Single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cells Research Articles

Application of microbial fuel cell and high voltage booster in the dual cathode electro-Fenton treatment of RO16 dye

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) powered dual cathode electro-Fenton (DCEF) advanced oxidation process was used for the Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) dye treatment. As MFC is known for its high membrane costs and low power densities, we used a single-chamber MFC with anodic cell exposure to air to limit the substrate loss caused by the methanogenesis activity and achieve higher power output. The developed MFC shows 672.20 mW/m3 of maximum volumetric power density (Pmax). Although, the developed MFCs generate renewable energy from wastewater; the resulting power is too low for any practical application. Therefore, we designed here a newly developed low-voltage booster (LVB) to extract useful power. With the low output, the MFC voltage (around 0.4 V) was effectively increased to 12.2 ± 0.02 V without experiencing any voltage reversal problems. Furthermore, even after detaching the LVB from the MFC, the boosted voltage (12.2 ± 0.02 V) was consistently maintained for more than 10 h. We believe that this type of low voltage booted electrical circuit MFC-powered system will offer a more energy-efficient and economical method for treating textile industrial dye pollutants.

MFC Performance with Additional Micronutrients in Food Waste Substrate

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) are the one of utilization of waste for renewable energy continues to be developed. According to the FAO, 32% of all food for human consumption is discarded about 1.3 billion tonnes per year. In this study, Microbial Fuel Cells used an organic source in the form of food waste that had been hydrolyzed by Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus aculeatus, and Candida rugosa. The results of the hydrolysis are entered into the MFC system. In the MFC system it is mixed with Sidoarjo mud and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, then put into a Single Chamber microbial fuel cell (SC-MFC) to generate electricity. In this research, also added micronutrients (Mg2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Pb2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Cr2+, and Zn2+) to increase the metabolic of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 bacteria, so can elevate electric currents. electrons and protons are produced by microorganisms by changing organic compounds in the substrate. The results showed that the best power density was 6.652 W/m2 with BOD 89.362% and COD removal 77.273% achieved with a ratio of food waste to water of 2:1 M. Food hydrolysis is capable of hydrolyzing 40% food waste into glucose within 24 hours. The greatest percentage of glucose decreased was achieved by Cobalt micronutrient addition with 77% of glucose decreased. Therefore, MFC can be greatly enhance food waste degradation to become a carbon source in a microbial fuel cell for electricity production.

Sustainable Electricity Production Using Avocado Waste

Agroindustry waste has exponentially increased in recent years, generating economic losses and environmental problems. In addition, new ways to generate sustainable alternative electrical energy are currently being sought to satisfy energy demand. This investigation proposes using avocado waste as fuel for electricity generation in single-chamber MFCs. The avocado waste initially operated with an ambient temperature (22.4 ± 0.01 °C), DO of 2.54 ± 0.01 mg/L, TDS of 1358 ± 1 mg/L and COD of 1487.25 ± 0.01 mg/L. This research managed to generate its maximum voltage (0.861 ± 0.241 V) and current (3.781 ± 0.667 mA) on the fourteenth day, operating at an optimal pH of 7.386 ± 0.147, all with 126.032 ± 8.888 mS/cm of electrical conductivity in the substrate. An internal resistance of 67.683 ± 2.456 Ω was found on day 14 with a PD of 365.16 ± 9.88 mW/cm2 for a CD of 5.744 A/cm2. Micrographs show the formation of porous biofilms on both the anodic and cathodic electrodes. This study gives preliminary results of using avocado waste as fuel, which can provide outstanding solutions to agro-industrial companies dedicated to selling this fruit.

Performance of a Fe-N-C Catalyst in Single-chamber MFC Air-cathode at Neutral Media

Performance of a Fe-N-C Catalyst in Single-chamber MFC Air-cathode at Neutral Media

Non-precious HfO2 nanoparticle as an alternative cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cell applications

This study evaluated hafnium oxide (HfO2) as a cathode catalyst material in air-cathode single-chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs). Various HfO2 crystalline phases, synthesized via a precipitation method under specific temperature conditions, were examined for electrochemical performance in MFCs, including voltage, power generation, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. The MFC-600 °C variant outperformance MFC-500 °C and MFC-700 °C yielding power density of 1152 ± 9 mW m−2 and voltage 284 ± 8 mV. In a double loading (DL) configuration (1 mg cm−2), MFC-600 °C exhibited higher power density than single loading and triple loading. The MFC-600 °C DL electrode showed up to 57.3% of the performance of the traditional Pt/C cathode (2009 ± 12 mW m−2). On the other hand, when considering catalyst loading, the 10% Pt/C (0.5 mg cm−1) had a lower power density than the HfO2 600 °C DL (1 mg cm−1): 4.018 mW m−2 g−1 vs. 11.52 mW m−2 g−1. These findings highlight the promising viability of the HfO2 cathode as an economically advantageous catalyst material for MFCs, potentially paving the way for commercialization.

Enhancing microbial fuel cell performance with carbon powder electrode modifications for low-power sensors modules

Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a promising technology for harnessing energy from organic compounds. However, the low power generation of MFCs remains a significant challenge that hinders their commercial viability. In this study, we reported three distinct modifications to the stainless-steel mesh (SSM), carbon cloth, and carbon felt electrodes using carbon powder (CP), a mixture of CP and ferrum, and a blend of CP with sodium citrate and ethanol. The MFC equipped with an SSM and CP anode showed a notable power density of 1046.89 mW.m-2. In comparison, the bare SSM anode achieved a maximum power density of 145.8 mW m-2. Remarkably, the 3D-modified SSM with a CP anode (3D-SSM-CP) MFC exhibited a substantial breakthrough, attaining a maximum power density of 1417.07 mW m-2. This achievement signifies a significant advancement over the performance of the unaltered SSM anode, underscoring the effectiveness of our modification approach. Subsequently, the 3D-SSM-CP electrode was integrated into single-chamber MFCs, which were used to power a LoRaWAN IoT device through a power management system. The modification methods improved the MFC performance while involving low-cost and easy fabricating techniques. The results of this study are expected to contribute to improving MFC's performance, bringing them closer to becoming a practical source of renewable energy.

The Effect of Nutrients in Anodic Chamber to the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)

This paper describes a device known as a Single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (SMFC) that was used to generate bioelectricity from plant waste containing lignocellulosic components, such as bamboo leaves, rice husk and coconut waste, with various anodic chamber substrate compositions. The maximum power density among all assembled SMFCs was determined to be 231.18 mW/m2, generated by coconut waste. This model’s bioelectricity production was enhanced by adding organic compost to the anodic chamber, which acts as a catalyst in the system. The maximum power density of 788.58 mW/m2 was attained using a high proportion of coconut waste (CW) and organic compost. These results show that the higher percentage of lignin in CW improved the bioelectricity of SMFC.

Untreated vs. Treated Carbon Felt Anodes: Impacts on Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells.

This research sought to enhance the efficiency and biocompatibility of anodes in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), with an aim toward large-scale, real-world applications. The study focused on the effects of acid-heat treatment and chemical modification of three-dimensional porous pristine carbon felt (CF) on power generation. Different treatments were applied to the pristine CF, including coating with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) dispersed using dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) surfactant and biopolymer chitosan (CS). These processes were expected to improve the hydrophilicity, reduce the internal resistance, and increase the electrochemically active surface area of CF anodes. A high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) analysis confirmed successful CNF coating. An electrochemical analysis showed improved conductivity and charge transfer toward [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- redox probe with treated anodes. When used in an air cathode single-chamber MFC system, the untreated CF facilitated quicker electroactive biofilm growth and reached a maximum power output density of 3.4 W m-2, with an open-circuit potential of 550 mV. Despite a reduction in charge transfer resistance (Rct) with the treated CF anodes, the power densities remained unchanged. These results suggest that untreated CF anodes could be most promising for enhancing power output in BESs, offering a cost-effective solution for large-scale MFC applications.

Bio-electricity production in a single-chamber microbial fuel cell using urine as a substrate

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SC-MFC) using undiluted livestock urine (i.e. cow, goat, and sheep urine). Data showed that the MFC with cow urine reached a maximum power density of 110.72 ± 0.42 mW m−2 at the maximum current density of 230.88 ± 0.65 mA m−2 and voltage of 277 ± 0.04 mV in a polarization experiment. Whereas, in terms of the long-term operation experiment, the same reactor reached a maximum power density of 7.60 ± 0.06 mW m−2 (on day 10), with an external resistance of 1000 Ω. Besides, 44.30% of microorganisms (strains) were found in the anode of Sheep-MFC due to the association of urine with the substrate, compared to other reactors. The study's findings indicated that the composition of the livestock urine positively affected power generation in the evaluated MFCs. In addition, cow urine was the best substrate for driving MFC technology compared to other types of urine used in this study.

Novel Microfluidic Septum to Optimize Energy Recovery in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

This study proposes a redesign of asymmetric single-chamber microbial fuel cells (a-SCMFCs) with the goal of optimizing energy production. In the present work, the new approach is based on the introduction of a novel intermediate microfluidic septum (IMS) inside the electrolyte chamber. This IMS was designed as a relatively simple and inexpensive method to optimize both electrolyte flow and species transfer inside the devices. a-SCMFCs, featuring the IMS, are compared to control cells (IMS-less), when operated with sodium acetate as the carbon energy source. Performances of cells are evaluated in terms both of maximum output potential achieved, and energy recovery (Erec) as the ratio between the energy yield and the inner electrolyte volume. The a-SCMFCs with the novel IMS are demonstrated to enhance the energy recovery compared to control cells exhibiting Erec values of (37 ± 1) J/m3, which is one order of magnitude higher than that achieved by control cells (3.0 ± 0.3) J/m3. Concerning the maximum output potential, IMS cells achieve (2.8 ± 0.2) mV, compared to control cells at (0.68 ± 0.07) mV. Furthermore, by varying the sodium acetate concentration, the Erec and maximum potential output values change accordingly. By monitoring the activity of a-SCMFCs for over one year, the beneficial impact of the IMS on both the initial inoculation phase and the long-term stability of electrical performance are observed. These improvements support the effectiveness of IMS to allow the development of efficient biofilms, likely due to the reduction in oxygen cross-over towards the anode. Electrochemical characterizations confirm that the presence of the IMS impacts the diffusion processes inside the electrolytic chamber, supporting the hypothesis of a beneficial effect on oxygen cross-over.

Bioenergy Production from Tannery Waste via a Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell with Fly Ash Cathodic Electrodes

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are attracting attention for their application in simultaneous energy production and waste treatment, as innovative biochemical reactors. They usually operate under adiabatic conditions, utilizing microorganisms to treat wastewater compositions using mainly carbon-based electrodes as anodes and cathodes. During the past years, various anodic and cathodic electrodes with plenty of variations were used in MFC configurations. On the anode side metal-based electrodes are used while on the cathode, ceramic electrodes are currently introduced. In this study, a stainless steel anode is used in a single chamber MFC. Ceramic cathodic electrodes are used, coated with Fly Ash (FA). The mixed transition oxides of FA are tested as potential cathodic catalysts in the operation of the MFC. The FA powder was deposited by two methods: an ultrasound-assisted method and a conventional brush coating. Tannery liquid waste is used as the waste/substrate to be treated in the single-chamber MFC. The configuration with ultrasound-assisted Fly-Ash produced cathodic electrodes, led to the highest power output in batch operation modes and a high degree of simultaneous COD decrease of the tannery waste reaching the values of 0.44 mW/gcat and 85.6% COD removal respectively.

Fabrication and Study of 3D Printed ABS-Carbon Composite Anodes for Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices that exploit microbes for wastewater treatment with simultaneous power production. Concerning reactor design, electrode materials and operation modes, great achievements have been reported with an emphasis on developing anode materials to improve overall MFC performance. Anode materials (carbon cloth, carbon veil, carbon sponges) and their properties such as biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, surface area and efficient transport of waste play a very important role in power generation in MFCs. Despite their low cost, they present structural-based disadvantages eg. Fragility, and low conductivity issues. Additive manufacturing of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) due to its tailoring properties, has employed various polymer-based materials such as Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for manufacturing applications. In addition, carbon-based composites and hybrid materials eg. electrically conductive PLA and ABS have already been fabricated and are commercially available to exploit good electrical conductivity and structural rigidness. In this research, FDM was used to fabricate custom-sized electrodes made of a laboratory-produced electrically conductive ABS filament. A parametric study of conductivity and biocompatibility properties of these electrodes in correlation to 3D printer parameters was investigated and reported. Furthermore, treatment with a combination of thermal, mechanical, and chemical procedures was performed to improve the crucial parameters of anodes for MFCs.

Comparative performance of sustainable anode materials in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for electricity generation from wastewater

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology to generate electricity from wastewater and reduce the organic content. Whilst there has been a significant enhancement in MFC efficiency arising from the introduction of novel materials and cell designs, challenges remain with respect to the performance, cost, and sustainability of anode materials. This paper reports the development of single chamber MFCs with a focus on novel, cost-effective, and recycled carbon-based anode materials, including Recycled Water Filter Block/Powder (RWFB/RWFP), Recycled Chopped Carbon Fibre (RCCF), Carbon Felt (CF) and Graphite Flexible powder (GFG). Anodes prepared from GFG were shown to provide high power density (342.8 mW/m2), followed by RCCF, CF, RWFP, RWFB and CF (77.6, 71.8, 59.0 and 57.9 mW/m2, respectively). Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction was measured initially and at day 30, with GFG anodes observed to remove 83% of the initial load, compared to RCCF, RWFB, RWFP and CF anodes, where COD reductions of 69%, 61%, 65% and 73% were observed, respectively. Electrochemical analysis and biofilm imaging confirmed recycled materials were colonised by microorganisms and performed to high standards. GFG offers significant promise as an anode material, with excellent performance supported by a reduction in capital cost of up to 90% in comparison to CF. The use of recycled carbon material as MFC anodes shows promise, but requires additional work to improve the stability and durability of systems to permit scale-up.

Publisher Correction: Generating Sustainable Bioenergy from Wastewater with Ni2V2O7 as a Potential Cathode Catalyst in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

Publisher Correction: Generating Sustainable Bioenergy from Wastewater with Ni2V2O7 as a Potential Cathode Catalyst in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

Architecture Optimization of a Single-Chamber Air-Cathode MFC by Increasing the Number of Cathode Electrodes

The aim of this study was the optimization of a single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) architecture, by increasing the number of cathode electrodes. An air cathode single chamber MFC with a modifiable lid and bottom was operated with 4 and 6 Gore-Tex MnO2 cathode electrodes. The anode consisted of graphite granules. It was found that the increase from 4 (total cathodic surface area of 160 cm2) to 6 (total cathodic surface area of 240 cm2) electrodes resulted in an increase of the maximum current and the maximum power output of the cell by approximately 72% and 129%, respectively. Additionally, by increasing the cathodic surface area the internal resistance (Rint) of the unit decreased by approximately 19%. The organic removal from the substrate was not affected by the addition of the new electrodes while it was high across all cases studied (chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal > 89%). The average coulombic efficiency (CE) during the 4-electrode operation was 14.3%, while the corresponding efficiency for 6-electrode operation was 18.5%.

Investigating the effect of anode materials on the performance and microbial community in an integrated chamber-free microbial fuel cell

Conventionally, there are two basic configurations for microbial fuel cell (MFC), one with anode and cathode chambers, as known as dual-chamber MFC, one with only anode chamber and a air–cathode, called single-chamber MFC. However, electrode materials' complex configuration and high resistance limit their practical applications in power generation and wastewater purification. To this end, we constructed three MFCs using carbon felt, Ni/Ti, and Ag-Ni/Ti as anodes based on our previously constructed integrated chamber-free MFC (iMFC). After 21 days of operation, the Ag-Ni/Ti-MFC performed best in bioelectricity output and removal of target pollutants. The bioelectricity output parameters were an open-circuit voltage of 0.773 V, a maximum current density of 552.1429 mA/m2, and a power density of 426.8064 mW/m2. Furthermore, the MFC achieved removals of 67.90% for the chemical oxygen demand (COD), 55.20% for total nitrogen (TN), and 61.83% for ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N). Introducing silver nanoparticles to the transmembrane and outer membrane boosted the charge extraction efficiency in the MFCs. Moreover, 16S rDNA analysis indicated that typical electricity-producing bacteria, including Comamonas, Paraclostridium, and Asaccharospora, had a higher relative abundance in the Ag-Ni/Ti-MFC anode than in other anodes. Overall, the surface structure of different anode materials plays a critical role in bioelectricity generation and wastewater purification using iMFC by affecting the mass transfer of substrates and metabolites.

Non-fragile guaranteed cost control of microbial fuel cells

A microbial fuel cell (MFC), which is a new type of energy source, utilises electrogenic bacteria in sewage or soil to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. MFCs typically require an external controller to provide a stable output voltage to the external load. This study develops a non-fragile guaranteed cost (NFGC) controller to suppress the interference of the controller of an MFC and ensure that the quadratic cost function of the system satisfies certain performance indexes. First, for the convenience of controller design, a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model is established to approximate a single-chamber single-population MFC model. Subsequently, the linear matrix inequality method is used to design the NFGC controller. This control scheme can reduce the influence of controller disturbances on the system and ensure asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system under the specified upper bound of the provided cost function. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed control method has a shorter adjustment time and smaller steady-state error than traditional control methods such as sliding mode control (SMC), backstepping control, and fuzzy SMC

Generating Sustainable Bioenergy from Wastewater with Ni2V2O7 as a Potential Cathode Catalyst in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

Generating Sustainable Bioenergy from Wastewater with Ni2V2O7 as a Potential Cathode Catalyst in Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

The biochemical and electrochemical characteristics of a microbial fuel cell used to produce electricity from olive mill wastewater

Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) is a hard to treat by-product with low biodegradability and high toxicity due to its high phenolic content. Ιn the present study, OMW after centrifugation, was used for combined electricity and methane production. A three-air cathode single-chamber MFC operating continuously was set up for the exploitation of the liquid fraction of OMW obtained via centrifugation, while batch anaerobic digestion (AD) was employed for valorization of the solid residue. The MFC was also operated with a glucose-based medium, supplemented with phenolics, in order to assess the effect of phenolic compounds on its performance. In order to highlight the mechanisms and determine the limitations and electrochemical losses, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments were conducted, using both the synthetic and the real wastewater. The experimental results showed that power densities of 0.7–2.0 W/m3 OMW were achieved in the MFC, corresponding to an energy of 6.2 MJ/m3 OMW while 664 MJ/m3 OMW could be obtained through AD of the solid residue. However, as the energy which could be recovered directly from AD of OMW was calculated as 1439 MJ/m3 OMW, indicates that it is a competitive technology for OMW treatment and valorization.

Effect of sludge conditioning by microbial fuel cell on electro-dewatering performance

Electro-dewatering (EDW) is an efficient and energy-saving technology for deep dewatering of sludge. It is significantly influenced by the physicochemical properties (e.g., conductivity, pH and zeta potential) of sludge, which can be altered by conditioning. In this study, sludge conditioning by microbial fuel cell (MFC) was innovatively coupled with EDW. In a single-chamber MFC filled with municipal sludge, a maximum power density of 436 mW/m3 was achieved after a 5-day operation. Substantial changes in the physicochemical properties of the sludge were observed. Compared with raw sludge, the sludge subjected to 7-day MFC conditioning had higher liquid-phase conductivity (425 μS/cm vs. 301 μS/cm), higher pH (6.8 vs. 6.3) and a more negative zeta potential (−16.0 mV vs. −12.8 mV). These changes facilitated EDW. Generally, longer MFC conditioning time led to higher electric current, higher filtrate flow rate and less final moisture content during a 12-min constant-voltage (25 V) EDW process. The final sludge moisture content after EDW was 64.0 % without conditioning and 54.8 % with 7-day MFC conditioning. Although sludge EDW with longer MFC conditioning time required more energy, the dewatering efficiency was noticeably higher, making the process more economically beneficial. Seven days of MFC conditioning is the recommended scheme in this study due to its low Ksi (1.6 kWh·h/kgDS2) and the potential to generate ~0.0336 USD/ton dry solids as green energy revenue. The study has newly developed an MFC-EDW coupled process that recovers bioresources through electricity generation while MFC conditions the sludge to facilitate EDW simultaneously.