High speed municipal sewage treatment in microbial fuel cell integrated with anaerobic membrane filtration system

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 69; no. 12; pp. 2548 - 2553
• Main Authors: LEE, Y, OA, S. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London International Water Association 01.01.2014; IWA Publishing
• Subjects: Aerobic treatment; Anaerobic microorganisms; Anaerobic treatment; Anaerobiosis; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Biochemical fuel cells; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Bioelectricity; Bioreactors; Cathodes; Chemical oxygen demand; Construction costs; Cylindrical chambers; Dissolved oxygen; Domestic wastewater; Economic benefits; Electric potential; Electrochemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; Filtration - instrumentation; Filtration - methods; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; General purification processes; Glucose; Hydraulic retention time; Membrane filtration; Membranes, Artificial; Microorganisms; Municipal wastewater; Natural water pollution; Operating costs; Organic loading; Pollution; Purging; Removal; Residential density; Retention time; Sewage; Sewage disposal; Sewage treatment; Voltage; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste treatment; Waste Water; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Water treatment; organic loading rate; wastewater; bioelectricity; Waste water; Membrane separation; Biochemical fuel cell; membrane filter; Anaerobe; Organic loading; Membrane filtration; Microbial fuel cell; Urban waste water; Waste water purification
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2014.179

A cylindrical two chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) integrated with an anaerobic membrane filter was designed and constructed to evaluate bioelectricity generation and removal efficiency of organic substrate (glucose or domestic wastewater) depending on organic loading rates (OLRs). The MFC was continuously operated with OLRs 3.75, 5.0, 6.25, and 9.38 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(m(3)·d) using glucose as a substrate, and the cathode chamber was maintained at 5-7 mg/L of dissolved oxygen. The optimal OLR was found to be 6.25 kgCOD/(m(3)·d) (hydraulic retention time (HRT) 1.9 h), and the corresponding voltage and power density averaged during the operation were 0.15 V and 13.6 mW/m(3). With OLR 6.25 kgCOD/(m(3)·d) using domestic wastewater as a substrate, the voltage and power reached to 0.13 V and 91 mW/m(3) in the air cathode system. Even though a relatively short HRT of 1.9 h was applied, stable effluent could be obtained by the membrane filtration system and the following air purging. In addition, the short HRT would provide economic benefit in terms of reduction of construction and operating costs compared with a conventional aerobic treatment process.