Performance On A Novel Biocathode Microbial Fuel Cell With Trickling Aeration

Population, resources and the environment are the three major challenges in sustainabledevelopment of the world. The microbial fuel cell (MFC), a set of sewage purification andelectricity production, is an innovative wastewater treatment technology. It can take advantage ofthe microbes to catalyst the organic chemical directly into electricity.A new biocathode MFC was designed which based on the principle of trickling and achievednatural oxygenation without mechanical aeration. The characteristics of electricity productionand sewage purification of this novel MFC set was investigated, including oxygenation, cathodecirculating flow and hydraulic retention time (HRT). We also compared granular activatedcarbon and carbon felt, analyzed membrane fouling, identified microbial community and appliedit to continuous sewage purification. The results included:（1） Trickling MFC could start successfully and aerated effectively (DO>3.6mg/L). Thepower density could reach to91.2W/m3. The best flow rate was120mL/min and the internalresistance was7.7.（2） When Trickling MFC was operated under the conditions of the anode in series cathode,the power density could reach to118.1W/m3. HRT was an important influence factor. Thebest HRT was15h which of the max power density and the efficiency of COD were87.4W/m3and90.6%. The COD of effluent could be achieved to the national level B standard(COD=57.0mg/L, NH3-N<1mg/L).（3） The microbial community was consisted of four major classes identified through16S-rRNA sequencing and the result indicated that the predominant class of bacterial wasγ-Proteobacteria and half of the strains were Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.（4） Trickling MFC could apply to sewage purification effectively. Although the powerdensity was higher when using NaAC as substrate, It was capable of sewage purification thatthe removal efficiency of COD and ammonia could reach to86%and92%, respectively.