An Upflow Microbial Fuel Cell with an Interior Cathode: Assessment of the Internal Resistance by Impedance Spectroscopy
- 29 June 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Environmental Science & Technology
- Vol. 40 (17), 5212-5217
- https://doi.org/10.1021/es060394f
Abstract
An upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) system with a U-shaped cathode inside the anode chamber was developed and produced a maximum volumetric power of 29.2 W/m3 at a volumetric loading rate of 3.40 kg COD/(m3 day) and an operating temperature of 35 °C while feeding sucrose continuously. The Coulombic efficiency decreased from 51.0% to 10.6% with the increase in the volumetric loading rate from 0.57 to 4.29 kg COD/(m3 day). In addition, the lab-scale UMFC maintained soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies exceeding 90% and volatile fatty acid concentrations of ∼40 mg/L, indicating efficient wastewater treatment. The analysis of impedance spectroscopy, generated by fitting experimental data into an equivalent circuit, revealed that at a volumetric loading rate of 3.40 kg COD/(m3 day) the overall internal resistance was 17.13 Ω. This internal resistance was composed of electrolyte resistance (8.62 Ω), charge-transfer resistance (7.05 Ω), and diffusion resistance (1.46 Ω). Electrolyte resistance dominated throughout the entire range of loading rates. In addition, impedance spectroscopy demonstrated that both the anodic and the cathodic charge-transfer resistances were important limiting factors. To further improve the power output of the UMFC, we must reduce the electrolyte resistance by optimizing reactor configuration, reduce the anode charge-transfer resistances by selecting superior anodic microbiota, and reduce the cathodic charge-transfer resistance by exploring sustainable and efficient catalysts.Keywords
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- Continuous electricity production from artificial wastewater using a mediator-less microbial fuel cellBioresource Technology, 2006
- Microbial fuel cells: novel biotechnology for energy generationTrends in Biotechnology, 2005
- Biofuel Cells Select for Microbial Consortia That Self-Mediate Electron TransferApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004
- Production of bioenergy and biochemicals from industrial and agricultural wastewaterTrends in Biotechnology, 2004
- Peer Reviewed: Extracting Hydrogen and Electricity from Renewable ResourcesEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2004
- Probing Biomolecular Interactions at Conductive and Semiconductive Surfaces by Impedance Spectroscopy: Routes to Impedimetric Immunosensors, DNA‐Sensors, and Enzyme BiosensorsElectroanalysis, 2003
- A microbial fuel cell capable of converting glucose to electricity at high rate and efficiencyBiotechnology Letters, 2003
- Characterization of membrane electrode assemblies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells using a.c. impedance spectroscopyJournal of Applied Electrochemistry, 2002
- Development of anaerobic migrating blanket reactor (AMBR), a novel anaerobic treatment systemWater Research, 2001
- A biofuel cell based on two immiscible solvents and glucose oxidase and microperoxidase-11 monolayer-functionalized electrodesNew Journal of Chemistry, 1999