Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition

Ou, Shiqi; Zhao, Yi; Aaron, Douglas S.; Regan, John M.; Mench, Matthew M.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.08.007

Title: Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition

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Abstract

This work describes experiments and computational simulations to analyze single-chamber, air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and cathodic limitations in terms of current generation, power output, mass transport, biomass competition, and biofilm growth. Steady-state and transient cathode models were developed and experimentally validated. Two cathode gas mixtures were used to explore oxygen transport in the cathode: the MFCs exposed to a helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) produced higher current and power output than the group of MFCs exposed to air or a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (nitrox), indicating a dependence on gas-phase transport in the cathode. Multi-substance transport, biological reactions, and electrochemical reactions in a multi-layer and multi-biomass cathode biofilm were also simulated in a transient model. The transient model described biofilm growth over 15 days while providing insight into mass transport and cathodic dissolved species concentration profiles during biofilm growth. Lastly, simulation results predict that the dissolved oxygen content and diffusion in the cathode are key parameters affecting the power output of the air-cathode MFC system, with greater oxygen content in the cathode resulting in increased power output and fully-matured biomass.

Authors:

Ou, Shiqi ^[1]; Zhao, Yi ^[2]; Aaron, Douglas S. ^[3]; Regan, John M. ^[4]; Mench, Matthew M. ^[3]

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). National Transportation Research Center
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Publication Date:: Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: US Army Research Office; USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

OSTI Identifier:: 1302944

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; W911NF-11-1-0531

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Power Sources

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 328; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0378-7753

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; Microbial fuel cell; High performance computing; Oxygen transport; Cathodic biofilm growth; Transient model

Citation Formats


                    Ou, Shiqi, Zhao, Yi, Aaron, Douglas S., Regan, John M., and Mench, Matthew M. Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.08.007.

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                    Ou, Shiqi, Zhao, Yi, Aaron, Douglas S., Regan, John M., & Mench, Matthew M. Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.08.007

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                    Ou, Shiqi, Zhao, Yi, Aaron, Douglas S., Regan, John M., and Mench, Matthew M. Mon .  
"Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.08.007.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1302944.

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@article{osti_1302944,

  title        = {Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition},

  author       = {Ou, Shiqi and Zhao, Yi and Aaron, Douglas S. and Regan, John M. and Mench, Matthew M.},

  abstractNote = {This work describes experiments and computational simulations to analyze single-chamber, air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and cathodic limitations in terms of current generation, power output, mass transport, biomass competition, and biofilm growth. Steady-state and transient cathode models were developed and experimentally validated. Two cathode gas mixtures were used to explore oxygen transport in the cathode: the MFCs exposed to a helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) produced higher current and power output than the group of MFCs exposed to air or a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (nitrox), indicating a dependence on gas-phase transport in the cathode. Multi-substance transport, biological reactions, and electrochemical reactions in a multi-layer and multi-biomass cathode biofilm were also simulated in a transient model. The transient model described biofilm growth over 15 days while providing insight into mass transport and cathodic dissolved species concentration profiles during biofilm growth. Lastly, simulation results predict that the dissolved oxygen content and diffusion in the cathode are key parameters affecting the power output of the air-cathode MFC system, with greater oxygen content in the cathode resulting in increased power output and fully-matured biomass.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.08.007},

  journal      = {Journal of Power Sources},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 328,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016},

  month        = {Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016}

}

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