Abstract
A Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) has been fabricated to generate electricity from the sludge of the sewage treatment plant at Anand International College of Engineering, Jaipur, at two different ambient temperature range of 25 ± 4°C and 32 ± 4°C under aerobic condition. The maximum voltage obtained was about 2890 mV after 80 (hrs.) at temperature range of25 ± 4°C, with the surface power density of 1108.29 mW/m2. When the ambient temperature was 32 ± 4°C, the maximum voltage obtained was 1652 mV after 40 (hrs.) surface power density reduced to 865.57 mW/m2.While changing the amount of substrate for certain area of the electrode at 25 ± 4°C range it showed that the electricity generation decreased with the available substrate and it also shortens the time to peak voltage. On the other way when the ambient temperature increased to 32 ± 4°C, the maximum potential energy generated is less than the previous temperature for the same substrate per unit area of the electrode and also the time to peak voltage decreases to 40 hrs. At the end of the 152 (hrs.), the maximum COD reduction for the sewage sludge was 30% for 32 ± 4°C. When comparing with other single chambers MFC, the present model is generating more electricity that any MFC using sewage sludge as substrate except platinum electrode, which is much costlier that electrode used in the present study.
Highlights
The microbial fuel cell is a device which generates electricity by the metabolic activities of the microbes
Two compartment Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) systems consisting of an anodic chamber and catholic chamber separated by proton exchange membrane (PEM) or sometime salt bridge to allowing the proton to move across the blocking the diffusion of oxygen into the anode [3]. 2
Results obtained from the SET III clearly indicate that at elevated temperature the metabolic activities of the microbes reduce and even the pH of the sewage sludge is increased, thereby reducing the surface power density
Summary
The microbial fuel cell is a device which generates electricity by the metabolic activities of the microbes. Though a century old technique, which was initially recognized for treatment of wastewater, MFC is gaining its interest for the generation of electricity, bio-hydrogen and used as biosensor [3, 4]. The performance of microbial fuel cell depends upon the types of electrode materials, microbe & substrate and its concentration, pH, temperature and ionic strength. The various types of the electrode that can be used in the construction of the microbial fuel cell are graphite; graphite felt, Platinum (Pt.), Pt. black, carbon paper, reticulated vitreous carbon (RVS). 2. Single –compartment MFC systems consisting of the single anodic chamber without the any aerated catholic chamber [3]. The anode chamber is coupled to a porous air-cathode exposing directly to the air
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