Evaluating the effects of scaling up on the performance of bioelectrochemical systems using a technical scale...

This study focuses on the challenges of the scaling up process of bioelectrochemical systems on the example of a technical scale microbial electrolysis cell referred to as the "prototype". Anodically treating real wastewater and operated in continuous mode at a hydraulic retention time of 1.23 d with an average chemical oxygen demand (COD)-loading rate of 0.5 g O2 d(-1) L Reactor(-1) the prototype on average showed COD removal efficiency of 67% with effluent concentrations of 210 mg O2 L(-1) and an ammonium elimination rate of 17.8 ± 3.9 mg Nd(-1) L Reactor(-1) resulting in effluent concentrations of 30.7 ± 3.7 mg NL(-1) with a removal efficiency of 40% at a current generation of 72 μA cm(-2) and Coulomb efficiency of 11%. A model is described as a method for comparing conventional and BES based technology using the above mentioned criteria and balancing them against the respective loading rates.