Fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, heat and water. It consists of anode, cathode and electrolyte. Anode oxidizes the fuel by using the catalyst that produce proton and electrons.
The protons flow from anode to cathode through electrolyte. At the same time electrons are drawn from anode to cathode through external circuit that produces direct current. At cathode another catalyst causes hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen to react and form water. There is near zero emission or no emission of environmental polluting gases and absence of mobile parts. But hydrogen is very expensive to produce, store and handle since it is not available naturally.
Bioenergy is a renewable form of energy made available from materials derived from biological resources which can be converted into biofuels as well as directly into electricity (Minghua Zhou et al., 2012). These reduces the greenhouse gases emission and also replace the conventional fossil fuels (Jassinnee Milano et al., 2016). One type of fuel cell is Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) which involves in the usage of microbial organisms for the production of electricity. In the anodic chamber the microorganisms convert the organic matter into carbon di oxide, protons and electrons in anaerobic condition and in the cathodic chamber the protons and electrons are combined with oxygen to produce water.
In aerobic condition it directly forms carbon di oxide and water. The reduction of cost is done by the usage of algal biocathodes where the carbon di oxide released from the anode chamber is utilized by the algae and in the presence of light radiation it produces oxygen. Algae can also act as a biological electron acceptor while simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide to biomass (Erin E. Powell et al., 2009). The single chambered MFC consists of anode and air cathode without the usage of membrane.
The dual chamber consists of two chambers where anode and cathode are placed in each chamber and separated by a membrane. MFCs more sustainable when implemented in wastewater treatment:
- The direct conversion of substrate energy to electricity;
- Less excess activated sludge compared to the processes of Anaerobic Digester and Conventional Aerobic Activated Sludge;
- Insensitive to operation environment, even at low temperatures;
- Without any gas treatment;
- Without any energy input for aeration;
- A widespread application in locations with insucient electrical infrastructures (Li He et al., 2017).
The substrate is the important for any microbial process since it acts as the nutrient (carbon) and energy source (Deepak Pant et al., 2010). A variety of organic substrates can be used for the production of electricity using anaerobic microorganisms. Some of the substrates used for the electricity production are domestic waste water, swine waste water, fruits and vegetable waste, oil waste, garden compost and dairy waste.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project is –
- To fabricate the Microbial Fuel Cell setup
- To determine the Influence of Substrate on Power Generation.
PLAN OF WORK
- Selection of Material for fabrication of Fuel cell setup
- Selection of Micro Organisms
- Selection of Substrates.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Effect of Type and Concentration of substrate on power generation in a dual chambered microbial fuel cell 2011 World Renewable Energy Congress
- Substrates – Glucose and date syrup (1-20 g/l)
- Species – Saccharomyces cervisiae
- Mediators – Natural Red and Ferricyanide
- Power and current density increased at 1-5 g/l of glucose and 1-3 g/l of date after which the glucose remained unconsumed
- Max Power – 50.41 mW/m2 for glucose and 53.7031 mW/m2 for date Abhilasha Singh Mathuriya, J.V.Yakhmi Microbial fuel cells – Applications for generation of electrical power and beyond 2014 Informa Healthcare
- Electricity generation, Waste water treatment and recovery of pure materials, Removal of organic matters, Dye decolourization, Nitrification and denitrification Bharati S Meti, Sailaja B Treatment of sugar process waste water and biogas production using algal biomass 2014 International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology
- Chlorella species cultured using Bolds Basal Media at pH 6.8 and sterilized at 15lb pressure for 15 minutes in an autoclave
- Sugar have high COD and BOD hence dilution is required
- Cyanobacteria and Chlorella were anaerobically digested at different organic loadings
- The BOD, COD, total nitrogen and phosphorous were reduced Merina Paul Das Bioelectricity production 2015
- Mixed culture of algae sample was used of which using algae in microbial fuel cell Der Pharma Chemica Chlorella and Spirulina species showed maximum growth.
- Each algae was used to produce electricity in single chambered MFC for 10 days
- Chlorella produced 0.99 V and Spirulina produced 0.96 V because Chlorella is participating in photosynthesis in higher rate and thus fast growing and converts maximum amount of energy Zheng Ge, Liao Wu, Fei Zhang, Zhen He Energy Extraction from a large scale MFC system treating municipal waste water 2015 Journal of Power Sources
- 48 MFC’s used
- 12 hour HRT in MFC (6 hrs in each anode and cathode) and again 6 hrs in collection tank
- Energy is extracted from MFC’s by Battery Management Evaluation Module
- Current of 75 – 93 mA produced Seyed Kamren, Foad Marshi, Hamid Reza Kariminia Performance of a single chambered MFC at 2015 Journal of Environmental Health Science
- Membrane less single chambered MFC
- Organic loading is differed by dilution C1 – different organic loads and pH values using purified terephthalic acid waste water and Engineering 10, C2 – 4, C3 – 2 and C4 – raw waste water and different pH – 5.5, 7 and 8.5
- Limiting factors are oxidization rate of substrate by bacteria and rate of electron transfer to electrode surface
- Power Density is 10.5, 43.3, 55.5, 65.6 mW/m2 for C1, C2, C3, C4 Ravinder Kumar, Lakhveer Singh, A.W.Zularisam Bioelectricity generation and treatment of sugar mill effluent using microbial fuel cell 2016 Journal of Clean Energy Technologies
- PEM membrane – Nafion 117 and anaerobic sludge is used in anode and KMnO4 as catholyte
- Batch operation for 15 days
- Electrode – Poly acrylonitrile
- Maximum Power Density – 140 mW/m2 Haixia Du, Fusheng Li, Kuthuang, Wenhan Li, Chunhua Feng Potato waste treatment by microbial fuel cell. Evaluation based on electricity generation, organic matter 2017 Environment Protection Engineering
- Potato was masticated and its juice was extracted pH – 7.0 to 7.1
- Operation period 81 days
- Dual chambered microbial fuel cell with anaerobic consortia removal and microbial structure
- Highest current density – 208 mA/m2 Beenish Saba, Ann D. Christy, Zhongtang Yu, Anne C. Co Sustainable power generation from bacterio – algal microbial fuel cells (MFCs) : An overview 2017 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
- Power generation, waste water treatment, algal biomass cultivation and oxygen production Tanisha Manchanda, Rashmi Tyagi, Vijaya Kumar Nalla, Suman Chahar, Durlubh Kumar Sharma Power generation by algal microbial fuel cell along with simultaneous treatment of sugar industry wastewater 2018 Journal of Bio processing & Bio techniques
- Anolyte – Activated Sludge, S. cerevisiae, S. cerevisiae with methylene blue
- Catholyte – Boryococcus braunii
- Waste – Simulated waste water and simulated soap water
FUTURE WORK
- Optimizing various parameters and determine its effect on power generation
- Using different Substrate and determine its effect on power generation.
REFERENCE
- Abhilasha Singh Mathuriya and Yakhmi J.V. (2014), ‘Microbial Fuel Cells – Applications of Electrical Power and Beyond’, Informa Healthcare, DOI: 10.3109/1040841X.2014.905513.
- Beenish Saba, Ann D. Christy, Zhongtang Yu and Anne C. Co (2017), ‘Sustainable Power Generation from Bacterio-algal Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs): An Overview’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 73, pp.75-84.
- Bharati S. Meti and Sailaja B. (2014), ‘Treatment of Sugar Process Waste Water and Biogas Production using Algal Biomass’, International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, Vol.3, Issue 9, pp.61-67.
- Deepak Pant, Gilbert Van Bogaert, Ludo Diels and Karolien Vanbroekhoven (2010), ‘A Review of the Substrates used in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) for Sustainable Energy Production’, Bioresource Technology, Vol. 101, pp.1533-1543.
- Erin E. Powell, Majak L. Mapiour, Richard W. Evitts, Gordon A. Hill (2009), ‘Growth Kinetics of Chlorella vulgaris and its use as a Cathodic Half Cell’, Bioresource Technology, Vol. 100, pp.269-274.
- Ghoreyshi A.A., Jafary. T, Najafpour G.D. and Haghparast F. (2011), ‘Effect of Type and Concentration of Substrate on Power Generation in a Dual Chambered Microbial Fuel Cell’, World Renewable Energy Congress, pp.1174-1181.
- Haixia Du, Fusheng Li, Kui Huang, Wenhan Li and Chunhua Feng (2017), ‘Potato Waste Treatment by Microbial Fuel Cell – Evaluation based on Electricity Generation, Organic Matter Removal and Microbial Structure, DOI: 10.5277/epe170101
- Jassinnee Milaho, Hwai Chyuan Ong, Masjuki H.H., Chong W.T., Man Kee Lam, Ping Kwan Loh and Viknes Vellayan (2016), ‘Microalgae Biofuels as an alternative to Fossil Fuel for Power Generation’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 58, pp.180-197.
- Li He, Peng Du, Yizhong Chen, Hongwei Lu, Xi Cheng, Bei Chang and Zheng Wang (2017), ‘Advances in Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 71, pp.388-403.
- Merina Paul Das (2015), ‘Bioelectricity Production using Algae in Microbial Fuel Cell’, Der Pharma Chemica, Vol. 7, Issue 11, pp.8-10.
- Minghua Zhou, Hongyu Wang, Daniel J. Hassett and Tingyue Gu (2012), ‘Recent Advances in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) and Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) for Wastewater Treatment, Bioenergy and Bioproducts’, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.4004.
- Ravinder Kumar, Lakhveer Singh and Zularisam A.W. (2016), ‘Bioelectricity Generation and Treatment of Sugar Mill Effluent Using a Microbial Fuel Cell’, Journal of Clean Energy Technologies, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp.249-252.
- Seyed Kamran Foad Marashi and Hamid Reza Kariminia (2015), ‘Performance of a Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell at different Organic Loads and pH values using Purified Terephthalic Acid Wastewater’, Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, DOI: 10.1186/s40201-015-0179-x.
- Tanisha Manchanda, Rashmi Tyagi, Vijaya Kumar Nalla, Suman Chahar and Durlubh Kumar Sharma (2018), ‘Power Generation by Algal Microbial Fuel Cell Along with Simultaneous Treatment of Sugar Industry Wastewater’, Journal of Bio processing ; Bio techniques, DOI: 10.4172/2155-9821.1000323.
- Zheng Ge, Liao Wu, Fei Zhang and Zhen He (2015), ‘Energy Extraction from a large-scale Microbial Fuel Cell System Treating Municipal Wastewater’, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 297, pp.260-264.
