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Performance comparison of triple and dual chamber microbial fuel cell using distillery wastewater as a substrate
Author(s) -
Samsudeen Nainamohamed,
Radhakrishnan T. K.,
Matheswaran Manickam
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
environmental progress and sustainable energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.495
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1944-7450
pISSN - 1944-7442
DOI - 10.1002/ep.12005
Subject(s) - microbial fuel cell , anode , cathode , power density , substrate (aquarium) , single chamber , electricity generation , wastewater , materials science , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , chemical oxygen demand , chemistry , electrode , pulp and paper industry , chemical engineering , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental engineering , power (physics) , environmental science , chromatography , fuel cells , physics , biomedical engineering , ecology , engineering , thermodynamics , biology
The reactor design is the most significant factor in microbial fuel cell (MFC) which enhances the power production during the treatment of distillery wastewater. The triple chamber MFC was constructed with two anodes and a cathode compartment separated by a proton exchange membrane. The power production in triple chamber MFC was 1.9 times higher as compared to a dual chamber MFC and it achieved power density of 168 mW/m 2 normalized to cathode surface area. However, the power density production was not much difference in both MFCs with respect to anode surface area. The power density increased from 168 to 198 mW/m 2 with decreasing the interelectrode distance between the anode and cathode. The anolyte and catholyte concentrations were also varied to determine their effect on power production in triple chamber MFC. Higher concentrations of substrate in terms of chemical oxygen demand in the anode chamber exhibited higher power production of 429 mW/m 2 . The power production was decreased with increasing the concentration of catholyte in triple chamber MFC. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 589–594, 2015