Plant-sediment microbial fuel cell system for wastewater treatment with self-contained power sustainability

A plant-sediment microbial fuel cell comprising:

• a single chamber reactor having:
• a bottom surface and one or more walls defining a cavity,
• a bottom opening near a bottom end of the reactor, and
• a top opening near a top end of the reactor, wastewater entering the single-chamber reactor from the bottom opening and exiting the single-chamber reactor as treated water from the top opening;
• a first layer of gravel disposed on the bottom surface of the single chamber reactor;
• a first layer of sediment disposed on top of the first layer of gravel and containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater;
• a first layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the first layer of sediment for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment;
• one or more anodes located on top of the first layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide;
• a second layer of gravel disposed on top of the one or more anodes;
• a second layer of sediment disposed on top of the second layer of gravel and containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater;
• a second layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the second layer of sediment for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment;
• and
• one or more cathodes located on top of the second layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide, the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes configured to generate electrical voltage.

A method for treating wastewater and generating electricity, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a single-chamber reactor via a wastewater inlet tube connected to a bottom opening of the single-chamber reactor, wastewater to be treated;
• passing the wastewater through a first layer of gravel disposed on a bottom surface of the single-chamber reactor;
• passing the wastewater through a first layer of sediment above the first layer of gravel, the first layer of sediment containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater;
• passing the wastewater through a first layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the first layer of sediment for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment;
• passing the wastewater through one or more anodes located on top of the first layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide;
• passing the wastewater through a second layer of gravel disposed on top of the one or more anodes;
• passing the wastewater through a second layer of sediment disposed on top of the second layer of gravel and containing microorganisms for treating the wastewater;
• passing the wastewater through a second layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide disposed on top of the second layer of sediment for enhancing electron transfer, current generation rate, and wastewater treatment;
• passing the wastewater through one or more cathodes located on top of the second layer of granular activated carbon or granular activated carbon with graphene oxide or sand with graphene oxide;
• generating, by the one or more anodes and the one or more cathodes, electrical voltage;
• and
• emitting, by the single-chamber reactor via a treated water outlet tube connected to a top opening of the single-chamber reactor, treated water.