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Improving performance of MFC by design alteration and adding cathodic electrolytes.

G S Jadhav¹, M M Ghangrekar

¹Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. gorakhanath_ce@yahoo.co.in

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology

|April 29, 2008

Summary

This study compared two microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for wastewater treatment. MFC-2 demonstrated superior performance, achieving higher current density and power output, especially with aerated potassium permanganate as the cathodic electrolyte.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Electrochemistry
Biotechnology

Background:

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable approach to wastewater treatment and energy generation.
Optimizing MFC design and operational parameters is crucial for enhancing performance.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the performance of two MFCs under batch and continuous operation.
To investigate the impact of different cathodic electrolytes on MFC efficiency.
To compare MFC performance based on anode surface area and effluent exit design.

Main Methods:

Two MFCs with stainless steel mesh anodes were operated in batch and continuous modes.
Wastewater was fed to the anode chamber, with variations in effluent exit.
Different cathodic electrolytes including aerated KMnO(4), KMnO(4) without aeration, aerated tap water, and aerated tap water with NaCl were tested.

Main Results:

Both MFCs achieved high chemical oxygen demand removal (>85% in batch, ~68% in continuous).
MFC-2, despite a smaller anode, produced higher current density (295 mA/m²) and power density (56.87 mW/m²) in batch mode compared to MFC-1.
Aerated KMnO(4) solution yielded the highest power density, followed by KMnO(4) without aeration, aerated tap water, and aerated tap water with NaCl.

Conclusions:

MFC-2 design, with an effluent exit near the membrane, is more efficient than MFC-1.
Operational mode significantly impacts MFC performance, with batch mode outperforming continuous mode.
Cathodic electrolyte choice is critical, with aerated KMnO(4) showing the most promising results for power generation.