Improving the performance of biotrickling filter microbial fuel cells in treating exhaust gas by adjusting the oxygen content of the anode tank. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Shu-Hui; Tsai, Shen-Long; Lai, Yang-Ru; Lin, Chi-Wen; Huang, Yu-Wen
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 278(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Microbial fuel cell -- Biotrickling filter -- Oxygen scavenger -- Removal efficiency -- Electricity generation; BTF biotrickling filter -- CCV closed-circuit voltage -- CPCR carbide porous ceramic ring -- COD chemical oxygen demand -- DO dissolved oxygen -- EA ethyl acetate -- EBRT empty bed residence time -- EC elimination capacity -- IC inlet concentration -- MFC microbial fuel cell -- OL organic loading -- PEM proton exchange membrane -- PD power density -- PVA-H polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel -- RE removal efficiency -- VOCs volatile organic compounds; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130390
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: A biotrickling filter (BTF) was combined with a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to remove ethyl acetate from exhaust gas while generating electricity in the process. The results indicated that the use of carbide porous ceramic rings (CPCR) as auxiliary anodes produced more biomass and exhibited a high average removal efficiency (98%), making it a superior microorganism growth carrier compared with carbon coke. When CPCR was used as the cathode in the BTF-MFC, the maximum power density (PD) was 5.64–14.8% of that achieved when carbon cloth was used as the cathode, revealing that CPCR is not a suitable cathode. The maximum elimination capacity (EC) and output voltage of the two-stage BTF-MFC (tBTF-MFC) were only 69.4% and 68.4% of those of the single-stage BTF-MFC (sBTF-MFC), presumably because of voltage reversal. Although the output voltage and EC in the tBTF-MFC were less than those in the sBTF-MFC, the follow-up field application involves stacking multiple small MFCs to remove high-concentration pollutants and generate a high power output. Additionally, continuously adding sodium sulfite decreased the average dissolved oxygen; generated an averaged closed-circuit voltage of 477 mV; and produced a maximum PD of 71.7 mW/m 3 . These findings demonstrated that the aforementioned method can effectively improve the problem of oxygen and MFC anodes competing for electrons, thus delivering a method that enhances MFC performance through controlling the amount of oxygen in practical applications. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: A biotrickling filter microbial fuel cell (BTF-MFC) can effectively treat waste gas. The use of carbide porous ceramic rings as anodes in MFCs produced more biomass. O2 can be regulated by adding an oxygen scavenger using a continuous inflow method.