Insights into Mfc Stacks Treating Urine; Practical Challenges for Practical Implementation
Insights into Mfc Stacks Treating Urine; Practical Challenges for Practical Implementation
Urine is a significant by-product of human metabolism, contributing 75% of nitrogen, 50% of phosphorus, and 10% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in municipal wastewater, which can lead to water eutrophication. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to reduce the organic content in urine while generating electricity and recycling harmful chemicals. To enhance MFC performance, stacking them in fixed configurations can increase the active surface area for effluent processing. This study assessed a 24-MFC stack fueled by urine under varying hydraulic and electrical conditions to simulate a real-scale MFC scenario for wastewater treatment. Twenty-eight different electrical and hydraulic configurations showed varying effects on COD removal and power output. The addition of MFC units in a cascade, both in-series and in-parallel, indicated performance trends and identified optimal power-to-COD ratio configurations.
Ieropoulos, Yannis
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Papaharalabos, George
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Greenman, John
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Stinchcombe, Andrew
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Melhuish, Chris
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11 January 2025
Ieropoulos, Yannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Papaharalabos, George
39e5655a-6ce5-45f8-ac06-aaeb0a81d4f3
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Stinchcombe, Andrew
f215f495-0b45-4233-9e5f-828fd6989e6b
Melhuish, Chris
c52dcc8b-1e36-425e-80df-9d05d2b21893
Ieropoulos, Yannis, Papaharalabos, George, Greenman, John, Stinchcombe, Andrew and Melhuish, Chris
(2025)
Insights into Mfc Stacks Treating Urine; Practical Challenges for Practical Implementation.
SSRN Electronic Journal.
(doi:10.2139/ssrn.5093786).
Abstract
Urine is a significant by-product of human metabolism, contributing 75% of nitrogen, 50% of phosphorus, and 10% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in municipal wastewater, which can lead to water eutrophication. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to reduce the organic content in urine while generating electricity and recycling harmful chemicals. To enhance MFC performance, stacking them in fixed configurations can increase the active surface area for effluent processing. This study assessed a 24-MFC stack fueled by urine under varying hydraulic and electrical conditions to simulate a real-scale MFC scenario for wastewater treatment. Twenty-eight different electrical and hydraulic configurations showed varying effects on COD removal and power output. The addition of MFC units in a cascade, both in-series and in-parallel, indicated performance trends and identified optimal power-to-COD ratio configurations.
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ssrn-5093786
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Published date: 11 January 2025
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Local EPrints ID: 500815
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/500815
PURE UUID: a92ddbf8-a839-4f66-8356-1663fe9f3a36
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Date deposited: 13 May 2025 17:18
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:34
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Author:
George Papaharalabos
Author:
John Greenman
Author:
Andrew Stinchcombe
Author:
Chris Melhuish
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