Hydrogen production and COD elimination rate in a continuous microbial electrolysis cell: The influence of hydraulic retention time and applied voltage. Issue 2 (27th February 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Escapa, A.; Lobato, A.; García, D.M.; Morán, A.
• Is Part Of: Environmental progress & sustainable energy. Volume 32:Issue 2(2013:Jul.)
• Page Start: 263
• Page End: 268
• Publication Date: 2012-02-27
• Subjects: Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.7
• DOI: 10.1002/ep.11619
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1944-7442

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The influence of the applied voltage (<italic>V</italic>_app) and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on hydrogen and methane production and the removal rate for chemical oxygen demand (COD) was studied in a membrane‐less microbial electrolysis cell with a Ni‐based cathode. When a synthetic effluent from a dark‐fermentation process was fed continuously into the anodic chamber, an increase in both the <italic>V</italic>_app (from 0.6 to 1.0 V) and HRT (from 8 to 12 h) increased the hydrogen production rate from 0.18 to 1.42 L L_A⁻¹ d⁻¹ (liters per liter of anode per day) and the COD elimination rate from 46 to 94%. The influences of <italic>V</italic>_app and HRT on hydrogen production and the COD removal rate were found to be interdependent. Whereas acetic and butyric acids were easily degraded, propionic acid exhibited pseudo‐recalcitrant behavior. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 32: 263‐268, 2013</p> </abstract>