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Microbial fuel cells based on carbon veil electrodes: Stack configuration and scalability

Microbial fuel cells based on carbon veil electrodes: Stack configuration and scalability
Microbial fuel cells based on carbon veil electrodes: Stack configuration and scalability
The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three different sizes of microbial fuel cell (MFC) when operated under continuous flow conditions using acetate as the fuel substrate and show how small-scale multiple units may be best configured to optimize power output. Polarization curve experiments were carried out for individual MFCs of each size, and also for stacks of multiple small-scale MFCs, in series, parallel and series–parallel configurations. Of the three combinations, the series–parallel proved to be the more efficient one, stepping up both the voltage and current of the system, collectively. Optimum resistor loads determined for each MFC size during the polarization experiments were then used to determine the long-term mean power output. In terms of power density expressed as per unit of electrode surface area and as per unit of anode volume, the small-sized MFC was superior to both the medium- and large-scale MFCs by a factor of 1.5 and 3.5, respectively. Based on measured power output from 10 small units, a theoretical projection for 80 small units (giving the same equivalent anodic volume as one large 500 mL unit) gave a projected output of 10 W m−3, which is approximately 50 times higher than the recorded output produced by the large MFC. The results from this study suggest that MFC scale-up may be better achieved by connecting multiple small-sized units together rather than increasing the size of an individual unit
microbial fuel cells, scalability, stack configuration, maximum power transfer, internal resistance, fluidic conductance, continuous flow, mixed culture
0363-907X
1228-1240
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Melhuish, Chris
c52dcc8b-1e36-425e-80df-9d05d2b21893
Ieropoulos, Ioannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Melhuish, Chris
c52dcc8b-1e36-425e-80df-9d05d2b21893

Ieropoulos, Ioannis, Greenman, John and Melhuish, Chris (2008) Microbial fuel cells based on carbon veil electrodes: Stack configuration and scalability. International Journal of Energy Research, 32 (13), 1228-1240. (doi:10.1002/er.1419).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three different sizes of microbial fuel cell (MFC) when operated under continuous flow conditions using acetate as the fuel substrate and show how small-scale multiple units may be best configured to optimize power output. Polarization curve experiments were carried out for individual MFCs of each size, and also for stacks of multiple small-scale MFCs, in series, parallel and series–parallel configurations. Of the three combinations, the series–parallel proved to be the more efficient one, stepping up both the voltage and current of the system, collectively. Optimum resistor loads determined for each MFC size during the polarization experiments were then used to determine the long-term mean power output. In terms of power density expressed as per unit of electrode surface area and as per unit of anode volume, the small-sized MFC was superior to both the medium- and large-scale MFCs by a factor of 1.5 and 3.5, respectively. Based on measured power output from 10 small units, a theoretical projection for 80 small units (giving the same equivalent anodic volume as one large 500 mL unit) gave a projected output of 10 W m−3, which is approximately 50 times higher than the recorded output produced by the large MFC. The results from this study suggest that MFC scale-up may be better achieved by connecting multiple small-sized units together rather than increasing the size of an individual unit

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 28 April 2008
Published date: 25 October 2008
Keywords: microbial fuel cells, scalability, stack configuration, maximum power transfer, internal resistance, fluidic conductance, continuous flow, mixed culture

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 454249
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/454249
ISSN: 0363-907X
PURE UUID: 276ac73f-7a52-401c-8d38-1cb276571480
ORCID for Ioannis Ieropoulos: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9641-5504

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Date deposited: 03 Feb 2022 17:47
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:10

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Contributors

Author: John Greenman
Author: Chris Melhuish

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