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Greenman J, Thorn R, Willey N, Ieropoulos I. Energy harvesting from plants using hybrid microbial fuel cells; potential applications and future exploitation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1276176. [PMID: 38357705 PMCID: PMC10865378 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1276176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) can be fuelled using biomass derived from dead plant material and can operate on plant produced chemicals such as sugars, carbohydrates, polysaccharides and cellulose, as well as being "fed" on a regular diet of primary biomass from plants or algae. An even closer relationship can exist if algae (e.g., prokaryotic microalgae or eukaryotic and unicellular algae) can colonise the open to air cathode chambers of MFCs driving photosynthesis, producing a high redox gradient due to the oxygenic phase of collective algal cells. The hybrid system is symbiotic; the conditions within the cathodic chamber favour the growth of microalgae whilst the increased redox and production of oxygen by the algae, favour a more powerful cathode giving a higher maximum voltage and power to the photo-microbial fuel cell, which can ultimately be harvested for a range of end-user applications. MFCs can utilise a wide range of plant derived materials including detritus, plant composts, rhizodeposits, root exudates, dead or dying macro- or microalgae, via Soil-based Microbial Fuel Cells, Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells, Plant-based microbial fuel cells, floating artificial islands and constructed artificial wetlands. This review provides a perspective on this aspect of the technology as yet another attribute of the benevolent Bioelectrochemical Systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Greenman
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Thorn
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Willey
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Civil, Maritime and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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2
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Walter XA, Kostrytsia A, Watson H, Winfield J, Baran A, Gillman S. Novel self-stratifying bioelectrochemical system for municipal wastewater treatment halves nitrous oxide emissions. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 392:129969. [PMID: 37979344 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Reducing carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions are prime global goals. Wastewater treatment contributes significantly, and this study developed a technology with a focus on utilisation in small-decentralised plants. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) utilise bacteria to remove pollutants while generating power and a range of experiments were performed to investigate their suitability compared to conventional trickling filters. A lab-based trickling filter was inferior to one adapted with electrodes both in terms of organic matter (COD) and phosphate reduction, but the BES did not generate electrical output due to inferior cathode configuration. An enhanced, novel, dual-BES system was developed with improved cathode positioning and operated as a cascade. This demonstrated improved COD (79 %) and total nitrogen (102 %) removal over the trickling filter. Concomitantly it emitted 47 % less N2O and generated an electrical output of 0.62 mA at 311 mV. Further work is needed to optimise BES but these results are encouraging in the development of sustainable biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Environmental and Biochemical Science Department, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
| | | | - Helen Watson
- Environmental and Biochemical Science Department, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Jonathan Winfield
- Faculty of Environment and Technology, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Anna Baran
- Research and Innovation Department, Scottish Water, 6 Buchanan Gate, Cumbernauld Road, Stepps G33 6FB, UK
| | - Sarah Gillman
- Research and Innovation Department, Scottish Water, 6 Buchanan Gate, Cumbernauld Road, Stepps G33 6FB, UK
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3
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Prudente M, Massazza DA, Procaccini RA, Rodríguez NA, Romeo HE. Flow-through laminar anodes with variable interlaminar distance to modulate the current density of urine-fed bio-electrochemical systems. Bioelectrochemistry 2023; 151:108408. [PMID: 36871403 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) porous anodes used in urine-powered bio-electrochemical applications usually lead to the growth of electro-active bacteria on the outer electrode surface, due to limited microbial access to the internal structure and lack of permeation of culture medium through the entire porous architecture. In this study, we propose the use of 3D monolithic Ti4O7 porous electrodes with controlled laminar structures as microbial anodes for urine-fed bio-electrochemical systems. The interlaminar distance was tuned to modulate the anode surface areas and, thus, the volumetric current densities. To profit from the true area of the electrodes, urine feeding was performed as a continuous flow through the laminar architectures. The system was optimized according to the response surface methodology (RSM). The electrode interlaminar distance and the concentration of urine were selected as independent variables, with the volumetric current density as the output response to optimize. Maximum current densities of 5.2 kA.m-3 were produced from electrodes with 12 µm-interlaminar distance and 10 %v/v urine concentrations. The present study demonstrates the existence of a trade-off between the accesibility to the internal electrode structure and the effective usage of the surface area to maximize the volumetric current density when diluted urine is used as flowing-through feeding fuel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Prudente
- Nanostructured Polymers Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina; Bio-procesess and Interface Engineering Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Diego A Massazza
- Bio-procesess and Interface Engineering Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Raúl A Procaccini
- Applied Electrochemistry Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Nicolás A Rodríguez
- Ceramics Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Hernán E Romeo
- Nanostructured Polymers Division, Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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Vidhyeswari D, Surendhar A, Bhuvaneshwari S. General aspects and novel PEMss in microbial fuel cell technology: A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 309:136454. [PMID: 36167209 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current scenario of energy production is mostly shifted towards sustainable renewable energy sources. Other than the energy production from natural resources such as sun, wind and water, microbial fuel cell system (MFC) has earned attraction in recent times. These microbial fuel cell systems are bioelectrochemical cell that possesses a unique ability to generate power as well as treats wastewater simultaneously. In this paper, an overview of the microbial fuel cell system and the effect of significant components on the performance of microbial fuel cell systems are reviewed. Firstly, the importance of the MFC system in power generation, its components, the working principle and various configurations of the MFC were briefly introduced. Biofilm plays a major role in the MFC system. Thus the importance of bio film, bio film formation and characterization techniques are summarised. Further, the review mainly addresses the mechanism of conventional and novel membrane materials on the performance of the MFC system. In addition, special emphasis on ceramic-based materials in the MFC system is presented. Finally, recent applications of the MFC systems are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Vidhyeswari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, 673601, India.
| | - A Surendhar
- Department of Food Technology, TKM Institute of Technology, Kollam, India.
| | - S Bhuvaneshwari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, 673601, India.
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Simeon IM, Weig A, Freitag R. Optimization of soil microbial fuel cell for sustainable bio-electricity production: combined effects of electrode material, electrode spacing, and substrate feeding frequency on power generation and microbial community diversity. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:124. [PMID: 36380346 PMCID: PMC9667596 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are among the leading research topics in the field of alternative energy sources due to their multifunctional potential. However, their low bio-energy production rate and unstable performance limit their application in the real world. Therefore, optimization is needed to deploy MFCs beyond laboratory-scale experiments. In this study, we investigated the combined influence of electrode material (EM), electrode spacing (ES), and substrate feeding interval (SFI) on microbial community diversity and the electrochemical behavior of a soil MFC (S-MFC) for sustainable bio-electricity generation. RESULTS Two EMs (carbon felt (CF) and stainless steel/epoxy/carbon black composite (SEC)) were tested in an S-MFC under three levels of ES (2, 4, and 8 cm) and SFI (4, 6, and 8 days). After 30 days of operation, all MFCs achieved open-circuit voltage in the range of 782 + 12.2 mV regardless of the treatment. However, the maximum power of the SEC-MFC was 3.6 times higher than that of the CF-MFC under the same experimental conditions. The best solution, based on the interactive influence of the two discrete variables, was obtained with SEC at an ES of 4.31 cm and an SFI of 7.4 days during an operating period of 66 days. Analysis of the experimental treatment effects of the variables revealed the order SFI < ES < EM, indicating that EM is the most influential factor affecting the performance of S-MFC. The performance of S-MFC at a given ES value was found to be dependent on the levels of SFI with the SEC electrode, but this interactive influence was found to be insignificant with the CF electrode. The microbial bioinformatic analysis of the samples from the S-MFCs revealed that both electrodes (SEC and CF) supported the robust metabolism of electroactive microbes with similar morphological and compositional characteristics, independent of ES and SFI. The complex microbial community showed significant compositional changes at the anode and cathode over time. CONCLUSION This study has demonstrated that the performance of S-MFC depends mainly on the electrode materials and not on the diversity of the constituent microbial communities. The performance of S-MFCs can be improved using electrode materials with pseudocapacitive properties and a larger surface area, instead of using unmodified CF electrodes commonly used in S-MFC systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imologie Meshack Simeon
- Process Biotechnology & Center for Energy Technology (ZET), University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
- Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna, PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria.
| | - Alfons Weig
- Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Ruth Freitag
- Process Biotechnology & Center for Energy Technology (ZET), University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
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Sharma R, Kumari R, Pant D, Malaviya P. Bioelectricity generation from human urine and simultaneous nutrient recovery: Role of Microbial Fuel Cells. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 292:133437. [PMID: 34973250 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urine is a 'valuable waste' that can be exploited to generate bioelectricity and recover key nutrients for producing NPK-rich biofertilizers. In recent times, improved and innovative waste management technologies have emerged to manage the rapidly increasing environmental pollution and to accomplish the goal of sustainable development. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have attracted the attention of environmentalists worldwide to treat human urine and produce power through bioelectrochemical reactions in presence of electroactive bacteria growing on the anode. The bacteria break down the complex organic matter present in urine into simpler compounds and release the electrons which flow through an external circuit generating current at the cathode. Many other useful products are harvested at the end of the process. So, in this review, an attempt has been made to synthesize the information on MFCs fuelled with urine to generate bioelectricity and recover value-added resources (nutrients), and their modifications to enhance productivity. Moreover, configuration and mode of system operation, and factors enhancing the performance of MFCs have been also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozi Sharma
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Rekha Kumari
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Deepak Pant
- Separation & Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, Mol, 2400, Belgium
| | - Piyush Malaviya
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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Walter XA, Madrid E, Gajda I, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Microbial fuel cell scale-up options: Performance evaluation of membrane ( c-MFC) and membrane-less ( s-MFC) systems under different feeding regimes. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2022; 520:230875. [PMID: 35125632 PMCID: PMC8795817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, bioelectrochemical systems have advanced towards upscaling applications and tested during field trials, primarily for wastewater treatment. Amongst reported trials, two designs of urine-fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were tested successfully on a pilot scale as autonomous sanitation systems for decentralised area. These designs, known as ceramic MFCs ( c -MFCs) and self-stratifying MFCs ( s -MFC), have never been calibrated under similar conditions. Here, the most advanced versions of both designs were assembled and tested under similar feeding conditions. The performance and efficiency were evaluated under different hydraulic retention times (HRT), through chemical oxygen demand measures and polarisation experiments. Results show that c -MFCs displayed constant performance independently from the HRT (32.2 ± 3.9 W m-3) whilst displaying high energy conversion efficiency at longer HRT (NER COD = 2.092 ± 0.119 KWh.Kg COD -1, at 24h HRT). The s -MFC showed a correlation between performance and HRT. The highest performance was reached under short HRT (69.7 ± 0.4 W m-3 at 3h HRT), but the energy conversion efficiency was constant independently from the HRT (0.338 ± 0.029 KWh.Kg COD -1). The c -MFCs and s -MFCs similarly showed the highest volumetric efficiency under long HRT (65h) with NER V of 0.747 ± 0.010 KWh.m-3 and 0.825 ± 0.086 KWh.m-3, respectively. Overall, c -MFCs seems more appropriate for longer HRT and s -MFCs for shorter HRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Elena Madrid
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Iwona Gajda
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
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Selvasembian R, Mal J, Rani R, Sinha R, Agrahari R, Joshua I, Santhiagu A, Pradhan N. Recent progress in microbial fuel cells for industrial effluent treatment and energy generation: Fundamentals to scale-up application and challenges. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 346:126462. [PMID: 34863847 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) technology have the potential to decarbonize electricity generation and offer an eco-friendly route for treating a wide range of industrial effluents from power generation, petrochemical, tannery, brewery, dairy, textile, pulp/paper industries, and agro-industries. Despite successful laboratory-scale studies, several obstacles limit the MFC technology for real-world applications. This review article aimed to discuss the most recent state-of-the-art information on MFC architecture, design, components, electrode materials, and anodic exoelectrogens to enhance MFC performance and reduce cost. In addition, the article comprehensively reviewed the industrial effluent characteristics, integrating conventional technologies with MFCs for advanced resource recycling with a particular focus on the simultaneous bioelectricity generation and treatment of various industrial effluents. Finally, the article discussed the challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives for the large-scale applications of MFCs for sustainable industrial effluent management and energy recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rangabhashiyam Selvasembian
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613401, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Joyabrata Mal
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Radha Rani
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rupika Sinha
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Roma Agrahari
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ighalo Joshua
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria
| | - Arockiasamy Santhiagu
- School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
| | - Nirakar Pradhan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Jadhav DA, Park SG, Pandit S, Yang E, Ali Abdelkareem M, Jang JK, Chae KJ. Scalability of microbial electrochemical technologies: Applications and challenges. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 345:126498. [PMID: 34890815 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
During wastewater treatment, microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) are a promising means for in situ energy harvesting and resource recovery. The primary constraint for such systems is scaling them up from the laboratory to practical applications. Currently, most research (∼90%) has been limited to benchtop models because of bioelectrochemical, economic, and engineering design limitations. Field trials, i.e., 1.5 m3 bioelectric toilet, 1000 L microbial electrolysis cell and industrial applications of METs have been conducted, and their results serve as positive indicators of their readiness for practical applications. Multiple startup companies have invested in the pilot-scale demonstrations of METs for industrial effluent treatment. Recently, advances in membrane/electrode modification, understanding of microbe-electrode interaction, and feasibility of electrochemical redox reactions have provided new directions for realizing the practical application. This study reviews the scaling-up challenges, success stories for onsite use, and readiness level of METs for commercialization that is inexpensive and sustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipak A Jadhav
- Division of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Logistics System (Environmental Major), College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea; Department of Agricultural Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431010, India
| | - Sung-Gwan Park
- Division of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Logistics System (Environmental Major), College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea
| | - Soumya Pandit
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201306, India
| | - Euntae Yang
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongsangnam-do 53064, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem
- Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Center for Advanced Materials Research, University of Sharjah, 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, AlMinya, Egypt
| | - Jae-Kyung Jang
- National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Engineering Energy and Environmental Engineering Division, 310 Nongsaengmyeong-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Jung Chae
- Division of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Logistics System (Environmental Major), College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea; Interdisciplinary Major of Ocean Renewable Energy Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea.
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Greenman J, Gajda I, You J, Mendis BA, Obata O, Pasternak G, Ieropoulos I. Microbial fuel cells and their electrified biofilms. Biofilm 2021; 3:100057. [PMID: 34729468 PMCID: PMC8543385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2021.100057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) represent a wide range of different biofilm-based bioreactors that includes microbial fuel cells (MFCs), microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) and microbial desalination cells (MDCs). The first described bioelectrical bioreactor is the Microbial Fuel Cell and with the exception of MDCs, it is the only type of BES that actually produces harvestable amounts of electricity, rather than requiring an electrical input to function. For these reasons, this review article, with previously unpublished supporting data, focusses primarily on MFCs. Of relevance is the architecture of these bioreactors, the type of membrane they employ (if any) for separating the chambers along with the size, as well as the geometry and material composition of the electrodes which support biofilms. Finally, the structure, properties and growth rate of the microbial biofilms colonising anodic electrodes, are of critical importance for rendering these devices, functional living 'engines' for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Iwona Gajda
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Jiseon You
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Buddhi Arjuna Mendis
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Oluwatosin Obata
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
| | | | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, BRL, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, UK
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11
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Tabassum N, Islam N, Ahmed S. Progress in microbial fuel cells for sustainable management of industrial effluents. Process Biochem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2021.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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12
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Sharma P, Talekar GV, Mutnuri S. Demonstration of energy and nutrient recovery from urine by field-scale microbial fuel cell system. Process Biochem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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13
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Walter XA, You J, Winfield J, Bajarunas U, Greenman J, Ieropoulos IA. From the lab to the field: Self-stratifying microbial fuel cells stacks directly powering lights. APPLIED ENERGY 2020; 277:115514. [PMID: 33144751 PMCID: PMC7567022 DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology relies on energy storage and harvesting circuitry to deliver stable power outputs. This increases costs, and for wider deployment into society, these should be kept minimal. The present study reports how a MFC system was developed to continuously power public toilet lighting, with for the first time no energy storage nor harvesting circuitry. Two different stacks, one consisting of 15 and the other 18 membrane-less MFC modules, were operated for 6 days and fuelled by the urine of festival goers at the 2019 Glastonbury Music Festival. The 15-module stack was directly connected to 2 spotlights each comprising 6 LEDs. The 18-module stack was connected to 2 identical LED spotlights but going through 2 LED electronic controller/drivers. Twenty hours after inoculation the stacks were able to directly power the bespoke lighting system. The electrical energy produced by the 15-module stack evolved with usage from ≈280 mW (≈2.650 V at ≈105 mA) at the beginning to ≈860 mW (≈2.750 V at ≈300 mA) by the end of the festival. The electrical energy produced by the LED-driven 18-module stack increased from ≈490 mW at the beginning to ≈680 mW toward the end of the festival. During this period, illumination was above the legal standards for outdoor public areas, with the 15-module stack reaching a maximum of ≈89 Lx at 220 cm. These results demonstrate for the first time that the MFC technology can be deployed as a direct energy source in decentralised area (e.g. refugee camps).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Corresponding author at: Bristol BioEnergy Centre (BBiC), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | - Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
- Corresponding author at: Bristol BioEnergy Centre (BBiC), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
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14
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Walter XA, Santoro C, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Scaling up self-stratifying supercapacitive microbial fuel cell. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY 2020; 45:25240-25248. [PMID: 32982026 PMCID: PMC7491701 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.06.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Self-stratifying microbial fuel cells with three different electrodes sizes and volumes were operated in supercapacitive mode. As the electrodes size increased, the equivalent series resistance decreased, and the overall power was enhanced (small: ESR = 7.2 Ω and P max = 13 mW; large: ESR = 4.2 Ω and P max = 22 mW). Power density referred to cathode geometric surface area and displacement volume of the electrolyte in the reactors. With regards to the electrode wet surface area, the large size electrodes (L-MFC) displayed the lowest power density (460 μW cm-2) whilst the small and medium size electrodes (S-MFC, M-MFC) showed higher densities (668 μW cm-2 and 633 μW cm-2, respectively). With regard to the volumetric power densities the S-MFC, the M-MFC and the L-MFC had similar values (264 μW mL-1, 265 μW mL-1 and 249 μW cm-1, respectively). Power density normalised in terms of carbon weight utilised for fabricating MFC cathodes-electrodes showed high output for smaller electrode size MFC (5811 μW g-1-C- and 3270 μW g-1-C- for the S-MFC and L-MFC, respectively) due to the fact that electrodes were optimised for MFC operations and not supercapacitive discharges. Apparent capacitance was high at lower current pulses suggesting high faradaic contribution. The electrostatic contribution detected at high current pulses was quite low. The results obtained give rise to important possibilities of performance improvements by optimising the device design and the electrode fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, UWE, T-Block Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
- Corresponding author.
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, UWE, T-Block Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, UWE, T-Block Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, UWE, T-Block Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
- Corresponding author.
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Nazari S, Zinatizadeh AA, Mirghorayshi M, van Loosdrecht MC. Waste or Gold? Bioelectrochemical Resource Recovery in Source-Separated Urine. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:990-1006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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16
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Walter XA, Santoro C, Greenman J, Ieropoulos IA. Scalability and stacking of self-stratifying microbial fuel cells treating urine. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 133:107491. [PMID: 32163891 PMCID: PMC7133052 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The scalability of Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is key to the development of stacks. A recent study has shown that self-stratifying membraneless MFCs (S-MFCs) could be scaled down to 2 cm without performance deterioration. However, the scaling-up limit of S-MFC is yet unknown. Here the study evaluates the scale-up height of S-MFCs treating urine, from 2 cm, 4 cm to 12 cm high electrodes. The electrochemical properties of the S-MFCs were investigated after steady-states were established, following a 70-days longevity study. The electrochemical properties of the 2 cm and 4 cm conditions were similar (5.45 ± 0.32 mW per cascade). Conversely, the 12 cm conditions had much lower power output (1.48 ± 0.15 mW). The biofilm on the 12 cm cathodes only developed on the upper 5-6 cm of the immersed part of the electrode suggesting that the cathodic reactions were the limiting factor. This hypothesis was confirmed by the cathode polarisations showing that the 12 cm S-MFC had low current density (1.64 ± 9.53 µA cm-2, at 0 mV) compared to the other two conditions taht had similar current densities (192.73 ± 20.35 µA cm-2, at 0 mV). These results indicate that S-MFC treating urine can only be scaled-up to an electrode height of around 5-6 cm before the performance is negatively affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Ioannis A Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
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Daud SM, Daud WRW, Bakar MHA, Kim BH, Somalu MR, Muchtar A, Jahim JM, Muhammed Ali SA. Low-cost novel clay earthenware as separator in microbial electrochemical technology for power output improvement. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2020; 43:1369-1379. [DOI: 10.1007/s00449-020-02331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Santoro C, Garcia MJS, Walter XA, You J, Theodosiou P, Gajda I, Obata O, Winfield J, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Urine in Bioelectrochemical Systems: An Overall Review. ChemElectroChem 2020; 7:1312-1331. [PMID: 32322457 PMCID: PMC7161917 DOI: 10.1002/celc.201901995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, human urine has been successfully used as an electrolyte and organic substrate in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) mainly due of its unique properties. Urine contains organic compounds that can be utilised as a fuel for energy recovery in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and it has high nutrient concentrations including nitrogen and phosphorous that can be concentrated and recovered in microbial electrosynthesis cells and microbial concentration cells. Moreover, human urine has high solution conductivity, which reduces the ohmic losses of these systems, improving BES output. This review describes the most recent advances in BESs utilising urine. Properties of neat human urine used in state-of-the-art MFCs are described from basic to pilot-scale and real implementation. Utilisation of urine in other bioelectrochemical systems for nutrient recovery is also discussed including proofs of concept to scale up systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Maria Jose Salar Garcia
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Jiseon You
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Pavlina Theodosiou
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Iwona Gajda
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Oluwatosin Obata
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Jonathan Winfield
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy CentreBristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWEColdharbour LaneBristolBS16 1QYUK
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Obata O, Salar-Garcia MJ, Greenman J, Kurt H, Chandran K, Ieropoulos I. Development of efficient electroactive biofilm in urine-fed microbial fuel cell cascades for bioelectricity generation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 258:109992. [PMID: 31929046 PMCID: PMC7001104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology harnesses the potential of some naturally occurring bacteria for electricity generation. Digested sludge is commonly used as the inoculum to initiate the process. There are, however, health hazards and practical issues associated with the use of digested sludge depending on its origin as well as the location for system deployment. This work reports the development of an efficient electroactive bacterial community within ceramic-based MFCs fed with human urine in the absence of sludge inoculum. The results show the development of a uniform bacterial community with power output levels equal to or higher than those generated from MFCs inoculated with sludge. In this case, the power generation begins within 2 days of the experimental set-up, compared to about 5 days in some sludge-inoculated MFCs, thus significantly reducing the start-up time. The metagenomics analysis of the successfully formed electroactive biofilm (EAB) shows significant shifts between the microbial ecology of the feeding material (fresh urine) and the developed anodic biofilm. A total of 21 bacteria genera were detected in the urine feedstock whilst up to 35 different genera were recorded in the developed biofilm. Members of Pseudomonas (18%) and Anaerolineaceae (17%) dominate the bacterial community of the fresh urine feed while members of Burkholderiaceae (up to 50%) and Tissierella (up to 29%) dominate the anodic EAB. These results highlight a significant shift in the bacterial community of the feedstock towards a selection and adaptation required for the various electrochemical reactions essential for survival through power generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin Obata
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK.
| | - Maria J Salar-Garcia
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK; Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Halil Kurt
- Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, NY, USA
| | - Kartik Chandran
- Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, NY, USA
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK.
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20
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Controlling Voltage Reversal in Microbial Fuel Cells. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:667-678. [PMID: 31980302 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems have been developed for potential use as power sources, along with several other applications, with bacteria as the prime factor enabling electrocatalytic activity. Limited voltage and current production from unit cells limit their practical applicability, so stacking multiple MFCs has been proposed as a way to increase power production. Special attention is paid to voltage reversal (VR), a common occurrence in stacked MFCs, and to identifying the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. We also proposed realistic perspectives on stacked MFCs in an effort to control and suppress VR by balancing the kinetics in the system, such as using enriched electroactive microorganisms or altering the circuitry mode.
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Walter XA, Greenman J, Ieropoulos IA. Microbial fuel cells directly powering a microcomputer. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2020; 446:227328. [PMID: 31956276 PMCID: PMC6919320 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.227328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFC) can be energy-positive systems and power various low power applications. However, to be employed as a low-level power source, MFC systems rely on energy management circuitry, used to increase voltage levels and act as energy buffers, thus delivering stable power outputs. But stability comes at a cost, one that needs to be kept minimal for the technology to be deployed into society. The present study reports, for the first time, the use of a MFC system that directly and continuously powered a small application without any electronic intermediary. A cascade comprising four membrane-less MFCs modules and producing an average of 62 mA at 2550 mV (158 mW) was used to directly power a microcomputer and its screen (Gameboy Color, Nintendo®). The polarisation experiment showed that the cascade produced 164 mA, at the minimum voltage required to run the microcomputer (ca. 1.850 V). As the microcomputer only needed ≈70 mA, the cascade ran at a higher voltage (2.550 V), thus, maintaining the individual modules at a high potential (>0.55 V). Running the system at these high potentials helped avoid cell reversal, thus delivering a stable level of energy without the support of any electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom
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22
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Santoro C, Walter XA, Soavi F, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Self-stratified and self-powered micro-supercapacitor integrated into a microbial fuel cell operating in human urine. Electrochim Acta 2019; 307:241-252. [PMID: 31217626 PMCID: PMC6559283 DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.03.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A self-stratified microbial fuel cell fed with human urine with a total internal volume of 0.55 ml was investigated as an internal supercapacitor, for the first time. The internal self-stratification allowed the development of two zones within the cell volume. The oxidation reaction occurred on the bottom electrode (anode) and the reduction reaction on the top electrode (cathode). The electrodes were discharged galvanostatically at different currents and the two electrodes were able to recover their initial voltage value due to their red-ox reactions. Anode and cathode apparent capacitance was increased after introducing high surface area activated carbon embedded within the electrodes. Peak power produced was 1.20 ± 0.04 mW (2.19 ± 0.06 mW ml-1) for a pulse time of 0.01 s that decreased to 0.65 ± 0.02 mW (1.18 ± 0.04 mW ml-1) for longer pulse periods (5 s). Durability tests were conducted over 44 h with ≈2600 discharge/recharge cycles. In this relatively long-term test, the equivalent series resistance increased only by 10% and the apparent capacitance decreased by 18%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Francesca Soavi
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi, 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - John Greenman
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
- Biological, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, UWE, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
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23
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Walter XA, Santoro C, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Self-stratifying microbial fuel cell: The importance of the cathode electrode immersion height. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY 2019; 44:4524-4532. [PMID: 31007361 PMCID: PMC6472648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Power generation of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) is a very important electrochemical parameter to consider particularly when the output has to be harvested for practical applications. This work studies the effect of cathode immersion on the performance of a self-stratified membraneless microbial fuel cell (SSM-MFC) fuelled with human urine. Four different electrolyte immersion heights, i.e. 1 4 , 2 4 , 3 4 and fully submerged were considered. The SSM-MFC performance improved with increased immersion up to 3 4 . The output dropped drastically when the cathode was fully submerged with the conditions becoming fully anaerobic. SSM-MFC with 3 4 submerged cathode had a maximum power output of 3.0 mW followed by 2.4 mW, 2.0 mW, and 0.2 mW for the 2 4 , 1 4 and fully submerged conditions. Durability tests were run on the best performing SSM-MFC with 3 4 cathode immersed and showed an additional increase in the electrochemical output by 17% from 3.0 mW to 3.5 mW. The analysis performed on the anode and cathode separately demonstrated the stability in the cathode behaviour and in parallel an improvement in the anodic performance during one month of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Corresponding author. Bristol BioEnergy Centre (B-BiC), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Corresponding author. Bristol BioEnergy Centre (B-BiC), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
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24
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Mateo S, Mascia M, Fernandez-Morales FJ, Rodrigo MA, Di Lorenzo M. Assessing the impact of design factors on the performance of two miniature microbial fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.11.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Walter XA, Santoro C, Greenman J, Ieropoulos IA. Scalability of self-stratifying microbial fuel cell: Towards height miniaturisation. Bioelectrochemistry 2019; 127:68-75. [PMID: 30735920 PMCID: PMC6450375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The scalability of bioelectrochemical systems is a key parameter for their practical implementation in the real-world. Up until now, only urine-fed self-stratifying microbial fuel cells (SSM-MFCs) have been shown to be scalable in width and length with limited power density losses. For practical reasons, the present work focuses on the scalability of SSM-MFCs in the one dimension that has not yet been investigated, namely height. Three different height conditions were considered (1 cm, 2 cm and 3 cm tall electrodes). The normalised power density of the 2 cm and 3 cm conditions were similar either during the durability test under a hydraulic retention time of ≈39 h (i.e. 15.74 ± 0.99 μW.cm-3) and during the polarisation experiments (i.e. 27.79 ± 0.92 μW.cm-3). Conversely, the 1 cm condition had lower power densities of 11.23 ± 0.07 μW.cm-3 and 17.73 ± 3.94 μW.cm-3 both during the durability test and the polarisation experiment, respectively. These results confirm that SSM-MFCs can be scaled in all 3 dimensions with minimal power density losses, with a minimum height threshold for the electrode comprised between 1 cm and 2 cm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Carlo Santoro
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Ioannis A Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
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Mateo S, Cañizares P, Fernandez-Morales FJ, Rodrigo MA. A Critical View of Microbial Fuel Cells: What Is the Next Stage? CHEMSUSCHEM 2018; 11:4183-4192. [PMID: 30358130 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201802187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have garnered interest from the scientific community since the beginning of this century and this has caused a considerable increase in the scientific production of MFCs. However, the ability of MFCs to generate power has not increased considerably within this timeframe. In recent years, the power generated by MFCs has remained at an almost contact level owing to difficulties in the scale-up of the technology and thus the application of MFCs for powering systems with high energy demands will not be fully developed, at least within a short temporal horizon. Scale-up by increasing the size of the electrodes has failed, because of the wrong assumption that a linear function describes the relationship between the amount of power generated by a MFC and its size. However, more efficient energy generation upon working with small MFCs has been described. This has led to a new approach for scaling up on the basis of miniaturization and replication. Then, MFCs can be connected electrically in series to increase the overall potential and in parallel to increase the overall current. However, cell-voltage reversal and ionic short-circuit issues must be solved for this approach to be successful. Nowadays, the applicability of MFC technology in wastewater treatment does not make any sense in light of the power levels reached, despite the fact that MFCs were seen as a paramount opportunity less than a decade ago. However, MFCs can be used for wastewater treatment with coupled energy generation, as well as for other technologies such as biosensors and biologically inspired robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mateo
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Chemical Engineering Department, Avenida Camilo José Cela, 12., 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pablo Cañizares
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Chemical Engineering Department, Avenida Camilo José Cela, 12., 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Jesus Fernandez-Morales
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Chemical Engineering Department, Avenida Camilo José Cela, 12., 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Manuel A Rodrigo
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Chemical Sciences & Technologies, Chemical Engineering Department, Avenida Camilo José Cela, 12., 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
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27
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Gajda I, Greenman J, Ieropoulos IA. Recent advancements in real-world microbial fuel cell applications. CURRENT OPINION IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY 2018; 11:78-83. [PMID: 31417973 PMCID: PMC6686732 DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This short review focuses on the recent developments of the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology, its scale-up and implementation in real world applications. Microbial Fuel Cells produce (bio)energy from waste streams, which can reduce environmental pollution, but also decrease the cost of the treatment. Although the technology is still considered "new", it has a long history since its discovery, but it is only now that recent developments have allowed its implementation in real world settings, as a precursor to commercialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Gajda
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, University of the West of England, BS16 1QY, UK
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Walter XA, Merino-Jiménez I, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. PEE POWER ® urinal II - Urinal scale-up with microbial fuel cell scale-down for improved lighting. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES 2018; 392:150-158. [PMID: 30018464 PMCID: PMC5989813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A novel design of microbial fuel cells (MFC) fuelled with undiluted urine was demonstrated to be an efficient power source for decentralised areas, but had only been tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Hence, a field-trial was carried out to assess its feasibility for practical implementation: a bespoke stack of 12 MFC modules was implemented as a self-sufficient lit urinal system at UK's largest music festival. Laboratory investigation showed that with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 44 h, a cascade of 4 modules (19.2 L displacement volume) was continuously producing ≈150 mW. At the same HRT, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced from 5586 mg COD·L-1 to 625 mg COD·L-1. Field results of the system under uncontrolled usage indicate an optimal retention time for power production between 2h30 and ≈9 h. When measured (HRT of ≈11h40), the COD decreased by 48% and the total nitrogen content by 13%. Compared to the previous PEE POWER® field-trial (2015), the present system achieved a 37% higher COD removal with half the HRT. The 2016 set-up produced ≈30% more energy in a third of the total volumetric footprint (max 600 mW). This performance corresponds to ≈7-fold technological improvement.
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Walter XA, Greenman J, Ieropoulos I. Binder materials for the cathodes applied to self-stratifying membraneless microbial fuel cell. Bioelectrochemistry 2018; 123:119-124. [PMID: 29747130 PMCID: PMC6062653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The recently developed self-stratifying membraneless microbial fuel cell (SSM-MFC) has been shown as a promising concept for urine treatment. The first prototypes employed cathodes made of activated carbon (AC) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mixture. Here, we explored the possibility to substitute PTFE with either polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) or PlastiDip (CPD; i.e. synthetic rubber) as binder for AC-based cathode in SSM-MFC. Sintered activated carbon (SAC) was also tested due to its ease of manufacturing and the fact that no stainless steel collector is needed. Results indicate that the SSM-MFC having PTFE cathodes were the most powerful measuring 1617 μW (11 W·m-3 or 101 mW·m-2). SSM-MFC with PVA and CPD as binders were producing on average the same level of power (1226 ± 90 μW), which was 24% less than the SSM-MFC having PTFE-based cathodes. When balancing the power by the cost and environmental impact, results clearly show that PVA was the best alternative. Power wise, the SAC cathodes were shown being the less performing (≈1070 μW). Nonetheless, the lower power of SAC was balanced by its inexpensiveness. Overall results indicate that (i) PTFE is yet the best binder to employ, and (ii) SAC and PVA-based cathodes are promising alternatives that would benefit from further improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Alexis Walter
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - John Greenman
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Ioannis Ieropoulos
- Bristol BioEnergy Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, T-Block, Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
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Effect of mode of operation, substrate and final electron acceptor on single-chamber membraneless microbial fuel cell operating with a mixed community. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2018.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Asensio Y, Mansilla E, Fernandez-Marchante CM, Lobato J, Cañizares P, Rodrigo MA. Towards the scale-up of bioelectrogenic technology: stacking microbial fuel cells to produce larger amounts of electricity. J APPL ELECTROCHEM 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10800-017-1101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Vicari F, D'Angelo A, Galia A, Quatrini P, Scialdone O. A single-chamber membraneless microbial fuel cell exposed to air using Shewanella putrefaciens. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Cow's urine as a yellow gold for bioelectricity generation in low cost clayware microbial fuel cell. ENERGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2016.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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