Biodiesel Wastewater Treatment and Power Generation Using Earthen Membrane Microbial Fuel Cell

摘要

Addressing the global energy needs and limited resources in the form of sustainable technologies should be ideally non-combustion based and have reduced net CO2 emissions. Microbial Fuel Cells or MFCs can be part of this sustainable development and in the process support the water infrastructure as well. MFC research is evolving rapidly as a promising alternative. In this study, an attempt has been made to produce low cost MFC without involving any costly membrane. The wastewater used in this MFC was biodiesel based, the intention being the feasibility to treat wastewater from biofuel processing. The total dissolved solids or TDS of the wastewater initially was 4420±30 ppm on the first day which decreased to 3360±20 ppm after nearly three weeks of operation. Open circuit voltage or OCV was recorded around 800±10 mV, and the electricity production using a 100 ? resistor produced around 0.0041±0.0003 mA, power density peaked at 0.15±0.03 mW/cm2. System architecture included graphene as a conductive anolyte, aluminum mesh as cathode and a commercially available earthen pot structure as membrane. XRD analysis of membrane showed feasibility of operation, which can be essential for future designs wherein low cost membranes can be integrated for sustainable power generation and wastewater treatment.