Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are a promising technology for reducing the energetic footprint of wastewater treatment. MFCs harness the energy released from the biological digestion of organic substrates in wastewater, thereby reducing or eliminating the energy requirements of a treatment system. While MFC technology has been effectively demonstrated at small scale, improvements to the materials and construction techniques of electrodes is required for successful and economical scaling of MFC technology for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. In this project, Cambrian Innovation will extend successful results at small to medium size scales to develop components capable of delivering economically viable performance at large scale. With the funds from this grant, Cambrian will (1) improve performance, durability, and reduce resistive power losses of electrodes up to an order of magnitude of 1m2, (2) develop a dynamic voltage boosting system to increased power conversion efficiency to greater than 85%, and (3) develop a pilot-scale design of an MFC system, capable of treating wastewater at a size scale relevant to the US Air Force.
Benefit: Wastewater treatment accounts for 3-4% of the total United States annual electricity consumption. Reducing, or even reversing, the energy consumption of wastewater treatment has the potential to save tremendous quantities of energy. In addition to the value of the energy saved, decoupling water and energy infrastructure has significant strategic advantages. This focused study on the scalability of a promising MFC system will accelerate the translation of MFC technology from lab-scale systems to functional, high-capacity wastewater treatment systems.
