Long-term evaluation of an air-cathode microbial fuel cell with an anion exchange membrane in a 226L wastewater treatment reactor

Sugioka, Mari; Yoshida, Naoko; Yamane, Taiki; Kakihana, Yuriko; Higa, Mitsuru; Matsumura, Takahiro; Sakoda, Mitsuhiro; Iida, Kazuki

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112416

Cited by 26 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…These results indicated that the higher electricity production in the MFC AEM can be attributed to the lower R ca in the MFC AEM (Figure 2C, Table 2). The I max and P max of the MFC AEM were in the ranges observed in our previous study without carbon brushes and with 91 mg/L of COD [22], that is, 0.19-0.38 A/m 2 and 0.038-0.081 W/m 2 , respectively. The enhancement of the carbon brushes was restricted due to the low COD and limitation of the cathode reaction in the MFC AEM .…”

Section: Polarization Curvesupporting

confidence: 72%

“…The maximum current density (I max ) decreased marginally with the increase in HRT; it was 0.59 A/m 2 at 3.0 h and decreased to 0.49 A/m 2 and 0.33 A/m 2 at 6.9 h and 9.8 h, respectively. The HRT-dependent decrease in electricity generation has been repeatedly observed in the MFC in previous studies [2,22,26]. This decrease was revealed by the low COD due to the extended time required for microbial degradation.…”

Section: Polarization Curvesupporting

confidence: 53%

“…The electrical resistance of the AEM before and after 35, 583, and 768 days of operation was measured using a custom-built acrylic cell, as described in a previous study [32]. The old AEMs (583 and 783 d) were taken from an air-cathode MFC [22] similar to the MFC used in this study. The AEMs were taken from the top, middle, and bottom of the cell, and cut into squares of approximately 5 cm × 5 cm (with an effective area of 11 cm 2 ).…”

Section: Measuring Membrane Resistancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The color change of the AEM from clear to dark brown (Figure 3) after extended operation of the MFC AEM [22], motivated us to evaluate the effect of operation time on current production by the MFC AEM . The surface apparatus differed on either side of the AEM; the anode side was covered with a dark brown film, whereas the cathode side was covered with white precipitates.…”

Section: Linear Sweep Voltammetrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, the MFCs equipped with a cation exchange membrane (CEM) performed almost consistently over an entire year [20,21]. Recently, a scalable air-cathode MFCs equipped with an anion exchange membrane (AEM) was demonstrated for the first time [2], and electricity was successfully recovered from sewage wastewater over a year [22]. A comparison of electric power production by MFCs using AEMs and CEMs demonstrated the advantage of AEMs, which mitigate the pH imbalances that are often observed in MFCs with CEMs [23][24][25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Ion Selectivity on Current Production in Sewage Microbial Fuel Cell Separators

et al. 2022

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This study compared the performance of two microbial fuel cells (MFCs) equipped with separators of anion or cation exchange membranes (AEMs or CEMs) for sewage wastewater treatment. Under chemostat feeding of sewage wastewater (hydraulic retention time of approximately 7 h and polarization via an external resistance of 1 Ω), the MFCs with AEM (MFCAEM) generated a maximum current that was 4–5 times greater than that generated by the MFC with CEM (MFCCEM). The high current in the MFCAEM was attributed to the approximately neutral pH of its cathode, in contrast to the extremely high pH of the MFCCEM cathode. Due to the elimination of the pH imbalance, the cathode resistance for the MFCAEM (13–19 Ω·m2) was lower than that for the MFCCEM (41–44 Ω·m2). The membrane resistance measured as the Cl- mobility of AEMs for the MFCAEM operated for 35, 583, and 768 days showed an increase with operation time and depth, and this increase contributed minimally to the cathode resistance of the MFCAEM. These results indicate the advantage of the AEM over the CEM for air-cathode MFCs. The membrane resistance may increase when the AEM is applied in large-scale MFCs on a meter scale for extended periods.

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Section: Polarization Curvesupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Polarization Curvesupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Measuring Membrane Resistancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Linear Sweep Voltammetrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Ion Selectivity on Current Production in Sewage Microbial Fuel Cell Separators

et al. 2022

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Enhancing sustainability and power generation from sewage‐driven air‐cathode microbial fuel cells through innovative anti‐biofouling spacer and biomass‐derived anode

Almasri,

Barakat,

Irfan

2024

J of Chemical Tech & Biotech

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BackgroundRecently, the concept of the membrane‐less microbial fuel cell (MFC) has gained traction to avoid the high internal resistance that is created upon utilizing conventional membranes. Nevertheless, an overlooked problem arises from the ingress of oxygen from the cathode side into the anolyte solution, fostering the formation of biofilms by aerobic microorganisms on the cathode surface. This biofilm layer poses a formidable impediment, leading to cell disconnection. Moreover, low surface area of conventional anodes is another important issue behind the low power density generation. In this research, a novel approach to circumvent biofilm formation and achieve stable and high‐power‐density output from MFCs by harnessing a commercial antibacterial spacer is introduced.ResultsAir‐cathode, sewage‐driven MFCs showed continuous power generation without the need for external microorganisms. Conversely, the absence of the innovative membrane resulted in a catastrophic power breakdown after 125 h of operation due to the formation of a dense biofilm layer on the cathode. Through the utilization of the proposed membrane strategy, stable power density output of 100 ± 8, 135 ± 11 and 142 ± 10 mW m−2 with carbon cloth, carbon paper and carbon felt anodes, respectively, was achieved. Moreover, a novel anode is introduced from graphitization of grape tree branches. The proposed anode could increase the generated power to 516 ± 17 mW m−2 from the sewage‐driven air‐cathode MFC, more than three times compared to the best conventional anode, carbon felt.ConclusionThis study provides significant solutions for sustainability, low‐performance and high‐cost problems of microbial fuel cells. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

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Microbial Fuel Cell Technology: Scale-up and Potential for Industrial Applications

Tugcu¹,

Celik²,

Yarkent³

et al. 2023

A Sustainable Green Future

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Long-term evaluation of an air-cathode microbial fuel cell with an anion exchange membrane in a 226L wastewater treatment reactor

Cited by 26 publications

References 47 publications

Effect of Ion Selectivity on Current Production in Sewage Microbial Fuel Cell Separators

Effect of Ion Selectivity on Current Production in Sewage Microbial Fuel Cell Separators

Enhancing sustainability and power generation from sewage‐driven air‐cathode microbial fuel cells through innovative anti‐biofouling spacer and biomass‐derived anode

Microbial Fuel Cell Technology: Scale-up and Potential for Industrial Applications

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