Ammonia losses during swine wastewater treatment were examined using single- and two-chambered microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Ammonia removal was 60% over 5 days for a single-chamber MFC with the cathode exposed to air (air-cathode), versus 69% over 13 days from the anode chamber in a two-chamber MFC with a ferricyanide catholyte. In both types of systems, ammonia losses were accelerated with ele...

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) power densities are often constrained by the oxygen reduction reaction rate on the cathode electrode. One important factor for this is the normally low solubility of oxygen in the aqueous cathode solution, which creates mass transport limitation and hinders oxygen reduction at the electrocatalyst (platinum, Pt). Here, we increased the air pressure in the cathode chambe...

Background and objective: Tetracyclines are the second most used group of antibiotics in the world. This type of antibiotic has a weak attraction in the body and enters wastewater through urine and feces. This study investigated the effectiveness of tetracycline removal from wastewater by air-cathode microbial fuel cells. Materials and methods: The current study was bench-scale experimental re...

Sustainable cathode development has been a challenge for the emerging microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. This study presents a simple catholyte called sodium percarbonate to serve as a new type of electron acceptor for MFCs. Lab scale comparisons showed sodium percarbonate cathode obtained comparable power density (9.6W/m(3)) with traditional air-cathode and potassium ferricyanide, but perca...

Bioelectrochemical system (BES) pH imbalances develop due to anodic proton-generating oxidation reactions and cathodic hydroxide-ion-generating reduction reactions. Until now, workers added unsustainable buffers to reduce the pH difference between the anode and cathode because the pH imbalance contributes to BES potential losses and, therefore, power losses. Here, we report that adding carbon d...

Graphene oxide (GO) was deposited on the surface of a MnO2 air cathode by thermal evaporation at 50°C from a GO colloidal suspension. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of GO on the MnO2 air cathode (GO-MnO2). Voltammetry and chrono-amperometry showed increased currents for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 6 M K...

Rechargeable non-aqueous Li-air battery technology offers potential advantages over other existing battery systems in terms of specific energy and energy density, which could enable the driving range of an electric vehicle to be comparable to that of gasoline vehicles. Development of efficient cathode catalysts and stable electrolytes for the Li-air battery has been intensively investigated for...

Landfill leachate emerges as a promising feedstock for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In the present investigation, direct airbreathing cathode-based MFCs are fabricated to investigate the potential of landfill leachate. Three MFCs that have different cathode areas are fabricated and investigated for 17 days under open circuit conditions. The maximum open circuit voltage (OCV) is observed to be a...

In this study, the effect of recycling fuel cell products on the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine (SOFC-GT) hybrid system was investigated. Three types of products recycling are considered: cathode products recycling (CPR), anode products recycling (APR), and both cathode and anode products recycling (BACPR). In the present work,   operating temperature and  limiting curre...

The maximum power generated in a single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) has previously been shown to increase when the spacing between the electrodes is decreased from 4 to 2 cm. However, the maximum power from a MFC with glucose (500 mg/L) decreased from 811 mW/ m2 (R(ex) = 200 omega, Coulombic efficiency of CE = 28%) to 423 mW/m2 (R(ex) = 500 omega, CE = 18%) when the electrode ...