Microbial Fuel Cell: A Bioelectrochemical System that Converts Waste to Watts

508 Pages·2018·9.566 MB·English

by  Debabrata Das (eds.)

Debabrata Das Editor
Microbial
Fuel Cell
A Bioelectrochemical System that
Converts Waste to Watts
Microbial Fuel Cell
Debabrata Das
Editor
Microbial Fuel Cell
A Bioelectrochemical System that Converts
Waste to Watts
Editor
DebabrataDas
DepartmentofBiotechnology
IndianInstituteofTechnology
Kharagpur,India
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My beloved wife – Ms Sumana Das
Foreword
The increasing consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels has led to the global
energychallengewithrespecttoclimatechangeandlocalenvironmentpollutions.
Theworldissearchingforalternativerenewablesourcesofenergy.Microbialfuel
cellmechanismisanattractiverenewabletechnologythatcanconvertwastesintoa
directly usable formof energy, i.e. electricity. MFCs are uniqueintheir ability to
usebacteriaascatalystsfortheconversionofchemicalenergytoelectricalenergy
withouttheneedforcombustiontherebymakingitagreentechnology.
Inbrief,microbialfuelcellscompriseananodeandacathodewhichmayormay
not be separated by a semipermeable membrane. The bacteria (known as
exoelectrogens) are usually grown at the anode inan anaerobicenvironment such
thattheymetabolizethesubstrate(wastestream)anddonatethereleasedelectrons
totheanode(whichactsasaterminalelectronacceptor).Thefateoftheseelectrons
depends on the product of interest and type of oxidant present at the cathode.
Usually,oxygenisthemostcommonlyusedoxidantforfuelcellapplicationsdue
toitshighelectronegativity.MFCsasanareaofresearchhaveobservedaplethora
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viii Foreword
of interest in the past 15 years, and significant advances have been made in the
architecturaldesign,electrontransfermechanisms,electrochemicalreactionkinet-
ics,membraneproperties,etc.thathaveledtothedevelopmentofafewpilot-scale
MFCs. While the energy produced from MFCs is not yet practical for on-site
applications, a thorough study is helpful to have understanding of bioenergy. It is
alsoimportanttohaveknowledgeofenergygenerationsystemsforapplications.
Current research has extended the scope of MFC-based technologies to a wide
variety of applications such as bioremediation (sediment MFC), desalination
(microbial desalination cell), CO sequestration (microbial carbon capture cells),
2
hydrogen production (microbial electrolysis cell), synthesis of chemicals (micro-
bialelectrosynthesis),biosensors(microfluidicmicrobialfuelcell),etc.Thoughthe
basicunderlyingprinciplesforalltheseapplicationsremainthesame,thereaction
kineticsandtheelectrontransfermechanismsvarywithrespecttothefinalproduct
to such an extent that a deeper understanding is required thus motivating studies
relatingtoindividualprocessesandapplications.
The book provides a detailed description of the basic principles of MFC tech-
nology, the developments made till date, their applications and the associated
challengesandthepossibleintegrationwiththepresentenergygenerationsystems
tomaximizeenergyrecovery.EachaspectofMFChasbeendealtwithaninterdis-
ciplinaryapproachwitheasytounderstandillustrationskeepinginmindthediverse
audience. I strongly recommend this book to energy researchers, scientists in
industries, engineers and student enthusiasts who are interested in microbial fuel
cellresearchandwanttogetabreastwiththelatestdevelopments.Thisbookserves
asanidealplatformtodiscussthewiderscopeofMFC-basedapplicationsbeyond
the laboratory conditions and thus shows promising aspects towards a green and
sustainablefuture.
IappreciatethededicatedandsustainedeffortsofProf.DebabrataDaswhohas
compiled the book for interested students, researchers, industries and even
policymakers.
NationalInstituteofAdvancedStudies BaldevRaj
Bengaluru,India
Preface
Onceweacceptourlimits,wegobeyondthem.(AlbertEinstein)
Wastewatermanagementandalternativeenergyareconsideredthemostimportant
fieldsofresearchinenvironmentalbiotechnology.Themicrobialfuelcell(MFC)is
asustainableprocesswhichisgainingpopularityintherealmofincreasingdemand
of energy sourcesand concern for globalwarmingdue to emission of greenhouse
gases.TheMFCutilizeswastetoextractrenewablebiofuelsandbyproducts.This
process can prove to be a boon to developed and developing countries. The
widespread application of the process can help these countries to eradicate the
majorproblemsofremotepowergeneration,wastemanagement,sanitation,health,
biofertilizerproductionandrenewableenergy.OneofthemajorproductsofMFCis
electricity, and bioelectricity is the greenest of all the biofuels. Thus, it can be
reclassified as “super low-carbon fuel” from “low-carbon fuels”. Bioelectricity
producedinMFCcanbeutilizedfordecentralizedpowergeneration,andadditional
revenue can be obtained in the form of renewable energy credit, carbon dioxide
creditsand/orothergreenhousegasemissionscredits.
The MFC is considered as a renewable natural power source derived from
organic wastes and sewage treatment. Bioelectricity is usually produced through
MFC in oxygen-deficient environment where a series of microorganisms convert
thecomplexwastestoelectronsvialiquefactionthroughacascadeofenzymesina
bioelectrochemical process. Detailed description of MFC technology and their
applications have been discussed in this book. Basic principles of MFCs would
helptoperceivenewaspectsofbioenergyconversionsandhowsuchsystemcould
be integrated with the present energy generation systems to maximize energy
recovery.Inbrief,MFCsworkbyutilizingbacteriatodriveoxidationofsubstrate
(such as organic wastes from agriculture, industries or sewage) at anode and
reduction of an oxidant (usually O ) at cathode. The theories underlying the
2
electron transfer mechanisms, the biochemistry and the microbiology involved
and the material characteristics of anode, cathode and the separator have been
described in detail. The physico-chemical parameters affecting the performance
ix
x Preface
ofMFC have been included.Technologicaladvancements based onMFC designs
aswellasprocesseconomyarealsodiscussed.
MFC technology represents a multidisciplinary approach to the quest for
alternative sourcesof energy. It symbolizes the confluence ofthe chemical, phys-
ical and life sciences and is a meeting point of basic and applied research. The
working principle of MFCs is based on microbial physiology coupled with elec-
trochemistry. Several diagnostic tools that are used to assess the performance of
MFCs have been discussed in detail ranging from electrochemical workstation to
molecular biological tools. Mathematical modelling of the process has been
discussedwhich wouldhelpinscalinguptheMFC.Amultidisciplinaryapproach
such as electrochemistry, materials science, microbiology, engineering, etc. has
beenconsideredfortheimprovementofMFC.
MFC-based technology has a dual purpose: power generation and wastewater
treatment.SeveralapplicationsofMFChavebeendiscussedsuchasbioremediation
(sediment MFC), desalination (microbial desalination cell), CO sequestration
2
(microbial carbon capture cells), hydrogen production (microbial electrolysis
cell),synthesisofchemicals(microbialelectrosynthesis),biosensors(microfluidic
MFC),etc.
This book is aimed at a wide audience, mainly undergraduates, postgraduates,
energy researchers, scientists in industries and research organizations, energy
specialists, policymakers and others interested in the latest developments
concerningMFCs.Eachchapterinthebookbeginswiththefundamentalexplana-
tionforgeneralreadersandendswithin-depthscientificdetailssuitableforexpert
readers. One of the chapters highlights the concise summary of biochemistry for
bioelectricityproductionaswellasimportantmajorfactorsinvolvedintheprocess
towards the realization of a stable bioelectricity-based economy. A successful
application of MFC was found in a pilot-scale wastewater treatment along with
renewable energy production. The proper configuration of MFC and efficiently
pretreated “feedstock” are the major factors to maximize the production of bio-
electricity. The fundamentals of reactor design based on process economy have
beendiscussed.
The contributions of all the authors in the book are gratefully acknowledged.
Valuable suggestions for the book given by Dr. Soumya Pandit, Postdoctoral
Research Fellow, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and Ms. Jhansi
L. Varanasi, Senior Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur,
areworthmentioning.
Kharagpur,India DebabrataDas
Contents
1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
DebabrataDas
2 PrinciplesofMicrobialFuelCellforthePowerGeneration. . . . . . 21
SoumyaPanditandDebabrataDas
3 CharacteristicsofMicrobesInvolvedinMicrobialFuelCell. . . . . 43
JhansiL.VaranasiandDebabrataDas
4 MicrobialEcologyofAnodicBiofilms:FromSpeciesSelection
toMicrobialInteractions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Jean-Cle´mentFlayac,EricTrably,andNicolasBernet
5 AnodicElectronTransferMechanisminBioelectrochemical
Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
SanathKumarKondaveeti,JaiSankarSeelam,
andG.Mohanakrishna
6 DevelopmentofSuitableAnodeMaterialsforMicrobial
FuelCells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
ThiHiepHan,SandeshY.Sawant,andMooHwanCho
7 PerformancesofSeparatorandMembranelessMicrobial
FuelCell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
RuchiraRudra,VikashKumar,ArpitaNandy,andPatitPabanKundu
8 RoleofCathodeCatalystinMicrobialFuelCell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
SantimoyKhilariandDebabrataPradhan
9 RoleofBiocathodesinBioelectrochemicalSystems. . . . . . . . . . . . 165
V.Prakasam,S.G.F.Bagh,S.Ray,B.Fifield,L.A.Porter,
andJ.A.Lalman
xi