Effects of anode spacing and flow rate on energy recovery of flat-panel air-cathode microbial fuel cells using domestic wastewater

The aim of this work is the development of new nanostructured-gas-diffusion-layer (GDL) to improve the overall behaviour of Air-Cathode Single-Chamber-Microbial-Fuel-Cells (SCMFCs). The design of new nanostructured-GDL allowed exploiting all nanofibers ’intrinsic properties, such as high surface ratio to volume, high porosity, achieving thus a good oxygen diffusion into the proximity of catalyst layer, favouring thus the direct oxygen-reduction-reaction (ORR). Nanostructured-GDLs were prepared by electrospinning process, using a layer-by-layer deposition to collect 2 nanofibers’ mats. The first layer was made of cellulose nanofibers able to promote oxygen diffusion into SCMFC. The second layer, placed outwards, was based on polyvinyl-fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers to prevent the electrolyte leakage. This nanostructured-GDL plays a pivotal role to improve the overall performance of Air-Cathode-SCMFCs. A maximum current density of 20 mA m-2 was obtained, which is higher than the one reached with commercial-GDL, used as reference material. All results were analysed in terms of energy recovery parameter, defined as ratio of generated power integral and the internal volume of devices, evaluating the overall SCMFC performance. SCMFCs with a nanostructured-GDL showed an energy recovery equal to 60.83 mJ m-3, which was one order of magnitude higher than the one obtained with commercial-GDL, close to 3.92 mJ m-3.

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Effect of Poised Cathodic Potential on Anodic Ammonium Nitrogen Removal from Domestic Wastewater by Air-Cathode Microbial Fuel Cells

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3983958 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

N’Dah Joel Koffi ◽

Satoshi Okabe

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cells ◽

Nitrogen Removal ◽

Microbial Fuel Cells ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

Ammonium Nitrogen ◽

Air Cathode ◽

Cathodic Potential

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Bio‐electrochemical evaluation of two stage constructed wetland microbial fuel cells with high strength raw domestic wastewater and simultaneous energy recovery

Water and Environment Journal ◽

10.1111/wej.12714 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Somil Thakur ◽

Bhaskar Das

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cells ◽

Constructed Wetland ◽

Microbial Fuel Cells ◽

Energy Recovery ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

High Strength ◽

Two Stage ◽

Electrochemical Evaluation

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Simultaneous domestic wastewater treatment and renewable energy production using microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.401 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 904-909 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

S. Puig ◽

M. Serra ◽

M. Coma ◽

M. D. Balaguer ◽

J. Colprim

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Fuel Cells ◽

Microbial Fuel Cells ◽

Energy Production ◽

Nitrogen Loss ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

Air Cathode ◽

Domestic Wastewater Treatment ◽

Load Rate

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can be used in wastewater treatment and to simultaneously produce electricity (renewable energy). MFC technology has already been applied successfully in lab-scale studies to treat domestic wastewater, focussing on organic matter removal and energy production. However, domestic wastewater also contains nitrogen that needs to be treated before being discharged. The goal of this paper is to assess simultaneous domestic wastewater treatment and energy production using an air-cathode MFC, paying special attention to nitrogen compound transformations. An air-cathode MFC was designed and run treating 1.39 L d−1 of wastewater with an organic load rate of 7.2 kg COD m−3 d−1 (80% removal efficiency) and producing 1.42 W m−3. In terms of nitrogen transformations, the study demonstrates that two different processes took place in the MFC: physical–chemical and biological. Nitrogen loss was observed increasing in line with the power produced. A low level of oxygen was present in the anodic compartment, and ammonium was oxidised to nitrite and nitrate.

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Comparative evaluation of simultaneous nitritation/denitritation and energy recovery in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (ACMFCs) treating low C/N ratio wastewater

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147652 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 147652

Author(s):

Nuan Yang ◽

Qinmao Zhou ◽

Guoqiang Zhan ◽

Yiliang Liu ◽

Huiqin Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cells ◽

Microbial Fuel Cells ◽

Comparative Evaluation ◽

Energy Recovery ◽

Air Cathode

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Polyelectrolyte–single wall carbon nanotube composite as an effective cathode catalyst for air-cathode microbial fuel cells

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2014.416 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 70 (10) ◽

pp. 1610-1616 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Huanan Wu ◽

Min Lu ◽

Lin Guo ◽

Leonard Guan Hong Bay ◽

Zheng Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cells ◽

Carbon Nanotube ◽

Oxygen Reduction ◽

Microbial Fuel Cells ◽

Reduction Process ◽

Air Cathode ◽

Single Wall Carbon Nanotube ◽

Single Wall Carbon ◽

Cathode Catalysts ◽

Metal Free

Polyelectrolyte–single wall carbon nanotube (SCNT) composites are prepared by a solution-based method and used as metal-free cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, two types of polyelectrolytes, polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) and poly[bis(2-chloroethyl)ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea] (PEPU) are applied to decorate the SCNTs and the resulting catalysts exhibit remarkable catalytic ability toward ORR in MFC applications. The enhanced catalytic ability could be attributed to the positively charged quaternary ammonium sites of polyelectrolytes, which increase the oxygen affinity of SCNTs and reduce activation energy in the oxygen reduction process. It is also found that PEPU–SCNT composite-based MFCs show efficient performance with maximum power density of 270.1 mW m−2, comparable to MFCs with the benchmark Pt/C catalyst (375.3 mW m−2), while PDDA–SCNT composite-based MFCs produce 188.9 mW m−2. These results indicate that PEPU–SCNT and PDDA–SCNT catalysts are promising candidates as metal-free cathode catalysts for ORR in MFCs and could facilitate MFC scaling up and commercialization.

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