Generation of electricity in microbial fuel cells at sub-ambient temperatures

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• 作者：Tunc Catal ; Paul Kavanagh ; Vincent O’ ; Flaherty ; Dó ; nal Leech
• 关键词：Biofilm ; Carbon source ; Cyclic voltammetry ; Microbial fuel cell ; Sub-ambient temperature
• 刊名：Journal of Power Sources
• 出版年：2011
• 出版时间：1 March 2011
• 年：2011
• 卷：196
• 期：5
• 页码：2676-2681
• 全文大小：749 K

文摘

Direct generation of electricity from a mixture of carbon sources was examined using single chamber mediator-less air cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) at sub-ambient temperatures. Electricity was directly generated from a carbon source mixture of d-glucose, d-galactose, d-xylose, d-glucuronic acid and sodium acetate at 30 °C and <20 °C (down to 4 °C). Anodic biofilms enriched at different temperatures using carbon source mixtures were examined using epi-fluorescent, scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry for electrochemical evaluation. The maximum power density obtained at different temperatures ranged from 486 ± 68 mW m⁻² to 602 ± 38 mW m⁻² at current density range of 0.31 mA cm⁻² to 0.41 mA cm⁻² (14 °C and 30 °C, respectively). Coulombic efficiency increased with decreasing temperature, and ranged from 24 ± 3 to 38 ± 1 % (20 °C and 4 °C, respectively). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was over 68 % for all carbon sources tested. Our results demonstrate adaptation, by gradual increase of cold-stress, to electricity production in MFCs at sub-ambient temperatures.