Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that generate electricity by exploiting the metabolic processes of electrogenic bacteria. These systems provide a renewable energy source and serve as an innovative method for treating organic waste, such as wastewater.A typical MFC consists of two chambers: an anoxic (oxygen-free) compartment that houses the bacteria and an oxic (oxygen-rich) compartment that contains oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Many MFCs use proton...

Scale-Up Processes

Scale-Up Processes

The scale-up of microbial fermentation processes is essential in industrial biotechnology, allowing the transition from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale production while aiming to maintain product yield and quality. This process requires meticulous adjustment of equipment design, process parameters, and contamination control strategies to accommodate increasing culture volumes.At the laboratory scale, cultures are typically maintained in 1 to 10-liter glass or autoclavable...

Bioreactor Controls-II

Bioreactor Controls-II

In aerobic fermentations, oxygen is vital for microbial growth and metabolite production. Since air comprises only about 20% oxygen and the gas is poorly soluble in water—just 9 ppm at 20°C—supplying sufficient oxygen becomes a critical challenge, especially in high-demand processes like yeast growth or citric acid production. Even a fully saturated broth may offer only a few seconds of oxygen availability.To address this, sterile or scrubbed air is introduced into the fermentor via a sparger...

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Development and Application of a 3D-Printed Microfluidic Sulfide-Selective Sensor for Online Monitoring of a Hydrogenotrophic Sulfidogenic Bioreactor.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Enhancing bioelectrochemical hydrogen production from industrial wastewater using Ni-foam cathodes in a microbial electrolysis cell pilot plant.

Water research·2024

Same author

Study of the Effect of ZnO Functionalization on the Performance of a Fully Formulated Engine Oil.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2023

Same author

Implementation of a Sulfide-Air Fuel Cell Coupled to a Sulfate-Reducing Biocathode for Elemental Sulfur Recovery.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2021

Same author

The water industry toolbox.

Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation·2021

Same author

The relevance of water and wastewater research.

Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation·2020

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Computational Fluid Dynamics Reveals Mass Transfer Limitations in a Pilot-Scale Microbial Electrolysis Cell.

Oscar Guerrero-Sodric¹, Rholand Jordi Navarro-Quispe¹, Martí Cortada-García¹

¹GENOCOV, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.

Water Environment Research : a Research Publication of the Water Environment Federation

|June 19, 2026

Summary

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of large-scale microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) revealed hydrodynamic limitations hindering wastewater resource recovery. Recirculation strategies significantly improved acetate removal efficiency by overcoming mass transfer barriers.

Keywords:

ANSYS Fluent computational fluid dynamics (CFD)microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)pilot plant wastewater treatment

More Related Videos

Creating Rapid Oxygen Oscillations in Microbial Single-cell Growth Analysis using a Microfluidic Double-layer Device

Creating Rapid Oxygen Oscillations in Microbial Single-cell Growth Analysis using a Microfluidic Double-layer Device

Published on: July 18, 2025

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Published on: January 22, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Creating Rapid Oxygen Oscillations in Microbial Single-cell Growth Analysis using a Microfluidic Double-layer Device

Creating Rapid Oxygen Oscillations in Microbial Single-cell Growth Analysis using a Microfluidic Double-layer Device

Published on: July 18, 2025

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Published on: January 22, 2015

Area of Science:

Environmental Engineering
Bioelectrochemical Systems
Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

Microbial electrochemical technologies (METs), especially microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), face scalability challenges due to mass transfer limitations.
Efficient resource recovery from wastewater in MECs is often hindered by poor substrate transport to biofilms.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for a pilot-scale MEC (1 m³).
To identify and quantify hydrodynamic and mass transfer limitations affecting substrate consumption and resource recovery in large-scale MECs.

Main Methods:

A pilot-scale MEC (1 m³) was modeled using CFD, integrating fluid dynamics with bioelectrochemical substrate consumption.
Simulations analyzed anolyte distribution, dead zones, and preferential flow paths under various operational conditions.
The impact of hydraulic retention time (HRT), reaction kinetics, and diffusivity on MEC performance was evaluated.

Main Results:

Laminar flow and poor flow distribution led to significant inefficiencies and low acetate removal.
External mass transfer, not intrinsic reaction kinetics, predominantly governed reactor performance.
Implementing a recirculation strategy enhanced acetate removal efficiency from 16% to 48%.

Conclusions:

CFD modeling is a valuable tool for diagnosing transport limitations in large-scale MECs.
Recirculation strategies can effectively mitigate mass transfer limitations without compromising volumetric capacity.
This framework provides practical insights for optimizing MEC design and operation for enhanced resource recovery.