The Influence of External Load on the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cells

Szymon Potrykus, Luis Fernando León-Fernández, Janusz Nieznański, Dariusz Karkosiński and Francisco Jesus Fernandez-Morales
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Szymon Potrykus: Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Luis Fernando León-Fernández: Department of Chemical Engineering, ITQUIMA, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Camilo Jose Cela, S/N, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
Janusz Nieznański: Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Dariusz Karkosiński: Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Francisco Jesus Fernandez-Morales: Department of Chemical Engineering, ITQUIMA, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Camilo Jose Cela, S/N, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: In this work, the effect of the external load on the current and power generation, as well as on the pollutant removal by microbial fuel cells (MFCs), has been studied by step-wise modifying the external load. The load changes included a direct scan, in which the external resistance was increased from 120 Ω to 3300 Ω, and a subsequent reverse scan, in which the external resistance was decreased back to 120 Ω. The reduction in the current, experienced when increasing the external resistance, was maintained even in the reverse scan when the external resistance was step-wise decreased. Regarding the power exerted, when the external resistance was increased below the value of the internal resistance, an enhancement in the power exerted was observed. However, when operating near the value of the internal resistance, a stable power exerted of about 1.6 µW was reached. These current and power responses can be explained by the change in population distribution, which shifts to a more fermentative than electrogenic culture, as was confirmed by the population analyses. Regarding the pollutant removal, the effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased when the external resistance increased up to the internal resistance value. However, the effluent COD increased when the external resistance was higher than the internal resistance. This behavior was maintained in the reverse scan, which confirmed the modification in the microbial population of the MFC.

Keywords: microbial fuel cell; bioelectricity generation; external resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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