Performance evaluation of low cost microbial fuel cell fabricated using earthen pot with biotic and abiotic cathode

An attempt has been made to produce low cost MFC from the commercially available earthen pots in India, without involving any costly membrane. This MFC gave a maximum power output of 16.8 W/m 3 at a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 31.3% with graphite plate cathode. With stainless steel mesh cathode and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioresource technology 2010-02, Vol.101 (4), p.1183-1189
Main Authors: Behera, Manaswini, Jana, Partha S., Ghangrekar, M.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum Silicates
Bacteria - cytology
Biochemical fuel cells
Bioelectric Energy Sources - economics
Bioelectric Energy Sources - microbiology
Bioelectric Energy Sources - standards
bioenergy
Biofilms
Biofuel production
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Biotic and abiotic cathode
cathode
Cathodes
Conservation of Energy Resources
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Denitrification
Devices
Earthen pot MFC
Electric Impedance
electricity
Electrochemistry - instrumentation
Electrodes
Energy
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Graphite - chemistry
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
Low cost
Manganese Compounds - chemistry
Markets
Maximum power
Membranes
microbial fuel cell
Microorganisms
Nitrogen - metabolism
Oxides - chemistry
permanganates
Power density
renewable energy sources
Soil
wastewater treatment
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Summary:An attempt has been made to produce low cost MFC from the commercially available earthen pots in India, without involving any costly membrane. This MFC gave a maximum power output of 16.8 W/m 3 at a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 31.3% with graphite plate cathode. With stainless steel mesh cathode and KMnO 4 as cathodic electrolyte the power production and CE of 70.48 W/m 3 and 64.5%, respectively, was obtained. The performance of this earthen pot MFC was evaluated with biotic and abiotic cathode. Although, biofilm formation on the cathode is observed to be helpful in enhancing power out put, the thicker biofilm on the cathode showed reduction in power. This MFC demonstrated competitive performance as compared to MFC incorporated with membrane. This low cost MFC, with total production cost of less than 1.0$, as per Indian market, demonstrated its utility as a wastewater treatment and onsite power generation device.
ISSN:0960-8524
1873-2976
DOI:10.1016/j.biortech.2009.07.089