Application of an innovative osmotic microbial fuel cell (OSMFC) system for agro-food industrial wastewater treatment | |
| Author | Wilasinee Chanamarn |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-21-26 |
| Subject(s) | Wastewater--Treatment Microbial fuel cells |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | An innovative osmotic microbial fuel cell (OsMFC) was improved by using a forward osmosis (FO) membrane as a separator in microbial fuel cell system to develop simultaneously electricity generation, and wastewater treatment performance. Two chamber air-cathode system was operated under applying different raw agro-food industrial wastewaters (brewery, sweetener, and swine wastewater) at hydraulic retention time (HRT) 9 hrs., and connect with 250 Ω external resistance for 12 days. All results were collected after the system represented stable voltage, and water flux. OsMFC produced highest maximum power density with brewery wastewater of 11.1 W/m3 . Maximum power density of 9.3 W/m3 , and 1.3 W/m3 were generated from swine, sweetener wastewater respectively. Internal resistance in OsMFC of 70.1 Ω, 194.8 Ω, and 90.0 Ω occurred with brewery, sweetener, and swine reactors respectively. Using swine wastewater represented highest coulombic efficiency (CE) of 12.10±0.84 %. 6.72±0.39%, and 3.24±0.95% were CE of brewery, and swine wastewater respectively. OsMFC can remove COD of brewery, and swine wastewater reach 89.29±4.05%, and 70.98±3.77% respectively. Sweetener wastewater showed lowest COD removal efficiency of 17.35±3.84%. Highest TKN removal efficiency with OsMFC obtained from brewery wastewater of 69.60±2.68%. TKN removal of sweetener wastewater, and swine wastewater were 24.56%, and 32.88% respectively. Sulphate removal efficiency of brewery, and swine wastewater were similar results of 89.72±0.02%. Sulphate removal of sweetener wastewater showed lowest result of 36.90±5.64%. Effects of different HRT operation (6 hrs., 9 hrs., and, 12 hrs.) on OsMFC capacity treating various wastewaters were observed. Reduction of HRT from 12 hrs. to 6 hrs. treating brewery and swine wastewater resulted in increase of maximum power density of 7.36 W/m3 to13.57 W/m3 , and 7.04 W/m3 to 10.46 W/m3 respectively. Moreover, decrease of internal resistance happened when shorter HRT was operated. For sweetener wastewater, different HRT could not impact maximum power density. At longer HRT, COD, TKN, and sulphate removal efficiencies, and CE of brewery, and swine wastewater could improve performance wastewater treatment, and total coulombic obtained. Meanwhile, Reduction of HRT from 12 hrs. to 6 hrs. could enhance removal efficiency of sweetener wastewater. Effects of anaerobic fermentation pretreatment process on three different wastewater was explored. Brewery, and swine wastewater could be used as substrates in OsMFC directly due to easy biodegradable compounds in the wastewater. Sweetener wastewater needed to be hydrolyzed from complex compounds to simple matters which microorganism could consume to produce electricity easier. |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Xue, Wenchao |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thammarat Koottatep;Salam, P. Abdul |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2021 |