Microbial fuel cell technology offers advantages for converting waste to energy because the microbial fuel cells can operate using the dilute organic waste streams typical of domestic wastewater treatment plants and at low operating temperatures. The purpose of the research is to advance the conversion to electricity by predicting the power output of various configurations of microbial fuel cells, by ascertaining the selection process for the microbial community in the cathode thereby enhancing the electron flow, and by understanding how operating conditions can affect the biofilm at the anode. The research will be integrated with an educational component that will engage students from an urban high school and encourage them to consider careers in science and engineering.
The general approach to achieving the three objectives includes the development of a modular microbial fuel cell with three-dimensional, high surface area electrodes made from low-cost carbon fibers and membranes made from low-cost materials. The modular system will allow various configurations that can be optimized for power output to accomplish the first objective. Selection and growth principles for a denitrifying biofilm on the cathode will be investigated to supply alternative inexpensive catalysts to achieve the second objective. By optimizing environmental conditions to select for a community with improved electron transfer in anode biofilms, the electron transfer rate can be increased. Work with a single-culture biofilm will allow a full understanding of how to use operating conditions to manipulate electron transfer in anode chambers, which will accomplish the third objective.
The educational component will include development of two new courses. One will be in bioprocess engineering for undergraduate and graduate students and will focus on how to transform waste into useful products. The second will be a molecular biology techniques laboratory class. In addition to development of the two new courses, a program that engages urban high school students in the science and engineering of microbial fuel cells will be established. High school teachers will be directly involved in the research and in the development of lab classes aimed at high schools students that center on microbial fuel cells. The lab classes will be conducted on the university campus providing high school students from underachieving schools to visit and learn about the opportunities in higher education as well as to do hands on learning. With the experience from the on-campus classes, kits will be developed that will allow extension of the hands-on learning to other high schools.
