Electricity production from municipal solid waste using microbial fuel cells

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 condi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Waste management & research 2016-07, Vol.34 (7), p.619-629
Main 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
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allocations
Biochemical fuel cells
Bioelectric Energy Sources
Carbon
Electricity
Electrodes
Joints
Municipal waste management
Serials
Sewage
Solid Waste
Solid waste management
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Summary: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 K3Fe(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.
ISSN:0734-242X
1096-3669
DOI:10.1177/0734242X16649681