Performance of air-cathode stacked microbial fuel cells systems for wastewater treatment and electricity production

Abstract

Two different air-cathode stacked microbial fuel cell (MFC) configurations were evaluated under continuous flow during the treatment of municipal wastewater and electricity production at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3, 1, and 0.5 d. Stacked MFC 1 was formed by 20 individual air-cathode MFC units. The second stacked MFC (stacked MFC 2) consisted of 40 air-cathode MFC units placed in a shared reactor. The maximum voltages produced at closed circuit (1,000 Ω) were 170 mV for stacked MFC 1 and 94 mV for stacked MFC 2. Different power densities in each MFC unit were obtained due to a potential drop phenomenon and to a change in chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations inside reactors. The maximum power densities from individual MFC units were up to 1,107 mW/m for stacked MFC 1 and up to 472 mW/m for stacked MFC 2. The maximum power densities in stacked MFC 1 and MFC 2 connected in series were 79 mW/m and 4 mW/m, respectively. Electricity generation and COD removal efficiencies were reduced when the HRT was decreased. High removal efficiencies of 84% of COD, 47% of total nitrogen, and 30% of total phosphorus were obtained during municipal wastewater treatment.

Simultaneous bio‐electricity and bio‐hydrogen production in a continuous flow single microbial electrochemical reactor

“…Furthermore, the external resistance used in sMER‐H 2 was a key factor for the development of both microorganisms. According to Estrada et al at low external resistance in a MFC, more exoelectrogenic microorganisms are developed and hydrogen‐producing bacteria may be stimulated and developed. In several studies, different hydrogen production rates have been generated in a MEC ranging from 0.015 up to 17.8 L H 2 /L .…”

Investigating Air-Cathode Microbial Fuel Cells Performance under Different Serially and Parallelly Connected Configurations

“…Estrada-Arriaga et al [10] proposed, two different air-cathode stacked microbial fuel cells configurations under continuous flow for municipal wastewater treatment and electricity generation. The cells were connected in series.…”

Platinum-free, graphene based anodes and air cathodes for single chamber microbial fuel cells

“…This was potentially due to an effective internal anode–cathode short circuit caused by faster oxidation–reduction kinetics at the anode than the cathode. 78 , 79 Polarization ( Fig. 7c ) and power curves ( Fig.…”