Cover image for Microbial fuel cells
Title:
Microbial fuel cells
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Publication Information:
Hoboken, NJ : Wiley-Interscience, 2008
ISBN:
9780470239483

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30000003491069 TP339 L63 2008 Open Access Book Book
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Summary

Summary

The theory, design, construction, and operation of microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs), devices in which bacteria create electrical power by oxidizing simple compounds such as glucose or complex organic matter in wastewater, represent a new and promising approach for generating power. Not only do MFCs clean wastewater, but they also convert organics in these wastewaters into usable energy. Given the world's limited supply of fossil fuels and fossil fuels' impact on climate change, MFC technology's ability to create renewable, carbon-neutral energy has generated tremendous interest around the world.

This timely book is the first dedicated to MFCs. It not only serves as an introduction to the theory underlying the development and functioning of MFCs, it also serves as a manual for ongoing research. In addition, author Bruce Logan, a leading pioneer in MFC research and development, provides practical guidance for the effective design and operation of MFCs based on his own firsthand experience.

This reference covers everything you need to fully understand MFCs, including:
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Key topics such as voltage and power generation, MFC materials and architecture, mass transfer to bacteria and biofilms, bioreactor design, and fundamentals of electron transfer
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Applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation in the laboratory to approaches for using MFCs for wastewater treatment
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The role of MFCs in the climate change debate
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Detailed illustrations of bacterial and electrochemical concepts
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Charts, graphs, and tables summarizing key design and operation variables
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Practice problems and step-by-step examples

Microbial Fuel Cells, with its easy-to-follow explanations, is recommended as both a textbook for students and professionals interested in entering the field and as a complete reference for more experienced practitioners.


Author Notes

Bruce E. Logan, PhD, is the Stan and Flora Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering at Penn State University, and Director of Penn State's Hydrogen Energy (H2E) Center and the Engineering Environmental Institute


Reviews 1

Choice Review

Well written in a clear, efficient, relaxed style, Microbial Fuel Cells is highly informational and educational. Following an introductory chapter discussing the world's energy needs, climate change, renewable energy, and the role of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, Logan (Pennsylvania State Univ.) presents the requirements and characteristics of all key fuel cell materials and assemblies, comparing and contrasting the performance of each using detailed (and clearly typed) reaction and performance equations. The many examples in every chapter include insights and comments to help the reader understand and gain perspective on new material. The chapter titled "Fun!" is an example of the practical, yet still sophisticated, knowledge awaiting the reader of this well researched, prepared, and designed volume. The book concludes with a discussion of the future for MFC technology. The volume includes nearly 200 relevant (recently published) references, more than 75 color plates and detailed diagrams of operating fuel cells and laboratory experiments, and an abundance of clearly notated and well-placed device performance and reaction graphs. This reviewer commends the author and the publisher for the quality, readability, and thorough coverage of this important technology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. S. R. Walk Old Dominion University


Table of Contents

Prefacep. xi
1 Introductionp. 1
1.1 Energy needsp. 1
1.2 Energy and the challenge of global climate changep. 2
1.3 Bioelectricity generation using a microbial fuel cell-the process of electrogenesisp. 4
1.4 MFCs and energy sustainability of the water infrastructurep. 6
1.5 MFC technologies for wastewater treatmentp. 7
1.6 Renewable energy generation using MFCsp. 9
1.7 Other applications of MFC technologiesp. 11
2 Exoelectrogensp. 12
2.1 Introductionp. 12
2.2 Mechanisms of electron transferp. 13
2.3 MFC studies using known exoelectrogenic strainsp. 18
2.4 Community analysisp. 22
2.5 MFCs as tools for studying exoelectrogensp. 27
3 Voltage Generationp. 29
3.1 Voltage and currentp. 29
3.2 Maximum voltages based on thermodynamic relationshipsp. 30
3.3 Anode potentials and enzyme potentialsp. 36
3.4 Role of communities versus enzymes in setting anode potentialsp. 40
3.5 Voltage generation by fermentative bacteria?p. 41
4 Power Generationp. 44
4.1 Calculating powerp. 44
4.2 Coulombic and energy efficiencyp. 48
4.3 Polarization and power density curvesp. 50
4.4 Measuring internal resistancep. 54
4.5 Chemical and electrochemical analysis of reactorsp. 57
5 Materialsp. 61
5.1 Finding low-cost, highly efficient materialsp. 61
5.2 Anode materialsp. 62
5.3 Membranes and separators (and chemical transport through them)p. 68
5.4 Cathode materialsp. 76
5.5 Long-term stability of different materialsp. 83
6 Architecturep. 85
6.1 General requirementsp. 85
6.2 Air-cathode MFCsp. 86
6.3 Aqueous cathodes using dissolved oxygenp. 95
6.4 Two-chamber reactors with soluble catholytes or poised potentialsp. 97
6.5 Tubular packed bed reactorsp. 102
6.6 Stacked MFCsp. 104
6.7 Metal catholytesp. 105
6.8 Biohydrogen MFCsp. 108
6.9 Towards a scalable MFC architecturep. 110
7 Kinetics and Mass Transferp. 111
7.1 Kinetic- or mass transfer-based models?p. 111
7.2 Boundaries on rate constants and bacterial characteristicsp. 112
7.3 Maximum power from a monolayer of bacteriap. 116
7.4 Maximum rate of mass transfer to a biofilmp. 118
7.5 Mass transfer per reactor volumep. 122
8 MECS for Hydrogen Productionp. 125
8.1 Principle of operationp. 125
8.2 MEC systemsp. 127
8.3 Hydrogen yieldp. 131
8.4 Hydrogen recoveryp. 132
8.5 Energy recoveryp. 134
8.6 Hydrogen lossesp. 142
8.7 Differences between the MEC and MFC systemsp. 145
9 MFCs for Wastewater Treatmentp. 146
9.1 Process trains for WWTPsp. 146
9.2 Replacement of the biological treatment reactor with an MFCp. 149
9.3 Energy balances for WWTPsp. 154
9.4 Implications for reduced sludge generationp. 157
9.5 Nutrient removalp. 158
9.6 Electrogenesis versus methanogenesisp. 159
10 Other MFC Technologiesp. 162
10.1 Different applications for MFC-based technologiesp. 162
10.2 Sediment MFCsp. 162
10.3 Enhanced sediment MFCsp. 166
10.4 Bioremediation using MFC technologiesp. 168
11 Fun!p. 171
11.1 MFCs for new scientists and inventorsp. 171
11.2 Choosing your inoculum and mediap. 174
11.3 MFC materials: electrodes and membranesp. 175
11.4 MFC architectures that are easy to buildp. 176
11.5 MEC reactorsp. 180
11.6 Operation and assessment of MFCsp. 181
12 Outlookp. 182
12.1 MFCs yesterday and todayp. 182
12.2 Challenges for bringing MFCs to commercializationp. 183
12.3 Accomplishments and outlookp. 184
Notationp. 186
Referencesp. 189
Indexp. 199