Improved electricity production from sewage sludge under alkaline conditions in an insert-type air-cathode microbial fuel cell

A submersible microbial fuel cell (SMFC) was utilized to treat sewage sludge and simultaneously generate electricity. Stable power generation (145 ± 5 mW/m2, 470 Ω) was produced continuously from raw sewage sludge for 5.5 days. The maximum power density reached 190 ± 5 mW/m2. The corresponding total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency was 78.1 ± 0.2% with initial TCOD of 49.7 g/L. The power generation of SMFC was depended on the sludge concentration, while dilution of the raw sludge resulted in higher power density. The maximum power density was saturated at sludge concentration of 17 g-TCOD/L, where 290 mW/m2 was achieved. When effluents from an anaerobic digester that was fed with raw sludge were used as substrate in the SMFC, a maximum power density of 318 mW/m2, and a final TCOD removal of 71.9 ± 0.2% were achieved. These results have practical implications for development of an effective system to treat sewage sludge and simultaneously recover energy.

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Enhancement of electricity production in a mediatorless air–cathode microbial fuel cell using Klebsiella sp. IR21

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering ◽

10.1007/s00449-016-1579-8 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 1005-1014 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yun-Yeong Lee ◽

Tae Gwan Kim ◽

Kyung-suk Cho

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Microbial Fuel Cell ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Air Cathode

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Feasibility Study on Electricity Production from a Sewage Sludge Extract Using Microbial Fuel Cell

Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics ◽

10.1166/jno.2010.1099 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 227-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jinju Ok ◽

Donghee Park ◽

Ji Won Jung ◽

Gajanan Ghodake ◽

Dae Sung Lee

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Microbial Fuel Cell ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Electricity Production

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Continuous electricity production from leachate in a novel upflow air-cathode membrane-free microbial fuel cell

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2008.063 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 57 (7) ◽

pp. 1017-1021 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

J. N. Zhang ◽

Q. L. Zhao ◽

S. J. You ◽

J. Q. Jiang ◽

N. Q. Ren

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Microbial Fuel Cell ◽

Oxygen Diffusion ◽

Electricity Generation ◽

Loading Rate ◽

Coulombic Efficiency ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Organic Loading Rate ◽

Organic Loading ◽

Air Cathode

In this study, a novel microbial fuel cell, i.e. upflow air-cathode membrane-free microbial fuel cell (UAMMFC) was reported and its performance in electricity generation from original leachate was examined. The experimental results demonstrated that the UAMMFC could continuously generate electricity from leachate (0.3V; REX=150 Ω) for an operational period of time (50 h). The maximum volumetric power reached 12.8 W/m3 at current density of 41 A/m3 (93 Ω). NH4+-N elimination from the leachate was shown to be a consequence of electrochemistry-independent oxidation occurred in the MFC. Increasing organic loading rate from 0.65 to 5.2 kgCOD/m3 d resulted in a decrease of overall Coulombic efficiency (CE) from 14.4% to 1.2%. The low CE obtained here should be attributed to severe oxygen diffusion from the open-to-air cathode.

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Electricity Production from Dual Chambers Microbial Fuel Cell Fed with Chicken Manure-Wastewater

Wasit Journal of Engineering Sciences ◽

10.31185/ejuow.vol3.iss1.31 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 9-18

Author(s):

Ali J. Jaeel

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Microbial Fuel Cell ◽

Chicken Manure ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Anaerobic Sludge ◽

Livestock Wastewater ◽

Graphite Electrodes ◽

Reliable Source ◽

Current Densities ◽

Resistance Value

Chicken manure wastewaters are increasingly being considered a valuable resource of organic compounds. Screened chicken manure was evaluated as a representative solid organic waste. In this study, electricity generation from livestock wastewater (chicken manure) was investigated in a continuous mediator-less horizontal flow microbial fuel cell with graphite electrodes and a selective type of membrane separating the anodic and cathodic compartments of MFC from each other. The performance of MFC was evaluated to livestock wastewater using aged anaerobic sludge. Results revealed that COD and BOD removal efficiencies were up to 88% and 82%, respectively. At an external resistance value of 150 Ω, a maximum power and current densities of 278 m.W/m2 and 683 mA/m2, respectively were obtained, hence MFC utilizing livestock wastewater would be a sustainable and reliable source of bio-energy generation .

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