Effect of Wall Boundary Layer Thickness on Power Performance of a Recirculation Microbial Fuel Cell

Yan-Ming Chen, Chin-Tsan Wang and Yung-Chin Yang
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Yan-Ming Chen: Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, No.1, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Rd., 106 Taipei, Taiwan
Chin-Tsan Wang: Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National I-Lan University, No.1, Sec. 1, Shennong Rd., 26047 I Lan, Taiwan
Yung-Chin Yang: Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, No.1, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Rd., 106 Taipei, Taiwan

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Hydrodynamic boundary layer is a significant phenomenon occurring in a flow through a bluff body, and this includes the flow motion and mass transfer. Thus, it could affect the biofilm formation and the mass transfer of substrates in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Therefore, understanding the role of hydrodynamic boundary layer thicknesses in MFCs is truly important. In this study, three hydrodynamic boundary layers of thickness 1.6, 4.1, and 5 cm were applied to the recirculation mode membrane-less MFC to investigate the electricity production performance. The results showed that the thin hydrodynamic boundary could enhance the voltage output of MFC due to the strong shear rate effect. Thus, a maximum voltage of 22 mV was obtained in the MFC with a hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness of 1.6 cm, and this voltage output obtained was 11 times higher than that of MFC with 5 cm hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness. Moreover, the charge transfer resistance of anode decreased with decreasing hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness. The charge transfer resistance of MFC with hydrodynamic boundary layer of thickness 1.6 cm was 39 Ω, which was 0.79 times lesser than that of MFC with 5 cm thickness. These observations would be useful for enhancing the performance of recirculation mode MFCs.

Keywords: MFC; hydrodynamic boundary layer; recirculation mode; shear rate; voltage; charge transfer 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: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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