Microbial Fuel Cell stack performance enhancement through carbon veil anode modification with activated carbon powder
Microbial Fuel Cell stack performance enhancement through carbon veil anode modification with activated carbon powder
The chemical energy contained in urine can be efficiently extracted into direct electricity by Microbial Fuel Cell stacks to reach usable power levels for practical implementation and a decentralised power source in remote locations. Herein, a novel type of the anode electrode was developed using powdered activated carbon (PAC) applied onto the carbon fibre scaffold in the ceramic MFC stack to achieve superior electrochemical performance during 500 days of operation. The stack equipped with modified anodes (MF-CV) produced up to 37.9 mW (21.1 W m−3) in comparison to the control (CV) that reached 21.4 mW (11.9 W m−3) showing 77% increase in power production. The novel combination of highly porous activated carbon particles applied onto the conductive network of carbon fibres promoted simultaneously electrocatalytic activity and increased surface area, resulting in excellent power output from the MFC stack as well as higher treatment rate. Considering the low cost and simplicity of the material preparation, as well as the outstanding electrochemical activity during long term operation, the resulting modification provides a promising anode electrocatalyst for high-performance MFC stacks to enhance urine and waste treatment for the purpose of future scale-up and technology implementation as an applied off-grid energy source.
Activated carbon, Ceramic, Long-term operation, Microbial Fuel Cell, Stacking, Urine
Gajda, Iwona
943dd6bd-524b-4c7b-b794-dec5ee8014b7
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
15 March 2020
Gajda, Iwona
943dd6bd-524b-4c7b-b794-dec5ee8014b7
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Gajda, Iwona, Greenman, John and Ieropoulos, Ioannis
(2020)
Microbial Fuel Cell stack performance enhancement through carbon veil anode modification with activated carbon powder.
Applied Energy, 262, [114475].
(doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.114475).
Abstract
The chemical energy contained in urine can be efficiently extracted into direct electricity by Microbial Fuel Cell stacks to reach usable power levels for practical implementation and a decentralised power source in remote locations. Herein, a novel type of the anode electrode was developed using powdered activated carbon (PAC) applied onto the carbon fibre scaffold in the ceramic MFC stack to achieve superior electrochemical performance during 500 days of operation. The stack equipped with modified anodes (MF-CV) produced up to 37.9 mW (21.1 W m−3) in comparison to the control (CV) that reached 21.4 mW (11.9 W m−3) showing 77% increase in power production. The novel combination of highly porous activated carbon particles applied onto the conductive network of carbon fibres promoted simultaneously electrocatalytic activity and increased surface area, resulting in excellent power output from the MFC stack as well as higher treatment rate. Considering the low cost and simplicity of the material preparation, as well as the outstanding electrochemical activity during long term operation, the resulting modification provides a promising anode electrocatalyst for high-performance MFC stacks to enhance urine and waste treatment for the purpose of future scale-up and technology implementation as an applied off-grid energy source.
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Published date: 15 March 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , grant number OPP1094890 and OPP1149065 . The authors would like to thank Mr. Daniel Sanchez-Herranz for help with stack assembly and Dr. Dave Patton for SEM imaging.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Activated carbon, Ceramic, Long-term operation, Microbial Fuel Cell, Stacking, Urine
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 454009
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454009
ISSN: 0306-2619
PURE UUID: a8160189-ae7b-456f-8634-1ac9145d34fa
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Date deposited: 27 Jan 2022 18:12
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:04
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Author:
Iwona Gajda
Author:
John Greenman
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