Bioelectricity Power Generation from Organic Substrate in a Microbial Fuel Cell Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as Biocatalysts

Abstract

In recent years, as a novel mode of converting organic matter into bioelectricity, Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have gained significant attention. Among effective parameters in MFCs, substrate type and concentration play major role on MFC performance. In this study, a dual chamber MFC was used with a wide range of fructose concentrations: 10, 20 30 and 40 g/l. The MFC was inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as biocatalyst. A100µm of neutral red as mediator and also 100µm ferricyanide as oxidizer added to anode and cathode chambers, respectively. The MFC generated an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 690, 768, 548 and 507 mV with concentration of fructose from 10 to 40 g.l-1 , respectively. Maximum power density of 32.16, 23.7, 18.9 and 10.47 were obtained with substrate concentration of 10 to 40 g.l-1 , respectively. The maximum value of OCV and power density obtained with 10g.l-1 of carbohydrate. To investigate resistance effect on MFC performance, for each substrate concentration data acquisition system was set at optimum value for the resistance which was resulted by the polarization curve. Then maximum power and optimum current density were recorded.

Bioelectricity generation from sewage and wastewater treatment using two-chambered microbial fuel cell

“…Using Ohm's law (V = I × R), current was calculated, using P = V × I, power generation was calculated 9 ; further, this current and power generation was normalized to the anode surface area to calculate current density (mA/m 2 ) and power density (mW/m 2 ). Open circuit voltage was computed directly by connecting the anode and cathode wires to the data acquisition system.…”

“…For electrical power generation, external resistor of 250 Ω was connected to the anode and cathode wires, and voltage drop was measured across the arms of resistor. Using Ohm's law (V = I × R), current was calculated, using P = V × I, power generation was calculated 9 ; further, this current and power generation was normalized to the anode surface area to calculate current density (mA/m 2 ) and power density (mW/m 2 ). Coulombic efficiency was calculated using the same external resistor based on changes in COD concentration.…”

Sustainable power generation from wastewater sources using Microbial Fuel Cell

“…Several studies have shown that MFCs operating with mixed cultures achieve comparatively more power densities than those operated with pure cultures . High power generation with pure culture is possible, but in such cases the cultures were grown externally and the same device was not used in acclimatized mixed cultures .…”

“…Several studies have shown that MFCs operating with mixed cultures achieve comparatively more power densities than those operated with pure cultures. 9,16,51 High power genera-D Bose, M Gopinath, P Vijay Perspective: Sustainable Power generation from Wastewater sources using Microbial Fuel Cell Shewanella and Geobacter species. Similar exploration with graphite electrodes in a dairy wastewater-sediment interface reported an OCV of around 800 mV with current and power density as 68 × 10 −6 mA cm −2 and 53 × 10 −6 mW cm −2 .…”

“…54 Artificial wastewater created with inoculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed potential OCV generation close to 760 mV with varying fructose concentrations. 51 The study used natural red and ferricyanide as mediators, and generated power and current density of about 33 mW m −2 and 97 mA m −2 . However, the use of ferricyanide increases power density but it needs to be chemically regenerated and running cost is high.…”