title: Operation of a cylindrical bioelectrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber fabric for efficient methane fermentation from thickened sewage sludge.
abstract: A bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) containing carbon fiber fabric (CFF) (BER+CFF) enabled efficient methane fermentation from thickened sewage sludge. A cylindrical BER+CFF was proposed and scaled-up to a volume of 4.0-L. Thickened sewage sludge was treated using three types of methanogenic reactors. The working electrode potential in the BER+CFF was regulated at -0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). BER+CFF showed gas production of 3.57 L L(-1) day(-1) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4.0 days; however, non-BER+CFF showed a lower gas production rate (0.83 L L(-1) day(-1)) at this HRT, suggesting positive effects of electrochemical regulation. A stirred tank reactor (without CFF) deteriorated at an HRT of 10 days, suggesting positive effects of CFF. 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the BER+CFF included 3 kinds of hydrogenotrophic methanogens and 1 aceticlastic methanogen. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the BER+CFF for scale-up and flexibility of this technology.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Sector, Environmental Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko-shi, Chiba-ken 270-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohmura
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D012722:Sewage; D002244:Carbon; D008697:Methane