A New Design Improves Performance of a Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

A New Design Improves Performance of a Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

A.L. Vazquez-Larios | O. Solorza-Feria | G. Vazquez-Huerta | F. Esparza-Garcia | E. Rios-Leal | N. Rinderknecht-Seijas | H.M. Poggi-Varaldo* 

Environmental Biotechnology and Renewable Energies R&D Group, Dept. Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., P.O. Box 14-740, México D.F. 07000, México.

Dept. of Chemistry, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N. Mexico.

ESIQIE del IPN, División de Ciencias Básicas, México D.F., México.

Corresponding Author Email: 
hectorpoggi2001@gmail.com
Page: 
219-226
 |
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.14447/jnmes.v13i3.162
Received: 
22 November 2009
| |
Accepted: 
28 January 2010
| | Citation
a09_v13n03p219-226.pdf

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

A new design of MFC (MFC-A) whose main features were the assemblage or sandwich’ arrangement of the anode-PEM-cathode and the extended surface area of electrodes (higher electrode surface to cell volume ratio, ξ) exhibited a performance significantly superior to that of a similar cell (MFC-B, standard cell) where the electrodes were separated. The characterization experiments showed that the new design lead to a significant 70% reduction of cell internal resistance (Rint) compared to the standard cell. During the batch operation of the cells loaded with a model extract typical of hydrogenogenic fermentation of organic solid wastes and a sulphate-reducing inoculum, the maximum, open circuit potentials were 0.5 and 0.3 V whereas the average voltages were 0.21 y 0.18 V for MFC-A and MFC-B, respectively. Maximum volumetric power PV and anode density power PAn of the MFC-A were superior to those of the MFC-B by factors of 13.2 and 8.4, respectively. The experimental improvement factor was almost double of the expected (algebraic) factor 6.5. The PV of the MFC-A (922 mW/m3) was in the middle to high side of the range of PV reported in the literature whereas PAn was in the low range of pub- lished results (38.4 mW/m2). Finally, this work points out to the usefulness of the approach of increasing x and reducing Rint for improving MFC performance.

Keywords: 

microbial fuel cell; batch tests; electricity production; internal resistance; leachate; ratio surface area to volume; solid waste; sandwich electrode

1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results and Discussion
4. Conclusion
Acknowledgments

CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico, provided partial financial support to this research. ALV-L received a graduate scholarship from CONACYT, Mexico. NR-S acknolwedges support from COFAA-IPN. The excellent help with chromatographic analysis of Mr. Cirino Rojas of Central Analítica, Dept. Biotechnology and Bioengineering , CINVESTAV del IPN, and the technical assistance of personnel of the Environmental Biotechnology and Renewable Energy R&D Group and the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Group of CINVESTAV is gratefully acknowledged.

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