Performance evaluation of a dual-chamber plant microbial fuel cell developed for electricity generation and wastewater treatment

Abstract

Plant microbial fuel cells (PMFC) have attracted great scholarly attention as a renewable energy source. These cells have three main components: anode, cathode chambers, and a proton exchange membrane. In this study, a dual-chamber plant microbial fuel cell system was designed using Cyperus papyrus and Shewanella oneidensis. The effects of various factors, including the size of the electrodes, the distance between the electrodes, and the inoculation volume of Shewanella oneidensis, on the ability of electricity generation, were scrutinized. The results indicated that increasing the size area of the electrodes from 2 × 2 to 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 cm2 caused an increase in the output voltage by 43% and 58%, respectively. The PMFC produced a maximum power of 240 mW, with a Coulombic efficiency ranging from 0.66 to 0.75%. The plant microbial fuel cell designed in this study seemed to have a high potential to remove wastewater contaminants. Based on the results, during five days of setting up the system, COD and BOD decreased by 61.75% and 93.16%, respectively, which shows that in addition to generating power, the designed PMFC had a high potential to remove wastewater contaminants.