title: An integrated 45L pilot microbial fuel cell system at a full-scale wastewater treatment plant.
abstract: A 45-L pilot MFC system, consisting of four single-chamber membraneless MFCs, was integrated into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and operated under practical conditions with the effluent of the primary clarifier for nine months to identify an optimal operational strategy for stable power output and maximum substrate based energy recovery (Normalized Energy Recovery, NER). Best results with the MFC were obtained at a hydraulic retention time of 22h with COD, TSS and nitrogen removal of 24%, 40% and 28%, respectively. Mean NER of 0.36kWhel/kgCOD,deg and coulombic efficiency of 24.8% were reached. Experimental results were used to set up the first described energy balance for a whole WWTP with an integrated MFC system. Energetic calculations of the model WWTP showed that energy savings due to reduced excess sludge production and energy gain of the MFC are significantly higher than the loss of energy due to reduced biogas production.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: heinz.hiegemann@rub.de.
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hiegemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herzer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nettmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lübken
authors.affiliation: Emschergenossenschaft (EG), Kronprinzenstr. 24, 45128 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.affiliation: Emschergenossenschaft (EG), Kronprinzenstr. 24, 45128 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Georg
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Schmelz
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Water and Waste Management at RWTH Aachen (FiW) e.V., Kackertstr. 15-17, 52072 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gredigk-Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wichern
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Energy balance; Microbial fuel cell; Upscaling; Wastewater treatment plant