Electricity production from municipal solid waste using microbial fuel cells. Issue 7 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chiu, HY; Pai, TY; Liu, MH; Chang, CA; Lo, FC; Chang, TC; Lo, HM; Chiang, CF; Chao, KP; Lo, WY; Lo, SW; Chu, YL
• Is Part Of: Waste management & research. Volume 34:Issue 7(2016:Jul.)
• Page Start: 619
• Page End: 629
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Municipal solid waste -- microbial fuel cells -- K3Fe(CN)6 -- power density -- alkali hydrolysis pre-treatment -- carbon felt; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; Municipal engineering -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets -- Élimination -- Périodiques; Génie urbain -- Périodiques; 628
• DOI: 10.1177/0734242X16649681
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0734-242X

Abstract

The organic content of municipal solid waste has long been an attractive source of renewable energy, mainly as a solid fuel in waste-to-energy plants. This study focuses on the potential to use microbial fuel cells to convert municipal solid waste organics into energy using various operational conditions. The results showed that two-chamber microbial fuel cells with carbon felt and carbon felt allocation had a higher maximal power density (20.12 and 30.47 mW m -2 for 1.5 and 4 L, respectively) than those of other electrode plate allocations. Most two-chamber microbial fuel cells (1.5 and 4 L) had a higher maximal power density than single-chamber ones with corresponding electrode plate allocations. Municipal solid waste with alkali hydrolysis pre-treatment and K3 Fe(CN)6 as an electron acceptor improved the maximal power density to 1817.88 mW m -2 (~0.49% coulomb efficiency, from 0.05–0.49%). The maximal power density from experiments using individual 1.5 and 4 L two-chamber microbial fuel cells, and serial and parallel connections of 1.5 and 4 L two-chamber microbial fuel cells, was found to be in the order of individual 4 L (30.47 mW m -2 ) > serial connection of 1.5 and 4 L (27.75) > individual 1.5 L (20.12) > parallel connection of 1.5 and 4 L (17.04) two-chamber microbial fuel cells . The power density using municipal solid waste microbial fuel cells was compared with information in the literature and discussed.