TY - JOUR
T1 - Pilot scale microbial fuel cells using air cathodes for producing electricity while treating wastewater
AU - Rossi, Ruggero
AU - Hur, Andy Y.
AU - Page, Martin A.
AU - Thomas, Amalia O'Brien
AU - Butkiewicz, Joseph J.
AU - Jones, David W.
AU - Baek, Gahyun
AU - Saikaly, Pascal
AU - Cropek, Donald M.
AU - Logan, Bruce
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-04-27
Acknowledgements: Funding by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program via cooperative research agreement W9132T-16-2-0014 through the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center. The authors acknowledge CDM Smith and Intuitech for their contributions in the design and manufacturing of the MFC.
PY - 2022/3/22
Y1 - 2022/3/22
N2 - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electrical energy from the oxidation of the organic matter, but they must be demonstrated at large scales, treat real wastewaters, and show the required performance needed at a site to provide a path forward for this technology. Previous pilot-scale studies of MFC technology have relied on systems with aerated catholytes, which limited energy recovery due to the energy consumed by pumping air into the catholyte. In the present study, we developed, deployed, and tested an 850 L (1400 L total liquid volume) air-cathode MFC treating domestic-type wastewater at a centralized wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater was processed over a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h through a sequence of 17 brush anode modules (11 m2 total projected anode area) and 16 cathode modules, each constructed using two air-cathodes (0.6 m2 each, total cathode area of 20 m2) with the air side facing each other to allow passive air flow. The MFC effluent was further treated in a biofilter (BF) to decrease the organic matter content. The field test was conducted for over six months to fully characterize the electrochemical and wastewater treatment performance. Wastewater quality as well as electrical energy production were routinely monitored. The power produced over six months by the MFC averaged 0.46 ± 0.35 W (0.043 W m–2 normalized to the cross-sectional area of an anode) at a current of 1.54 ± 0.90 A with a coulombic efficiency of 9%. Approximately 49 ± 15 % of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was removed in the MFC alone as well as a large amount of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (70%) and total suspended solid (TSS) (48%). In the combined MFC/BF process, up to 91 ± 6 % of the COD and 91 % of the BOD5 were removed as well as certain bacteria (E. coli, 98.9%; fecal coliforms, 99.1%). The average effluent concentration of nitrate was 1.6 ± 2.4 mg L–1, nitrite was 0.17 ± 0.24 mg L–1 and ammonia was 0.4 ± 1.0 mg L–1. The pilot scale reactor presented here is the largest air-cathode MFC ever tested, generating electrical power while treating wastewater.
AB - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electrical energy from the oxidation of the organic matter, but they must be demonstrated at large scales, treat real wastewaters, and show the required performance needed at a site to provide a path forward for this technology. Previous pilot-scale studies of MFC technology have relied on systems with aerated catholytes, which limited energy recovery due to the energy consumed by pumping air into the catholyte. In the present study, we developed, deployed, and tested an 850 L (1400 L total liquid volume) air-cathode MFC treating domestic-type wastewater at a centralized wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater was processed over a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h through a sequence of 17 brush anode modules (11 m2 total projected anode area) and 16 cathode modules, each constructed using two air-cathodes (0.6 m2 each, total cathode area of 20 m2) with the air side facing each other to allow passive air flow. The MFC effluent was further treated in a biofilter (BF) to decrease the organic matter content. The field test was conducted for over six months to fully characterize the electrochemical and wastewater treatment performance. Wastewater quality as well as electrical energy production were routinely monitored. The power produced over six months by the MFC averaged 0.46 ± 0.35 W (0.043 W m–2 normalized to the cross-sectional area of an anode) at a current of 1.54 ± 0.90 A with a coulombic efficiency of 9%. Approximately 49 ± 15 % of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was removed in the MFC alone as well as a large amount of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (70%) and total suspended solid (TSS) (48%). In the combined MFC/BF process, up to 91 ± 6 % of the COD and 91 % of the BOD5 were removed as well as certain bacteria (E. coli, 98.9%; fecal coliforms, 99.1%). The average effluent concentration of nitrate was 1.6 ± 2.4 mg L–1, nitrite was 0.17 ± 0.24 mg L–1 and ammonia was 0.4 ± 1.0 mg L–1. The pilot scale reactor presented here is the largest air-cathode MFC ever tested, generating electrical power while treating wastewater.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/676571
UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0043135422001713
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125574339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118208
DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118208
M3 - Article
C2 - 35255425
SN - 0043-1354
VL - 215
SP - 118208
JO - Water Research
JF - Water Research
ER -