Effect of Different Substrate on the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell Using Nafion as Membrane

Abstract

The present study investigated the performance of microbial fuel cell (MFC) in terms of electricity production and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate using different substrates. A double-chambered MFC was constructed with Nafion as separator and carbon cloth as an electrode. Glucose, municipal waste water, and sugar industry waste water were taken as a substrate for MFC. Maximum Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) of 0.34 V,0.58 V,0.67 V were obtained for sewage wastewater, glucose and sugar industry waste respectively with a current density 0.2730 micro A/c.c, 0.4183 micro A/c.c, 0.4211 micro A/c. The COD removal rate was found to be  53%, 65%, 78%, for sewage wastewater, glucose, sugar industry wastewater. OCV and current density were obtained in the following order: sugar industry wastewater >glucose>municipal wastewater. Carbon balance was done to determine the organic carbon removal and to check the efficacy of the system. SEM and microscopy analyses demonstrated a biofilm with a mixed population of gram-negative species.