IRFAN ANWAR FAUZAN, ANJA MERYANDINI, RONI RIDWAN et al.

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity • 2022

Abstract. Fauzan IA, Meryandini A, Ridwan R, Fidriyanto R, Agustini NWS, Santosa DA. 2022. Coupling Indonesian indigenous Citrobacter freundii and Chlorella pyrenoidosa strain on the anode of microbial fuel cell with various substrates. Biodiversitas 23: 2471-2481. Microorganism plays a crucial role in the development of MFC systems. Indigenous to Indonesia, Citrobacter freundii GBH253 is a potential exoelectrogenic bacterium that could be developed into an MFC system. Coupling C. freundii GBH253 with potentially electricity-producing microalgae indigenous to Indonesia, such as Chlorella pyrenoidosa INK, in the anode of an MFC, could result in a more stable and higher electricity output. This study used C. freundii GBH253 and C. pyrenoidosa INK to produce electricity in various substrates. This research was conducted using a Factorial Randomized Block Design and Tukey’s test to determine significant differences between treatments. The result shows that electricity was generated in all treatments. The Bacterium-microalgae combination in acetate substrate can generate power density up to 211,97 mW m-2 and is the most stable compared to others. Bacterium dominates the electricity production in this combination, but the microalgae also play a role in producing electricity and increasing Chemical Oxygen Demand. The pH value of all treatments was higher than 7. Volatile Fatty Acids, like acetate and phenol, were produced in all treatments, whereas butyric acid and propionic acid were produced in several treatments. The Pearson correlation showed that some VFAs are highly correlated with power density.

Hafsa M. Ashraf, Ibrahim M. Abu-Reesh

Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery • 2022

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are environmentally friendly devices which are used to convert chemical energy in organic wastes to electrical energy. MFCs have a strong non-linearity that requires a very sophisticated controlling system. Consequently, this makes optimization and performance study of MFCs a difficult process. For better estimation of the constants used for optimization of MFCs, global sensitivity analysis is performed. The global sensitivity method based on Sobol’s indices coupled with Monte Carlo simulations was applied on multi-population, single-chamber MFC operating in a continuous flow at steady state for the first time. In this paper, first-order and total-order sensitivity indices were used to visualize the impacts associated with six main parameters resulted from the maximization of power density using Matlab. Such parameters are maximum anodophilic-specific growth rate, half-rate constant of anodophilics, curve steepness factor, mediator half-rate constant, number of electrons transferred per mole mediator and decay rate constant of anodophilic bacteria. The results showed that the curve steepness factor has almost no impact on the power density of MFC. While all other studied, factors are sensitive parameters that impact the power density of MFC. It is worth mentioning that maximum anodophilic growth rate and the number of electrons transferred per mole of mediator are the most sensitive parameters that affecting the power density production having total indices of 0.74 and 0.624, respectively. While the half-rate constant of anodophilics, mediator half-rate constant and decay rate constant of anodophilics have almost similar impact by having total-order indices of 0.127, 0.144 and 0.192, respectively. The findings herein are critical in understanding and further model improvement of microbial fuel cells as the most impacting parameters on MFC power density can be optimized further to reduce uncertainty associated with the experimental parameters in the model. Graphical abstract

Mahammed Ebraheem Al-Defiery

Clean Energy • 2025

Abstract Concerns about Earth’s climate change and environmental pollution have provoked the search for new power sources, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which offer a clean energy alternative. Hence, the development of an eco-friendly MFC which utilizes or recycles natural materials is required. The MFC was designed as a single chamber that contains soil (electrolyte media), a cathode electrode (graphite rod), and an anode electrode (zinc cylinder) as one unit in experiments. The soil in the MFC was adjusted to pH 7–8, and the moisture content was maintained at 70% of soil field capacity. The MFC units were incubated at 25–30°C. To optimize electrical generation, three sequential experiments were conducted in triplicate by testing different ratios of charcoal, gypsum, and sheep manure. A Fluke 175 multimeter was used to measure direct current voltage and current across the anode and cathode in a closed circuit. The results of optimization were then applied to construct MFC units for two further experiments, which were powering light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a clock. The voltage generated ranged from 1.96 to 2.85 Volts (V) and the current ranged from 0.055 to 0.17 milliampere (mA) (0.108–0.485 milliwatts [mW]) during the 180-day in the LEDs experiment, and from 0.69 to 1.88 V and 0.068 to 0.242 mA (0.047–0.455 mW) during the 250-day in the clock operated experiment. The MFC showed a potential for continuous power supply, waste recycling, soil properties improvement, and soil nutrient enrichment. The power harvest may offer advantages for renewable energy that can operate apparatus that needs low voltage and current.

Nur Syafira Khoirunnisa, Syaiful Anwar, Dwi Andreas Santosa

Trends in Sciences • 2021

Rice straw can be utilized as an organic substrate in Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) to generate electricity by microbes as a biocatalyst. This research was aimed to observe the effect of Xanthomonas translucens ICBB 9762 inoculation pretreatment on microwave-assisted alkali treated rice straw on the lignocellulosic structure change of rice straw and to observe the performance of MFC system fed by treated rice straw. The stages of research included: (1) pretreatment of rice straw through microwave-assisted alkali and Xanthomonas translucens ICBB 9762 inoculation, (2) observation of MFC performance including electrical voltage; electrical current; power density; and Coulombic efficiency, and (3) anolite analysis including COD removal, pH and Eh. The result showed that rice straw was successfully decomposed by inoculation of Xanthomonas translucens ICBB 9762 on microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment which the highest cellulose yield about 29.36 %. Treated rice straw produced better performance than rice straw without pretreatment which the best performance resulted by the combination of Xanthomonas translucens ICBB 9762 inoculation and microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment which produce electrical voltage, electrical current, and power density value of 337.90 mV, 0.39 mA, and 26.20 mW/m2, respectively. The utilization of solid substrate such as rice straw need more attention due to there was COD enhancement while in COD reduction reach COD removal efficiency and coulombic efficiency ranged 5.15 - 54.08 % and 0.25 - 7.83 %, respectively. HIGHLIGHTS Microbial Fuel Cell fueled by lignocellulose substrate, which is rice straw Lignocellulose structure deconstruction through microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment A combination of microwave-assisted alkali and cellulose-degrading bacteria inoculation pretreatment for rice straw generate the highest electricity Electricity generation improvement in microbial fuel cell through mix culture between cellulose-degrading bacteria and exoelectrogen bacteria Cellulose degrading bacteria increase Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) due to the solubility of low molecular weight organic compounds increasing during microbial fuel cell incubation

Jiseon You, John Greenman, Ioannis Ieropoulos

Energies • 2018

A new analytical design of continuously-fed microbial fuel cell was built in triplicate in order to investigate relations and effects of various operating parameters such as flow rate and substrate supply rate, in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. This novel design enables the microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems to be easily adjusted in situ by changing anode distance to the membrane or anodic volume without the necessity of building many trial-and-error prototypes for each condition. A maximum power output of 20.7 ± 1.9 µW was obtained with an optimal reactor configuration; 2 mM acetate concentration in the feedstock coupled with a flow rate of 77 mL h−1, an anodic volume of 10 mL and an anode electrode surface area of 70 cm2 (2.9 cm2 projected area), using a 1 cm anode distance from the membrane. COD removal almost showed the reverse pattern with power generation, which suggests trade-off correlation between these two parameters, in this particular example. This novel design may be most conveniently employed for generating empirical data for testing and creating new MFC designs with appropriate practical and theoretical modelling.

NS Khoirunnisa, S Anwar, U Sudadi et al.

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science • 2021

Abstract Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that can directly transform the chemical energy from organic matter into electrical energy using microbial metabolic activity, so microbes play an essential role. This study explores some organic substrate alternative cost-effective for Staphylococcus saprophyticus ICBB 9554 as an exoelectrogen for electricity production in MFCs. The organic substrates that were chosen were sugar, molasses, and palm sugar. The best performance in electricity production was in molasses which showed output voltage, electrical current, and power density of 789 mV, 0.48 mA, and 68 mW/m 2 , respectively. The COD removal, Coulombic efficiency, and bacterial density in molasses also the highest that was about 68.18 ± 0.00%, 45.80 ± 2.17%, and 1.09×108 cfu/ml, respectively. Molasses is a potentially cost-effective alternative organic substrate for MFCs inoculated by Staphylococcus saprophyticus ICBB 9554.

Siva Purushothaman, Nadia Permogorov, Howard Colquhoun

ChemRxiv • 2023

"ABSTRACT: Linear polycondensation of activated aromatic dihalides including 4,4'-difluoro-diphenylsulfone, 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene and 3,3'-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)biphenyl with a combination of the two bisphenol monomers 4,4'-dihydroxybenzophenone and 2,8- dihydroxydibenzofuran affords a novel series of high molecular weight aromatic polyethers. Post-polymerisation sulfonation of these copolymers in 96% sulfuric acid yields a corresponding series of ionomers in which sulfonation has occurred at the 3- and 7-positions of the dibenzofuran rings. The ion-exchange capacities of these ionomers were in the range 1.3 to 1.8 mmol g-1, and their molecular weights (Mn) by GPC were between 39 and 56 kD with dispersities (Đ) between 2 and 3. All the ionomers were successfully solution-cast into tough, transparent, thin-film membranes (40 - 90 μm) which were evaluated for direct- methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance in terms of proton conductivity, methanol diffusion coefficient, limiting current density and maximum power density. A dibenzofuran-based ionomer derived specifically from 3,3'-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)biphenyl showed DMFC performance equivalent to, or even slightly better than, a control membrane produced from the industry-standard fluorocarbon ionomer Nafion 115."

Masao Shibata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Takahisa Suzuki et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Air-cooled polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are considered potentially to simplify the system design [1, 2]. Enhancement of the membrane properties was proposed for higher performances from the analysis and optimization of the system [3]. In this work, requirements for the properties of the MEA components are discussed. The two diamonds labeled A and B in Fig. 1 represent the MEA performance required for the air-cooled PEFC system. An open-cathode PEFC is assumed for model calculation. The heat from the cell is assumed to be removed only by the gas flows through the channels. Operating point A can be arbitrarily determined to satisfy the specified output power, and a current density of 0.128 A·cm −2 at a cell potential of 1.15 V was selected. Operating point B was determined so that the heat from the MEAs in the stack balances the heat removed by the exhaust gas. Curve 1 in Fig. 1 is the calculated performance of the MEA with a Pt loading of 0.1 mg·cm −2 (denoted MEA 1) for comparison, where the parameters for calculation assumes one of the state-of-the-art MEAs. The calculation was performed using a through-plane model of the MEA with an in-plane reaction distribution along the flow channels. Curve 2 in Fig. 1 shows the calculated performance when state-of-the-art MEA component materials reported in the literature can be employed without trade-offs (denoted MEA 2). The performance enhancement was mainly due to improvements in the cathode catalyst (Pt nanowire), ionomer (of high oxygen permeability), and gas diffusion layer (without substrate fibers). Activation, ohmic, and mass-transport losses were significantly reduced, but the cell potential loss was still mainly caused by the activation loss. Although MEA 2 exhibits dramatically higher performance than MEA 1, it does not achieve the required performance. Curve 3 in Fig. 1 represents the calculated performance when a Pt monolayer having oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity at the top of the volcano plot is assumed. (The MEA is denoted MEA 3.) The operating temperature was raised to 150°C. The resistance of the membrane at 0% relative humidity (RH) and 150°C was assumed to be only 20 times lower than that at 30% RH and 60°C. Under the assumptions and change in operating temperature, MEA 3 reached the required performance. The importance of studies on catalysts having high ORR activity and ionomers having high proton conductivity at lower relative humidity was reconfirmed. Balance-of-plant components as well as MEA materials require new innovations to downsize fuel cell systems. Although extremely idealized properties pose big challenges in material development, advance in the component materials would greatly benefit the cell performance. References [1] Q. Meyer et al., J. Power Sources, 291 , 261 (2015) [2] A. de las Heras, F. J. Vivas, F. Segura, and J. M. Andúlar, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 42 , 12841 (2017) [3] Q. Meyer et al., Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 40, 16760 (2015) Figure 1

Koushik Ahmed, Omar Farrok, Md Mominur Rahman et al.

Energies • 2020

In this paper, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is implemented as a grid-connected electrical generator that uses hydrogen gas as fuel and air as an oxidant to produce electricity through electrochemical reactions. Analysis demonstrated that the performance of the PEMFC greatly depends on the rate of fuel supply and air supply pressure. Critical fuel and air supply pressures of the PEMFC are analysed to test its feasibility for the grid connection. Air and fuel supply pressures are varied to observe the effects on the PEMFC characteristics, efficiency, fuel supply, and air consumption over time. The PEMFC model is then implemented into an electrical power system with the aid of power electronics applications. Detailed mathematical modelling of the PEMFC is discussed with justification. The PEMFC functions as an electrical generator that is connected to the local grid through a power converter and a transformer. Modulation of the converter is controlled by means of a proportional-integral controller. The two-axis control methodology is applied to the current control of the system. The output voltage waveform and control actions of the controller on the current and frequency of the proposed system are plotted as well. Simulation results show that the PEMFC performs efficiently under certain air and fuel pressures, and it can effectively supply electrical power to the grid.

Guanghua Wei, Chao Wang, Chuanyu Jiang et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2017

The flow channel is very important to the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), it is believed that the PEM fuel cell performance is greatly affected by the flow patterns besides the operating temperature, gas inlet humidity, and so on [1,2,3]. The channel or rib width and channel cross-sectional area determine the pressure drop, thus directly influence on the water removal, and then affect the oxygen supply and oxygen reduction reaction. In this study, two flow pattern, four different channel designs are investigated mainly by three-dimensional simulation, effects of different design on cell performance are validated by the experiments. After analyzing the differences between the four kinds of flow channels, the situations of current density distribution, water distribution and oxygen distribution in the cell are studied and the performance are analyzed. We found out how the flow channel width and cross sectional area on the performance of PEM fuel cell: the narrower the width is, the better the cell’s performance is when current is low. The larger the cross sectional area is, the better the cell’s performance is when current is high. Acknowledgements This work was supported in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21533005) and Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China ( Grant No. 413064). References [1] Bonghwan Lee, Kiwon Park and Hyung-Man Kim. Numerical Optimization of Flow Field Pattern by Mass Transfer and Electrochemical Reaction Characteristics in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells[J]. Int.J. Electrochem. Sci., 8 (2013) 219 – 234 [2] A. Arvay, J. French, J.-C. Wanga, X.-H. Peng, A.M. Kannan. Nature inspired flow field designs for proton exchange membrane fuel cell[J]International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 38(2013):3717-3726 [3] Sungho Lee, Heeseok Jeong, Byungki Ahn, Taewon Lim, Youngjin Son. Parametric study of the channel design at the bipolar plate in PEMFC performances[J].International journal of hydrogen energy 33 ( 2008 ) 5691–5696 Figure 1

William E. Mustain

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2018

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have seen a massive surge in interest in recent years to displace incumbent proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) because of their possible advantages: the possibility to eliminate platinum group metals (PGM) in the catalyst layers; lower cost cell components (i.e. bipolar plates); lower cost membranes; and lower cost balance of plant (i.e. humidification and air circulation systems) [1-2]. Unfortunately, an overwhelming majority of AEMFCs studied in the literature i) achieve extremely low performance that is not competitive with PEMFCs; ii) use higher PGM loadings than modern PEMFC; and/or iii) use catalysts and membranes whose elaborate synthesis limits their applicability. All of these limitations have stifled the practical application of AEMFC, leaving nearly all of them far away from automotive OEM and DOE targets for activity, stability and PGM loading. This talk will focus on recent work by our group, our collaborators and other groups that has led to new records in the literature with regards to the achievable current and peak power density for Pt-containing AEMFCs, Pt-free AEMFCs, low PGM loading AEMFCs and completely PGM-free AEMFCs [2-6]. AEMFCs have also been demonstrated that are able to i) achieve high peak power densities (> 2 W cm -2 ); ii) operate stably for several hundred hours of operation; and iii) meet strategic DOE targets – including meeting performance targets while reducing the total PGM loading to 0.1 mg cm -2 . It is intended that this talk will provide a roadmap to guide the future direction of AEMFC components and their operation. The advances and demonstrations that will be discussed show that despite the fact that AEMFCs are still in their infancy relative to PEMFCs, they are nearing a point where they are ready to be taken seriously in the open market. References: J.R. Varcoe, P. Atanassov, D.R. Dekel, A.M. Herring, M.A. Hickner, P.A. Kohl, A.R. Kucernak, W.E. Mustain, K. Nijmeijer, K. Scott, T. Wu and L. Zhang, Anion-exchange membranes in electrochemical energy systems, Energy Environ. Sci ., 7 (2014) 3135-3191 T.J. Omasta, A. Park, J.M. LaManna, Y. Zhang, X. Peng, L. Wang, D. L. Jacobson, J.R. Varcoe, D.S. Hussey, B. Pivovar and W.E. Mustain, Beyond Catalysis and Membranes: Visualizing and Solving the Challenge of Electrode Water Accumulation and Flooding in AEMFCs, Energy Environ. Sci. , In Press, DOI: 10.1039/C8EE00122G. T.J. Omasta, L. Wang, X. Peng, C.A. Lewis, J.R. Varcoe and W.E. Mustain, Importance of Balancing Membrane and Electrode Water in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, J. Power Sources , 375 (2018) 205-213. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.05.006 S. Gottesfeld, D.R. Dekel, M. Page, C. Bae, Y. Yan, P. Zelenay, and Y.S. Kim, Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Current Status and Remaining Challenges. J. Power Sources , 375 (2018) 170–184. L. Wang, J.J. Brink, Y. Liu, A.M. Herring, J. Ponce-González, D.K. Whelligan and J.R. Varcoe, Non-fluorinated pre-irradiation-grafted (peroxidated) LDPE-based anion-exchange membranes with high performance and stability, Energy Environ. Sci. , 10 (2017) 2154-2167. B.S. Pivovar, "Advanced Ionomers & MEAs for Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells" DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Review. (2017) Figure 1

Bita Soleomani, Ali Haghighi Asl, Behnam Khoshandam et al.

Research Square • 2023

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells have received a lot of interest and use metal organic frameworks (MOF)/polymer nanocomposite membranes (PEMFC). ZIF-90 was employed as an addition in the SPEES matrix in order to investigate the proton conductivity in a novel nanocomposite membrane made of sulfonated poly (1, 4-phenylene ether-ether-sulfone) (SPEES)/zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF). The high porosity, free surface, and presence of the aldehyde group in the ZIF-90 nanostructure have a substantial impact on enhancing the mechanical, chemical, thermal, and proton conductivity capabilities of the SPEES/ZIF-90 nanocomposite membranes. The findings demonstrate that SPEES/ZIF-90 nanocomposite membranes with 3 wt. % ZIF-90 had proton conductivities up to 160 mS/cm at 90°C and 98% RH, which was 1.9 times more than SPEES membrane at 55 mS/cm under the same conditions. In comparison to the pristine SPEES membrane, the SPEES/ZIF-90/3 membrane demonstrated a 79 percent increase in maximum power density (0.52 W/cm2 at 0.5 V and 98% RH).

Kaoutar Kabouchi, Mohamed Karim Ettouhami, Hamid Mounir et al.

CFD Letters • 2024

The fuel cells performance is significantly impacted by both design and operational factors. The effective distribution of reactants within the flow fields is facilitated by the design of the flow channels. Therefore, the geometry of the flow channels and the overall design of the flow field play a crucial role in determining the fuel cells performance. Among various flow field designs, the serpentine flow field demonstrates superior performance compared to others. In this research, a three-dimensional proton exchange membrane fuel cell model was developed and used to study the influence of three-pass serpentine flow field on cell performance across varying operating voltages (0.9 V, 0.7 V and 0.5 V). The purpose of this research is to simulate and evaluate the comportment of the three-pass serpentine flow channels configuration by analyzing several parameters such as channels velocity distribution, oxygen mole fraction, pressure distribution and electrolyte current density along the z-axis at the cathode under different operating voltages. Numerical simulations were conducted using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. Therefore, this software is used to solve numerically the complete three-dimensional model with the governing equations of charge conservation, species transport, momentum, and continuity. The obtained results indicate that among different operating voltages, the cell voltage of 0.5 V demonstrated the highest channels velocity distribution, pressure distribution, and electrolyte current density. Moreover, it is found that at an operating voltage of 0.5 V, there is an important decrease in oxygen concentrations indicating a significant oxygen consumption in the fuel cell which improves the overall efficiency. This work contributes valuable insights to the optimization of fuel cell performance, specifically highlighting the favorable outcomes associated with the three-pass serpentine flow field design at lower operating voltages

Mingyu Lou, Rui Lin, Liang Chen

SAE Technical Paper Series • 2023

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising energy supply device. Its improvement on output performance has always been a main subject. Microporous layer (MPL) is the water management center of PEMFC, which has an important influence on the mass transfer process and performance of PEMFC under high current density. In this paper, the performance of GDL based on Toray-H-060 with different carbon powder and C:PTFE of MPL were tested and optimized. SEM and static contact Angle was used to investigate Characterization of GDLs. The polarization curve was used to select the best performance, and EIS was used to explore the internal optimization mechanism. The output performance increases with humidity from 25%RH to 75%RH for all four samples. The MPL sample formulated with C: PTFE = 8:2 and XC-72 powder is the best under wide humidity region, and the best performance is achieved at 75%RH. The maximum power density reaches 0.949W/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1.8A/cm<sup>2</sup>. At 100%RH, because of dense structure, the GDL of Toray substrate has poor output performance and low maximum power density of PEMFC, because of cathode flooding under high humidity conditions. The increasement of MPL hydrophobicity, achieved by change of carbon powder and PTFE content, contributes to the decrement of mass transfer resistance at high current density. The equilibrium between proton conductivity and water management is essential to ensure improved fuel cell performance. In summary, this study is useful for understanding influence of MPL contents on mass transfer performance in PEMFC and can guide the composition design of MPL.</div></div>

Siwei Zhao, Jiakai Wu, Minghao Wang

Journal of Engineering Research and Reports • 2022

Aims: Gas diffusion layer (GDL), catalytic layer (CL) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) are important components of hydrogen fuel cell (HFC). In this paper, the thickness of the diffusion layer, the catalytic layer and the proton exchange membrane of the hydrogen fuel cell are mainly simulated and analyzed, and the structural parameters with relatively good performance of the hydrogen fuel cell are obtained.
 Place and Duration of Study: North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, between November 2021 and March 2022.
 Methodology: Fuel cell models with different diffusion layers, catalytic layers and proton exchange membrane thicknesses were established by ANSYS, and simulated and analyzed them in the PEMFC module in Fluent, comparing the temperature distribution, water distribution and current density distribution of HFC with diffusion layer thickness, catalytic layer thickness and proton exchange membrane thickness, and comparing the structural parameters with relatively good performance of hydrogen fuel cells.
 Conclusion: The results show that the thicker the diffusion layer is, the more unfavorable the product water is discharged, which hinders the diffusion of oxygen and reduces the performance of fuel cell; The larger the thickness of the catalytic layer, the higher the current density and the better the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell; The larger the thickness of proton exchange membrane, the negative effect on the diffusion of reactive gas, the lower the reaction efficiency and current density of fuel cell, and the lower the performance of fuel cell.

Donglei Wu, Mingjie Zhang, Meiqing Yang et al.

Water Science and Technology • 2019

Abstract The textile industry is developing rapidly in China. It generates large volumes of cotton dyeing pretreatment wastewater (CDPW). CDPW contains high concentrations of pollutants characterized by their strongly alkaline and recalcitrant nature for microbial degradation. This project aimed to evaluate the performance of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) coupled with anoxic/oxic (A/O) system (MEC-A/O) in treating CDPW, as well as analyze changes in microbial diversity. The results indicated that the effect of biological treatment in an electrolytic cell to treat CDPW was optimal at the voltage of 0.6V. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency under optimum conditions was 69.13%, higher than that of the A/O system alone (48.93%). Within a certain range, applied voltage was able to enhance microbial activity, increase the sludge concentration and enlarge the sludge particle size. At the same time, the applied voltage could effectively increase the abundance and the diversity of Bacteria and Archaea, as well as accelerate the degradation of pollutants.

H. O. Stanley, C. J. Ugboma

Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology • 2020

The dynamics of electrochemicals and microbial populations during anaerobic treatment of human urine in soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were investigated. The experimental MFC was supplemented with daily urine input while the control MFC was without urine. During the treatment process, electrochemical and microbiological parameters in effluent of the urine-supplemented MFC were monitored using standard methods. The pH of the urine increased from 5.70 to 7.16 after 15 days of treatment in the urine supplemented MFC. The concentration of phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, total nitrogen and total organic carbon of the urine reduced from 0.76 g/l to 0.07 g/l, 1.91 g/l to 0.17 g/l, 2.24 g/l to 0.09 g/l, 0.14 g/l to 0.003 g/l, 0.08 g/l to 0.00 g/l, 8.25 g/l to 0.74 g/l and 7.10 g/l to 0.53 g/l respectively after 15 days of treatment. Furthermore, Open voltage of the urine supplemented MFC ranged from 5.63 V to 10.34 V while Open voltage of the control ranged from 1.84 V to 5.02 V after 15 days of operation. The population of facultative bacteria (FAB) and strict anaerobic bacteria (SAB) ranged from 64.2 x 104 CFU to 36.2 x 104 CFU and 21.2 x104 CFU to 61.3 x104 CFU respectively with time. The urine supplemented MFC performed significantly (p < 0.05) better than the control with respect to voltage output while significantly reduced concentrations of organic carbon, nitrogen and metallic (salt) species were found. Therefore, the soil MFC may be applied as a waste management option to treat human urine while generating electricity before disposal.

John Fagley, Jason Conley, David Masten

3rd International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology • 2004

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell-related research conducted and subsequently published by universities and public institutions. While a good deal of this research has been useful for understanding the underlying fundamental aspects of fuel cell components and operation, much of it is not as useful for a group working on automotive applications as it could be. The reason for this is that in order to be put to practical use in an automotive application, the system being studied must meet certain constraints; satisfying targets for projected system costs, system efficiency, volumetric and gravimetric power densities (packaging), and operating conditions. For example, numerous recent publications show studies with PEM fuel cells designed and built such that limiting current density is achieved at 0.9 A/cm2 or lower, and voltages of 600 mV can only be achieved at current densities less than 0.6 A/cm2. This type of performance is sufficiently below what is required for commercial application, that any conclusions drawn from these works are difficult to extrapolate to a system of commercial automotive interest. The purpose of this article is to show, through use of engineering calculations and cost projections, what operating conditions and performance are required in a commercial automotive fuel cell application. In addition, best known (public domain) performance and corresponding conditions are given, along with Department of Energy Freedom Car targets, which can be used for state-of-the-art benchmarking. Also, reference is made to a university publication where performance (500 mV at 1.5 A/cm2) close to automotive application targets was achieved, and important aspects of their components and flow field geometry are highlighted. It is our hope that through this publication, further PEM fuel-cell related research can be directed toward the region of greatest interest for commercial, automotive application.

Khlid Ben Hamad, Mohamed Tariq Kahn

International Journal of Engineering & Technology • 2020

It is a reality that future development in the energy sector is founded on the utilization of renewable and sustainable energy sources. These energy sources can empower to meet the double targets of diminishing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring reliable and cost-effective energy supply. Fuel cells are one of the advanced clean energy technologies and have demonstrated their ability to be a decent substitute to address the above-mentioned concerns. They are viewed as reliable and efficient technologies to operate either tied or non-tied to the grid and power applications ranging from domestic, commercial to industrial. Among different fuel cell technologies, proton exchange membrane is the most attractive. Its connection to the utility grid requires that the power conditioning system serving as the interface between the stack and the grid operates accordingly. This study aims to model and control a power conditioning system for the grid-connection of a megawatt fuel cell stack. Besides the grid, the system consists of a 1.54 MW/1400 V DC proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack, a 1.3 MW/600 V three-level diode clamped inverter and an LCL filter which is designed to reduced harmonics and meet the standards such as IEEE 519 and IEC 61000-3-6. The power conditioning control scheme comprises voltage and current regulators to provide a good power factor and satisfy synchronization requirements with the grid. The frequency and phase are synchronized with those of the grid through a phase-locked-loop. The modelling and simulation are performed using Matlab/Simulink. The results show good performance of the proposed microgrid as well as the inverter design and control approach with a low total harmonic distortion of about 0.35% for the voltage and 0.19% for the current.  Â

Muhammad Majid Gulzar

Sustainability • 2023

The efficiency of renewable energy sources like PV and fuel cells is improving with advancements in technology. However, maximum power point (MPP) tracking remains the most important factor for a PV-based fuel cell power system to perform at its best. The MPP of a PV system mainly depends on irradiance and temperature, while the MPP of a fuel cell depends upon factors such as the temperature of a cell, membrane water content, and oxygen and hydrogen partial pressure. With a change in any of these factors, the output is changed, which is highly undesirable in real-life applications. Thus, an efficient tracking method is required to achieve MPP. In this research, an optimal salp swarm algorithm tuned fractional order PID technique is proposed, which tracks the MPP in both steady and dynamic environments. To put that technique to the test, a system was designed comprised of a grid-connected proton exchange membrane fuel cell together with PV system and a DC-DC boost converter along with the resistive load. The output from the controller was further tuned and PWM was generated which was fed to the switch of the converter. MATLAB/SIMULINK was used to simulate this model to study the results. The response of the system under different steady and dynamic conditions was compared with those of the conventionally used techniques to validate the competency of the proposed approach in terms of fast response with minimum oscillation.

Mehmet Fatih Orhan, Kenan Saka, Mohammad Yousuf

Advances in Polymer Technology • 2022

Fuel cells are energy conversion devices that directly convert chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen to useful work with negligible environmental impact and high efficiency. This study deals with thermodynamic analysis and modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power systems for portable applications. In this regard, a case study of powering a computer with a PEMFC is presented. Also, an inclusive evaluation of various parameters such as voltage polarization, overall system efficiency, power output, and heat generation is reported. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to study the effect of many design and operation parameters on the overall efficiency. Results show the direct influence of current density and temperature values on optimization of the design parameters in PEMFCs.

Niloofar Hashemi, Joshua M. Lackore, Farrokh Sharifi et al.

TECHNOLOGY • 2016

Microbial fuel cells have gained popularity as a viable, environmentally friendly alternative for the production of energy. However, the challenges in miniaturizing the system for application in smaller devices as well as the short duration of operation have limited the application of these devices. Here, the capillary motion was employed to design a self-pumped paper-based microbial fuel cell operating under continuous flow condition. A proof-of-concept experiment ran approximately 5 days with no outside power or human interference required for the duration of operation. Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was used to create a maximum current of 52.25 µA in a 52.5 µL paper-based microfluidic device. SEM images of the anode following the experiment showed biofilm formation on the carbon cloth electrode. The results showed a power density of approximately 25 W/m 3 and proved unique capabilities of the paper-based microbial fuel cells to produce energy for an extended period of time.

Vernon Webb, Michael Hickner, Donald Baird et al.

2nd International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology • 2003

The electrical and mechanical properties of new lightweight graphite polymeric separator plates aged in a PEM fuel cell were investigated to assess their resistance to short-term durability. While the changes in electrical properties of great interest to the operation of the fuel cell, mechanical and dimensional stability over the life of the cell are critical. Thus, new polymeric based separator plates developed at Virginia Tech were aged under standard operating conditions in a PEM fuel cell over 300 hours at low pressure and 85°C. A comparison of conductivity, stiffness and strength of aged plates was made to as manufactured and unaged plates. Over the aging period, electrical conductivity did not decline even as the fuel cell performance showed some changes as evidenced by polarization curves. However, the mechanical strength of the monopolar plates was observed to declined less than 10% after 300 hours of fuel cell operation, due to the lack of stability of the polyester resin used to facilitate the rapid manufacturing of these new plates. These property changes were found to be independent of aging on the reduction and oxidation sides. Further work continues on plates formed through both fiber wet lay technology and those produced by compression molding of unique graphite filled epoxy systems, and to improve the electrochemical performance of cells fabricated using the resulting plates to levels comparable to those observed when using existing plate materials.

Yang Zhang, Dong Tang, Rui Xue Duan et al.

Advanced Materials Research • 2011

A new tubular cathode support for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC) was prepared by the gelcasting process using mesocarbon microbead(MCMB) and graphite as the main raw materials. The effects of different graphite doping ratios on tensile strength, bending strength, crushing strength, volume resistivity and shrinkage rate for the prepared tubular cathode support were studied by experimental test. The result showed that the prepared tubular cathode support had very good comprehensive performance. The tubular cathode support with 10% graphite exhibits the best performance such as bending strength 25MPa and resistivity30µΩ•m, and it satisfied the DEFC cathode working conditions and performance requirements.

Priji Chandran, Arpita Ghosh, Sundara Ramaprabhu

Scientific Reports • 2018

Abstract The integration of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack into vehicles necessitates the replacement of high-priced platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalyst, which contributes to about 45% of the cost of the stack. The implementation of high-performance and durable Pt metal-free catalyst for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) could significantly enable large-scale commercialization of fuel cell–powered vehicles. Towards this goal, a simple, scalable, single-step synthesis method was adopted to develop palladium-cobalt alloy supported on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (Pd 3 Co/NG) nanocomposite. Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) studies for the electrochemical activity towards ORR indicates that ORR proceeds via nearly four-electron mechanism. Besides, the mass activity of Pd 3 Co/NG shows an enhancement of 1.6 times compared to that of Pd/NG. The full fuel cell measurements were carried out using Pd 3 Co/NG at the anode, cathode in conjunction with Pt/C and simultaneously at both anode and cathode. A maximum power density of 68 mW/cm 2 is accomplished from the simultaneous use of Pd 3 Co/NG as both anode and cathode electrocatalyst with individual loading of 0.5 mg/cm 2 at 60 °C without any backpressure. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind of a fully non-Pt based PEM full cell.

You Li, Jing Du, Donglai Guo et al.

SAE Technical Paper Series • 2025

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The degradation of vehicle performance resulting from powertrain degradation throughout the lifecycle of alternative energy vehicles (AEVs) has consistently been a focal issue among scholars and consumers. The purpose of this paper is to utilize a one-dimensional vehicle simulation model to analyze the changes in power performance and economy of fuel cell vehicles as the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) stack degrades. In this study, a simulation model was developed based on the design parameters and vehicle architecture of a 45kW fuel cell vehicle. The 1D model was validated for accuracy using experimental data. The results indicate that as the stack performance degrades, the attenuation rate of the fuel cell engine is further amplified, with a degradation of up to 13.6% in the system's peak output power at the End of Life (EOL) state after 5000 hours. Furthermore, the level of economic performance degradation of the complete vehicle in the EOL state is dependent on the driving cycle, with higher hydrogen consumption attenuation observed under aggressive driving conditions.</div></div>

Abid Hussain, Vijaya Raghavan, Serge R. Guiot et al.

Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology • 2013

Abstract BACKGROUND Electricity production in single‐anode/cathode MFCs fed with simulated synthesis gas (syngas) as the sole electron donor has recently been demonstrated. This study evaluated the ability of a multi‐anode/cathode MFC fed with syngas to achieve improved volumetric efficiency at several operating temperatures and electrode arrangements . RESULTS A maximum power density of 33 mW (normalized to the anodic compartment volume) and a coulombic efficiency ( CE ) of 43% was achieved at an operating temperature of 37°C. MFC operation at 50°C resulted in a much lower power density of 10 mW and a CE of 15%. The MFC power density was greatly impacted by the electrode arrangement and the highest power density was achieved in a three anode–two cathode ( 3A‐2C ) arrangement . CONCLUSION The multi‐electrode design enhanced the performance of a syngas‐fed MFC , which could have major economic and operational implications for designing large‐scale syngas‐fed MFCs . The MFC performance at elevated temperatures was restricted by low microbial activity, implying that a thermophilic rather than a mesophilic inoculum might be required for successful operation under thermophilic conditions. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

Lei Lian, Peng Ji, Tianyu OuYang et al.

Complexity • 2020

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a renewable clean energy. Microorganisms are used as catalysts to convert the chemical energy of organic matter in the sewage into electrical energy to realize sewage treatment and recover energy at the same time. It has good development prospects. However, the output power of MFC is affected by many factors, and it is difficult to achieve a stable voltage output. For the control‐oriented single‐chamber MFC, a fuzzy integral sliding mode control is designed. The continuous adjustment of the sliding surface ensures that the system only moves on the sliding surface, which eliminates the arrival stage and improves robustness. For chattering existing in the system, the control scheme is further optimized to obtain fuzzy integral sliding mode control, and the fuzzy module adaptively adjusts the control parameters according to the system state, which effectively reduces the system chattering. Experiments prove that the control scheme reduces chattering while ensuring the stable output of the system.

Sanju Sreedharan

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution • 2021

Zero energy technologies and sustainable energy production are the two major concerns of present day researches. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioreactors that extract chemical energy stored in organic compounds, into electric potential, through bio-degradation. The core reason for the high strength of effluent generated from slaughterhouses is animal blood. The current study evaluates the potential of MFC technology to reduce the pollution strength of cattle blood in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The current study was piloted in three stages using lab scale two chambered MFC: The first stage was to determine the best oxidising agent as compared to natural aeration from three accessible options, KMnO 4 , diffused aeration and tape grass aquatic plant. KMnO 4 was found to be the superlative with a 30% reduction in COD in 100 hrs batch reactor and a maximum power of 0.97 mW using 125 mL livestock blood. The second stage of the study optimised the concentration of KMnO 4 . At 500 mg/L KMnO 4 concentration, 50% COD removal efficiency was acquired in a batch reactor of 60 hrs with an average energy output of 1.3 mW. In the final stage on the addition of coconut shell activated carbon with an Anolyte at a rate of 40 mL/125 mL of substrate COD removal efficiency increased to 74.9%.

Fakhriah Fakhirruddin, Azura Amid, Wan Wardatul Amani Wan Salim et al.

E3S Web of Conferences • 2017

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an alternative approach in generating renewable energy by utilising bacteria that will oxidize organic or inorganic substrates, producing electrons yielded as electrical energy. Different species of exoelectrogenic bacteria capable of generating significant amount of electricity in MFC has been identified, using various organic compounds for fuel. Soil sample taken from rice paddy field is proven to contain exoelectrogenic bacteria, thus electricity generation using mixed culture originally found in the soil, and pure culture isolated from the soil is studied. This research will isolate the exoelectrogenic bacterial species in the rice paddy field soil responsible for energy generation. Growth of bacteria isolated from the MFC is observed by measuring the optical density (OD), cell density weight (CDW) and viable cell count. Mixed bacterial species found in paddy field soil generates maximum power of 77.62 μW and 0.70 mA of current. In addition, the research also shows that the pure bacterium in rice paddy field soil can produce maximum power and current at 51.32 μW and 0.28 mA respectively.

Jong Hyun Cho, Yang Gao, Seokheun Choi

Sensors • 2019

Human access to safe water has become a major problem in many parts of the world as increasing human activities continue to spill contaminants into our water systems. To guarantee the protection of the public as well as the environment, a rapid and sensitive way to detect contaminants is required. In this work, a paper-based microbial fuel cell was developed to act as a portable, single-use, on-site water quality sensor. The sensor was fabricated by combining two layers of paper for a simple, low-cost, and disposable design. To facilitate the use of the sensor for on-site applications, the bacterial cells were pre-inoculated onto the device by air-drying. To eliminate any variations, the voltage generated by the microorganism before and after the air-drying process was measured and calculated as an inhibition ratio. Upon the addition of different formaldehyde concentrations (0%, 0.001%, 0.005%, and 0.02%), the inhibition ratios obtained were 5.9 ± 0.7%, 6.9 ± 0.7%, 8.2 ± 0.6%, and 10.6 ± 0.2%, respectively. The inhibition ratio showed a good linearity with the formaldehyde concentrations at R2 = 0.931. Our new sensor holds great promise in monitoring water quality as a portable, low-cost, and on-site sensor.

Dani Permana, Herlian Eriska Putra, Djaenudin Djaenudin

International Journal of Renewable Energy Development • 2018

Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) was utilized as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) in Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). The SPEEK performance in producing electricity had been observed in MFC using wastewater and glucose as substrates. The MFC with catering and tofu wastewater produced maximum power density about 0.31 mW/m2 and 0.03 mW/m2, respectively, lower that of MFC with tapioca average power density of 39.4 W/m2 over 48 h. The power density boosted because of the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as inoculum. The study using of S. cerevisiae and Acetobacter acetii, separately, were also conducted in with glucose as substrate. The MFC produced an average power densities were 7.3 and 6.4 mW/m2 for S. cerevisiae and A. acetii, respectively. The results of this study indicated that SPEEK membrane has the potential usage in MFCs and can substitute the commercial membrane, Nafion.Article History: Received: Juni 14th 2017; Received: Sept 25th 2017; Accepted: December 16th 2017; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Putra, H.E., Permana, D and Djaenudin, D. (2018) Preliminary Study of the Use of Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (SPEEK) as Proton Exchange Membrane for Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(1), 7-12.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.1.7-12

Kumar Sonu, Monika Sogani, Zainab Syed et al.

ChemistrySelect • 2022

Abstract This work has examined the effect of cellulose based substrates such as rice straw and wheat straw on the treatment of Reverse osmosis (RO) reject wastewater in a single chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC). At a substrate concentration of 125 mg/L (125 mg of substrate in 1 L of RO reject wastewater), the two type of MFCs with rice straw and wheat straw as substrates were operated along with the third one as the control without any substrate. MFC with the wheat straw as the substrate outperformed the MFC with rice straw substrate in respect to maximum power density and total dissolved solid (TDS) removal of 127 mW/m 2 and 71.88 percent, respectively. Performance of MFC with the three concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 mg/L of the chosen substrate (wheat straw) were compared. Substrate concentration of 125 mg/L was found to be the most effective. In SCMFCs formed for both the substrates, the ohmic losses were predominant, as shown by the polarization curves.

Nasser A. M. Barakat, Mohamed Taha Amen, Rasha H. Ali et al.

Polymers • 2022

Co-doped carbon nanofiber mats can be prepared by the addition of cobalt acetate to the polyacrylonitrile/DMF electrospun solution. Wastewater obtained from food industries was utilized as the anolyte as well as microorganisms as the source in single-chamber batch mode microbial fuel cells. The results indicated that the single Co-free carbon nanofiber mat was not a good anode in the used microbial fuel cells. However, the generated power can be distinctly enhanced by using double active layers of pristine carbon nanofiber mats or a single layer Co-doped carbon nanofiber mat as anodes. Typically, after 24 h batching time, the estimated generated power densities were 10, 92, and 121 mW/m2 for single, double active layers, and Co-doped carbon nanofiber anodes, respectively. For comparison, the performance of the cell was investigated using carbon cloth and carbon paper as anodes, the observed power densities were smaller than the introduced modified anodes at 58 and 62 mW/m2, respectively. Moreover, the COD removal and Columbic efficiency were calculated for the proposed anodes as well as the used commercial ones. The results further confirm the priority of using double active layer or metal-doped carbon nanofiber anodes over the commercial ones. Numerically, the calculated COD removals were 29.16 and 38.95% for carbon paper and carbon cloth while 40.53 and 45.79% COD removals were obtained with double active layer and Co-doped carbon nanofiber anodes, respectively. With a similar trend, the calculated Columbic efficiencies were 26, 42, 52, and 71% for the same sequence.

Carlito da Costa, Hadiyanto

MATEC Web of Conferences • 2017

Microbial fuel cell is an ecological innovative technology producing bioelectricity by utilizing microbes activity. Substituent energy is produced by changing the chemical energy to electrical energy through the catalytic reaction of microorganism. The research aims to find out the potency of bioelectricity produced by microalgae microbial fuel cell technology by utilizing the combination of tapioca wastewater and microalgae cultivation. This research is conducted through the ingredients preparation stage – microalgae culture, wastewater characterization, membrane and graphite activation, and the providing of other supporting equipment. The next stage is the MMFC arrangement, while the last one is bioelectricity measurement. The result of optimal bioelectricity production on the comparison of electrode 2 : 2, the power density is 44,33 mW/m 2 on day 6, meanwhile, on that of 1 : 1, 20,18 mW/m 2 power density on day 1 is obtained. It shows that bioelectricity can be produced from the combination of tapioca wastewater and microalgae culture through the microalgae-microbial fuel cell (MMFC) technology.This research is expected to be a reference for the next research particularly the one that observes the utilizing of microalgae as the part of new and renewable energy sources.

Dong Duy Pham, Kei Cai, Luc Duc Phung et al.

Water • 2019

To obtain a high rice yield and quality for animal feed without synthetic fertilizers, an experiment with bench-scale apparatus was conducted by applying continuous irrigation with treated municipal wastewater (TWW). Uniform rice seedlings of a high-yield variety (Oryza sativa L., cv. Bekoaoba) were transplanted in five treatments to examine different TWW irrigation directions (“bottom-to-top” and “top-to-top” irrigation) and fertilization practices (with and without P-synthetic fertilizers) as well as one control that simulated the irrigation and fertilization management of normal paddy fields. The highest rice yield (14.1 t ha−1), shoot dry mass (12.9 t ha−1), and protein content in brown rice (14.6%) were achieved using bottom-to-top irrigation, although synthetic fertilizers were not applied. In addition, this subsurface irrigation system could contribute to environmental protection by removing 85–90% of nitrogen from TWW more effectively than the top-to-top irrigation, which showed a removal efficiency of approximately 63%. No accumulation of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As) in the paddy soils was observed after TWW irrigation for five months, and the contents of these metals in the harvested brown rice were lower than the permissible limits recommended by international standards. A microbial fuel cell system (MFC) was installed in the cultivation system using graphite-felt electrodes to test the capacity of electricity generation; however, the electricity output was much lower than that reported in normal paddy fields. Bottom-to-top irrigation with TWW can be considered a potential practice to meet both water and nutrient demand for rice cultivation in order to achieve a very high yield and nutritional quality of cultivated rice without necessitating the application of synthetic fertilizers.

Rojas-Flores Segundo, Cabanillas-Chirinos Luis, Nélida Milly Otiniano et al.

Fermentation • 2025

The dairy industry generates large volumes of whey as a byproduct of cheese production, with a high organic load. Its untreated discharge contaminates water bodies, reduces dissolved oxygen, and damages aquatic ecosystems. In Peru, especially in the rural areas of the Andes, thousands of tons of industrial dairy waste are produced annually, representing an environmental and economic challenge. The lack of sustainable technologies for its management drives the need for innovative solutions, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which combine waste treatment with renewable energy generation. This research uses MFC technology with whey as a substrate to observe its potential to generate electrical energy and treat contaminants. Three liters of whey from a dairy company in Trujillo, Peru, were used and stored at 10 °C. Each MFC contained 800 mL of whey and employed activated carbon as the anode and zinc as the cathode. A maximum voltage of 0.867 ± 0.059 V was reached, with a maximum current of 4.114 ± 0.239 mA recorded on the 11th day. The maximum power density was 1.585 ± 0.061 mW/cm2, with a current density of 4.448 A/cm2, and the internal resistance of the MFCs was 16.847 ± 0.911 Ω. The initial pH of the whey was approximately 3.0, increasing to 4.135 ± 0.264 on the 11th day, and the electrical conductivity increased from 19.101 ± 1.025 mS/cm on the first day to 170.062 ± 9.511 mS/cm on the 11th day. The oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) increased to 104.287 ± 4.058 mV at the peak of electricity generation (day 11). Additionally, a 70% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) was achieved, dropping from 4650.52 ± 10.54 mg/L to 1400.64 ± 23.25 mg/L on the last day. Metagenomic analysis identified two dominant bacterial phyla: Bacteroidota at 48.47% and Proteobacteria at 29.83%. The most abundant families were Bacteroidaceae (38.58%) and Acetobacteraceae (33.39%). The study validates the potential of MFCs to transform whey into an energy resource, aligning with sustainability and circular economy goals, especially in regions with high dairy production, like Peru.

Marcelinus Christwardana, J. Joelianingsih, Linda Aliffia Yoshi

Reaktor • 2022

Several carbon substrates were tried, including glucose commercial, pro analysis glucose, commercial sugar, and yeast extract - peptone - d glucose (YPD) medium to improve the efficiency of the single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). The power production of various electron donors was investigated using baker yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Voltage and power density generation were used to establish the pattern of substrate use. In addition, electrochemical analysis of the anodic biofilm was performed. S. cervisiae was shown to successfully consume YPD medium by anode respiration with a higher power density of 18.40±1.98 mW/m2, followed by pro analysis glucose (9.41±1.15 mW/m2), commercial glucose (1.30±0.10 mW/m2), and commercial sugar (0.04±0.01 mW/m2). Furthermore, a clear relationship was established between power density generating rate and voltage output. Voltages produced were 0.16±0.02 V, 0.13±0.03 V, 0.03±0.01 V, 0.01±0.00 V for YPD medium, pro analysis glucose, commercial glucose, and commercial sugar, respectively in MFC. The weight of biofilm indicated that yeast attachment was significantly more common in YPD medium than in other MFC-operated media. This study discovered that the substrate type in the anodic compartment regulates the formation of anodic biofilm.

Fuel Cells Bulletin • 2020

German-based Enapter launched its EL 2.1 anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser at the recent FC EXPO 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, ahead of starting series production. The company says that the new model is significantly smaller than its predecessor, and consumes 8% less energy.

Ankit Kumar, Tabassum Siddiqui, Soumya Pandit et al.

Catalysts • 2023

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to break down organic matter and generate power, which is an exciting new field of research. MFCs’ power generation relies on oxygen reduction (ORR) at the cathode. However, the slow kinetics of the ORR can severely limit the performance of MFCs. Additionally, the growth of biofilm on the cathode hampers the ORR process. In order to ensure the sustainability of MFCs over time, it is crucial to employ bifunctional catalysts that can address these issues. Biogenic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and applied to a graphite sheet cathode in this study. Cyanobacteria, Phormidium species NCCU-104, was used to bio-fabricate titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. NPs were characterized using SEM and TEM analysis to determine their size, shape, surface morphology, and XRD. The particles had an average size of 18.11 nm, were spherical, and were well-dispersed, according to the results of the physicochemical characterization. TiO2 NPs were evaluated in MFC using different concentrations (0.5–2.5 mg/cm2) in the cathode to generate electricity and coulombic efficiency. MFC with a cathode impregnated with 2.0 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP produced maximum power density (15.2 W/m3), which was 38% more than 0.5 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP. The overall study results indicated that biogenic TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) could be an effective and low-cost catalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and significantly improve biofouling. Due to its efficient and affordable contribution to the ORR, these results imply that biogenic TiO2 NPs might be a feasible alternative for improving the performance of MFCs.