Litre-scale microbial fuel cells operated in a complete loop

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 83; no. 2; pp. 241 - 247
• Main Authors: Clauwaert, Peter, Mulenga, Schalla, Aelterman, Peter, Verstraete, Willy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.05.2009; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bio-catalysed cathode; Bio-electrochemical system; Bio-fuel cell; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Biotechnological Products and Process Engineering; Biotechnology; Carbon; Chemical oxygen demand; Conservation of Energy Resources - methods; Effluents; Electricity; Electrodes; energy recovery; Equipment Design; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Graphite; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Life Sciences; Membranes; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Stainless steel; Studies; wastewater; Bio-fuel cell; Energy recovery; Bio-electrochemical system; Bio-catalysed cathode; Wastewater
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-009-1876-0

Using the anode effluent to compensate the alkalinization in a bio-cathode has recently been proposed as a way to operate a microbial fuel cell (MFC) in a continuous and pH neutral way. In this research, we successfully demonstrated that the operation of a MFC without any pH adjustments is possible by completing the liquid loop over cathode and anode. During the complete loop operation, a stable current production of 23.2 ± 2.5 A m⁻³ MFC was obtained, even in the presence of 3.2-5.2 mg O₂ L⁻¹ in the anode. The use of current collectors and subdivided electrical circuitries for relative large 2.5-L-scale MFCs resulted in ohmic cell resistances in the order of 1.4-1.7 mΩ m³ MFC, which were comparable to values of ten times smaller MFCs. Nevertheless, the bio-cathode activity still needs to be improved significantly with a factor 10-50 in order achieve desirable current densities of 1,000 A m⁻³ MFC.