TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving performance of microbial fuel cell by enhanced bacterial-anode interaction using sludge immobilized beads with activated carbon
AU - Neethu, B.
AU - Bhowmick, G. D.
AU - Ghangrekar, M. M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research project was supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India ( BT/EB/PAN IIT/2012 ) providing the financial assistance. Also, the help extended by Ms. Fathima Afsal during the experimental period is duly acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers
PY - 2020/11/1
Y1 - 2020/11/1
N2 - Performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is greatly influenced by capability of anode material in promoting attachment of electrogenic bacteria on its surface, which assists in higher electron transfer with minimal electrode resistance. In this investigation, feasibility of different anode materials made of stainless-steel (SS) mesh cage filled with sodium alginate beads matrix containing either bacterial inoculum (Ic) or activated carbon (AC) or combination of both (AC-Ic) was evaluated and performance was compared with MFCs operated with bare carbon felt and SS mesh as an anode material. Superior performance was exhibited by MFC having anode containing bead matrix with AC-Ic in SS mesh cage, which exhibited a maximum power density of 2.6 W/m3 and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 91.6 ± 2.1 % due to enhanced bacterial-electrode interaction. Furthermore, the cost of bead-based electrodes was seventeen folds cheaper than carbon felt electrode, making it ideal for pilot-scale MFCs.
AB - Performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is greatly influenced by capability of anode material in promoting attachment of electrogenic bacteria on its surface, which assists in higher electron transfer with minimal electrode resistance. In this investigation, feasibility of different anode materials made of stainless-steel (SS) mesh cage filled with sodium alginate beads matrix containing either bacterial inoculum (Ic) or activated carbon (AC) or combination of both (AC-Ic) was evaluated and performance was compared with MFCs operated with bare carbon felt and SS mesh as an anode material. Superior performance was exhibited by MFC having anode containing bead matrix with AC-Ic in SS mesh cage, which exhibited a maximum power density of 2.6 W/m3 and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 91.6 ± 2.1 % due to enhanced bacterial-electrode interaction. Furthermore, the cost of bead-based electrodes was seventeen folds cheaper than carbon felt electrode, making it ideal for pilot-scale MFCs.
KW - Activated carbon
KW - Bacterial-anode interaction
KW - Microbial fuel cells
KW - Sodium alginate beads
KW - Wastewater treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087774119&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psep.2020.06.043
DO - 10.1016/j.psep.2020.06.043
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85087774119
VL - 143
SP - 285
EP - 292
JO - Process Safety and Environmental Protection
JF - Process Safety and Environmental Protection
SN - 0957-5820
ER -