generate hydrogen, they have not previously been shown to generate power in an MFC, and current was generated without the need for light or hydrogen production. Strain DX-1 utilizes a wide variety of substrates (volatile acids, yeast extract, and thiosulfate) for power production in different metabolic modes, making it highly useful for studying power generation in MFCs and generating power from a range of simple and complex sources of organic matter. These results demonstrate that a phototrophic purple nonsulfur bacterium can efficiently generate electricity by direct electron transfer in MFCs, providing another model microorganism for MFC investigations.     

Enhanced power from chambered benthic microbial fuel cells

We describe a new chamber-based benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC) that incorporates a suspended, high surface area and semi-enclosed anode to improve performance. In Yaquina Bay, OR, two chambered BMFC prototypes generated current continuously for over 200 days. One BMFC was pumped intermittently, which produced power densities more than an order of magnitude greater than those achieved by previous BMFCs with single buried graphite-plate anodes. On average, the continuous power densities with pumping were 233 mW/m2 (2.3 W/m3); peak values were 380 mW/m2 (3.8 W/m3), and performance improved over the time of the deployments. Without pumping, high power densities could similarly be achieved after either BMFC was allowed to rest at open circuit. A third chambered BMFC with a 0.4 m2 footprint was deployed at a cold seep in Monterey Canyon, CA to test the new design in an environment with natural advection. The power density increased 5-fold (140 mW/m2 vs 28 mW/m2) when low-pressure check valves allowed unidirectional flow through the chamber.     

Treatment of alcohol distillery wastewater using a Bacteroidetes-dominant thermophilic microbial fuel cell

Simultaneous electricity generation and distillery wastewater (DWW) treatment were accomplished using a thermophilic microbial fuel cell (MFC). The results suggest that thermophilic MFCs, which require less energy for cooling the DWW, can achieve high efficiency for electricity generation and also reduce sulfate along with oxidizing complex organic substrates. The generated current density (2.3 A/m(2)) and power density (up to 1.0 W/m(2)) were higher than previous wastewater-treating MFCs. The significance of the high Coulombic efficiency (CE; up to 89%) indicated that electrical current was the most significant electron sink in thermophilic MFCs. Bacterial diversity based on pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that known Deferribacteres and Firmicutes members were not dominant in the thermophilic MFC fed with DWW; instead, uncharacterized Bacteroidetes thermophiles were up to 52% of the total reads in the anode biofilm. Despite the complexity of the DWW, one single bacterial sequence (OTU D1) close to an uncultured Bacteriodetes bacterium became predominant, up to almost 40% of total reads. The proliferation of the D1 species was concurrent with high electricity generation and high Coulombic efficiency.     

Tubular membrane cathodes for scalable power generation in microbial fuel cells

One of the greatest challenges for using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment is creating a scalable architecture that provides large surface areas for oxygen reduction at the cathode and bacteria growth on the anode. We demonstrate here a scalable cathode concept by showing that a tubular ultrafiltration membrane with a conductive graphite coating and a nonprecious metal catalyst (CoTMPP) can be used to produce power in an MFC. Using a carbon paper anode (surface area Aan = 7 cm2, surface area per reactor volume Aan,s = 25 m2/m3), an MFC with two 3-cm tube cathodes (Acat = 27 cm2, Acat,s = 84 m2/m3) generated up to 8.8 W/m3 (403 mW/m2) using glucose [0.8 g/L in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS)], which was only slightly less than that produced using a carbon paper cathode with a Pt catalyst (9.9 W/m3, 394 mW/m2; Acat= 7 cm2, Acat,s= 25 m2/m3). Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) with carbon paper anodes were 25-40% with tube cathodes (CoTMPP), compared to 7-19% with a carbon paper cathode. When a high-surface-area graphite brush anode was used (Aan = 2235 cm2, Aan,s = 7700 m2/m3) with two tube cathodes placed inside the reactor (Acat = 27 cm2, Acas, = 93 m2/m3), the MFC produced 17.7 W/m3 with a CE = 70-74% (200 mM PBS). Further increases in the surface area of the tube cathodes to 54 cm2 (120 m2/m3) increased the total power output (from 0.51 to 0.83 mW), but the increase in volume resulted in a constant volumetric power density (approximately 18 W/m3). These results demonstrate that an MFC design using tubular cathodes coated with nonprecious metal catalysts, and brush anodes, is a promising architecture that is intrinsically scalable for creating larger systems. Further increases in power output will be possible through the development of cathodes with lower internal resistances.     

Production of electricity during wastewater treatment using a single chamber microbial fuel cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been used to produce electricity from different compounds, including acetate, lactate, and glucose. We demonstrate here that it is also possible to produce electricity in a MFC from domestic wastewater, while atthe same time accomplishing biological wastewater treatment (removal of chemical oxygen demand; COD). Tests were conducted using a single chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC) containing eight graphite electrodes (anodes) and a single air cathode. The system was operated under continuous flow conditions with primary clarifier effluent obtained from a local wastewater treatment plant. The prototype SCMFC reactor generated electrical power (maximum of 26 mW m(-2)) while removing up to 80% of the COD of the wastewater. Power output was proportional to the hydraulic retention time over a range of 3-33 h and to the influent wastewater strength over a range of 50-220 mg/L of COD. Current generation was controlled primarily by the efficiency of the cathode. Optimal cathode performance was obtained by allowing passive air flow rather than forced air flow (4.5-5.5 L/min). The Coulombic efficiency of the system, based on COD removal and current generation, was < 12% indicating a substantial fraction of the organic matter was lost without current generation. Bioreactors based on power generation in MFCs may represent a completely new approach to wastewater treatment. If power generation in these systems can be increased, MFC technology may provide a new method to offset wastewater treatment plant operating costs, making advanced wastewater treatment more affordable for both developing and industrialized nations.     

Power densities using different cathode catalysts (Pt and CoTMPP) and polymer binders (nafion and PTFE) in single chamber microbial fuel cells

Cathode catalysts and binders were examined for their effect on power densities in single chamber, air-cathode, microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Chronopotentiometry tests indicated thatthe cathode potential was only slightly reduced (20-40 mV) when Pt loadings were decreased from 2 to 0.1 mg cm(-2), and that Nafion performed better as a Pt binder than poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). Replacing the precious-metal Pt catalyst (0.5 mg cm(-2); Nafion binder) with a cobalt material (cobalt tetramethylphenylporphyrin, CoTMPP) produced slightly improved cathode performance above 0.6 mA cm(-2), but reduced performance (<40 mV) at lower current densities. MFC fed batch tests conducted for 35 cycles (31 days) using glucose showed that replacement of the Nafion binder used for the cathode catalyst (0.5 mg of Pt cm(-2)) with PTFE reduced the maximum power densities (from 400 +/- 10 to 480 +/- 20 mW m(-2) to 331 +/- 3 to 360 +/- 10 mW m(-2)). When the Pt loading on cathode was reduced to 0.1 mg cm(-2), the maximum power density of MFC was reduced on average by 19% (379 +/- 5 to 301 +/- 15 mW m(-2); Nafion binder). Power densities with CoTMPP were only 12% (369 +/- 8 mW m(-2)) lower over 25 cycles than those obtained with Pt (0.5 mg cm(-2); Nafion binder). Power densities obtained using with catalysts on the cathodes were approximately 4 times more than those obtained using a plain carbon electrode. These results demonstrate that cathodes used in MFCs can contain very little Pt, and that the Pt can even be replaced with a non-precious metal catalyst such as a CoTMPP with only slightly reduced performance.     

微生物燃料电池处理CTMP制浆废水的研究

以化学热磨机械浆(CTMP)制浆废水为底物,采用铁氰化钾阴极微生物燃料电池(MFC),对MFC处理CTMP制浆废水的可行性和废水CODCr浓度对MFC产电性能的影响进行研究.结果表明,MFC最大功率密度随废水CODCr浓度的增大而升高,最高为233 mW/m2,CODCr去除率达到54.3％～ 62.4％;当CODCr增大至5200 mg/L以上时,过高的CODCr浓度抑制微生物活性,电池最大功率密度和CODCr去除率分别降低至34.2 mW/m2和32.8％.CTMP制浆废水可以作为MFC底物,在产电的同时实现有效降解,这为废水资源化利用提供了新途径.     

微生物燃料电池降解木素磺酸盐并同步产电

以厌氧活性污泥为接种体构建铁氰化钾阴极微生物燃料电池（Microbial fuel cell,MFC）,对木素磺酸盐的降解及产电效果进行了研究。结果表明：经过3个周期连续添加葡萄糖后MFC成功启动,并产生了446mV的电压。以木素磺酸盐为单一底物的MFC经过50h运行,最大功率密度达到177．9mW／m^2,阳极液CODCr和木素磺酸盐去除率分别为;35．5％和46．7％。MFC可以降解木素磺酸盐并同步产电,这为解决造纸废水中生物质能的开发和利用提供了新途径。     

Cathode performance as a factor in electricity generation in microbial fuel cells

Although microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate much lower power densities than hydrogen fuel cells, the characteristics of the cathode can also substantially affect electricity generation. Cathodes used for MFCs are often either Pt-coated carbon electrodes immersed in water that use dissolved oxygen as the electron acceptor or they are plain carbon electrodes in a ferricyanide solution. The characteristics and performance of these two cathodes were compared using a two-chambered MFC. Power generation using the Pt-carbon cathode and dissolved oxygen (saturated) reached a maximum of 0.097 mW within 120 h after inoculation (wastewater sludge and 20 mM acetate) when the cathode was equal size to the anode (2.5 x 4.5 cm). Once stable power was generated after replacing the MFC with fresh medium (no sludge), the Coulombic efficiency ranged from 63 to 78%. Power was proportional to the dissolved oxygen concentration in a manner consistent with Monod-type kinetics, with a half saturation constant of K(DO) = 1.74 mg of O2/L. Power increased by 24% when the cathode surface areas were increased from 22.5 to 67.5 cm2 and decreased by 56% when the cathode surface area was reduced to 5.8 cm2. Power was also substantially reduced (by 78% to 0.02 mW) if Pt was not used on the cathode. By using ferricyanide instead of dissolved oxygen, the maximum power increased by 50-80% versus that obtained with dissolved oxygen. This result was primarily due to increased mass transfer efficiencies and the larger cathode potential (332 mV) of ferricyanide than that obtained with dissolved oxygen (268 mV). A cathode potential of 804 mV (NHE basis) is theoretically possible using dissolved oxygen, indicating that further improvements in cathode performance with oxygen as the electron acceptor are possible that could lead to increased power densities in this type of MFC.     

Sustainable power generation in microbial fuel cells using bicarbonate buffer and proton transfer mechanisms

Phosphate buffer solution has been commonly used in MFC studiesto maintain a suitable pH for electricity-generating bacteria and/or to increase the solution conductivity. However, addition of a high concentration of phosphate buffer in MFCs could be expensive, especially for wastewater treatment. In this study, the performances of MFCs with cloth electrode assemblies (CEA) were evaluated using bicarbonate buffer solutions. A maximum power density of 1550 W/m3 (2770 mW/ m2) was obtained at a current density of 0.99 mA/cm2 using a pH 9 bicarbonate buffer solution. Such a power density was 38.6% higher than that using a pH 7 phosphate buffer at the same concentration of 0.2 M. Based on the quantitative comparison of free proton transfer rates, diffusion rates of pH buffer species, and the current generated, a facilitated proton transfer mechanism was proposed for MFCs in the presence of the pH buffers. The excellent performance of MFCs using bicarbonate as pH buffer and proton carrier indicates that bicarbonate buffer could be served as a low-cost and effective pH buffer for practical applications, especially for wastewater treatment.     

Scaling up microbial fuel cells

The goal of this study was to quantify the relation between the surface area of the current-limiting electrode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) and the power density generated by the MFC. Shewanella oneidensis (MR-1) was grown anaerobically in the anodic compartment of an MFC utilizing lactate as the electron donor. Graphite plate electrodes of various sizes were used as anodes. Commercially available air electrodes, composed of manganese-based catalyzed carbon bonded to a current-collecting screen made of platinum mesh, were used as cathodes, and dissolved oxygen was used as the cathodic reactant. The surface area of the cathode was always significantly larger than that of the anode, to ensure that the anode was the current-limiting electrode. The power density generated by the MFC decreased as the surface area of the anode increased, which fits well with the trend we detected comparing various published results. Thus, our findings bring into question the assertion that the overall power density generated by an MFC with large electrodes can be estimated by extrapolating from an electrode with a small surface area. Our results indicate that the maximum power density generated by an MFC is not directly proportional to the surface area of the anode, but is instead proportional to the logarithm of the surface area of the anode.     

Affinity of microbial fuel cell biofilm for the anodic potential

In analogy to the well established dependency of microbial reactions on the redox potential of the terminal electron acceptor, the dependency of the microbial activity in a highly active microbial fuel cell on the potential of the electron-accepting electrode (anode) in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is investigated. An acetate-fed, pH-controlled MFC was operated for over 200 days to establish a highly active MFC anodic biofilm using ferricyanide as the catholyte and granular graphite as electrode material. From the Coulombic efficiency of 83% of the MFC the microbial activity could be recorded by online monitoring of the current. Our results suggest that (1) in analogy to the Michaelis-Menten kinetics a half-saturation anodic potential (here termed k(AP) value) could be established at which the microbial metabolic rate reached half its maximum rate. This k(AP) value was about -455 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) for our acetate-driven MFC and independent of the oxidation capacity of the cathodic half-cell; (2) a critical AP (here termed AP(crit)) of about -420 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) was established that characterizes the bacterial saturation by the electron-accepting system. This critical potential appeared to characterize the maximum power output of the MFC. This information would be useful for modeling and optimization of microbial fuel cells and the relative comparison of different microbial consortia at the anode.     

A bipolar membrane combined with ferric iron reduction as an efficient cathode system in microbial fuel cells

There is a need for alternative catalysts for oxygen reduction in the cathodic compartment of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, we show that a bipolar membrane combined with ferric iron reduction on a graphite electrode is an efficient cathode system in MFCs. A flat plate MFC with graphite felt electrodes, a volume of 1.2 L and a projected surface area of 290 cm2 was operated in continuous mode. Ferric iron was reduced to ferrous iron in the cathodic compartment according to Fe(3+) + e(-) --> Fe2+ (E0 = +0.77 V vs NHE, normal hydrogen electrode). This reversible electron transfer reaction considerably reduced the cathode overpotential. The low catholyte pH required to keep ferric iron soluble was maintained by using a bipolar membrane instead of the commonly used cation exchange membrane. For the MFC with cathodic ferric iron reduction, the maximum power density was 0.86 W/m2 at a current density of 4.5 A/m2. The Coulombic efficiency and energy recovery were 80-95% and 18-29% respectively.     

Graphite fiber brush anodes for increased power production in air-cathode microbial fuel cells

To efficiently generate electricity using bacteria in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), highly conductive noncorrosive materials are needed that have a high specific surface area (surface area per volume) and an open structure to avoid biofouling. Graphite brush anodes, consisting of graphite fibers wound around a conductive, but noncorrosive metal core, were examined for power production in cube (C-MFC) and bottle (B-MFC) air-cathode MFCs. Power production in C-MFCs containing brush electrodes at 9600 m2/m3 reactor volume reached a maximum power density of 2400 mW/m2 (normalized to the cathode projected surface area), or 73 W/m3 based on liquid volume, with a maximum Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 60%. This power density, normalized by cathode projected area, is the highest value yet achieved by an air-cathode system. The increased power resulted from a reduction in internal resistance from 31 to 8 Q. Brush electrodes (4200 m2/m3) were also tested in B-MFCs, consisting of a laboratory media bottle modified to have a single side arm with a cathode clamped to its end. B-MFCs inoculated with wastewater produced up to 1430 mW/m2 (2.3 W/m3, CE = 23%) with brush electrodes, versus 600 mW/m2 with a plain carbon paper electrode. These findings show that brush anodes that have high surface areas and a porous structure can produce high power densities, and therefore have qualities that make them ideal for scaling up MFC systems.