Electricity generation using microbial fuel cells
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorsZhen He, Kenneth H. Nealson, Florian Mansfeld
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Abstract
A microbial fuel cell for generating electricity. The microbial fuel cell includes an anode and a cathode electrically coupled to the anode. The anode is in contact with a first fluid including microorganisms capable of catalyzing the oxidation of ammonium. The anode is in contact with a second fluid including microorganisms capable of catalyzing the reduction of nitrite. The anode and the cathode may be housed in a single compartment, and the cathode may rotate with respect to the anode. The microbial fuel cell can be used to remove ammonium from wastewater, to generate electricity, or both.
Claims18
A microbial fuel cell comprising:
- an anode;
- a cathode electrically coupled to the anode;
- a first fluid in contact with the anode, the first fluid comprising first microorganisms, wherein the first microorganisms are ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms that catalyze oxidation of ammonium;
- a second fluid in contact with the cathode, the second fluid comprising second microorganisms, wherein the second microorganisms are nitrite-reducing microorganisms that catalyze reduction of nitrite;
- and
- a biofilm on the cathode, the biofilm comprising ammonia-oxidizing organisms.
A method of treating wastewater, the method comprising:
- providing wastewater comprising ammonium to a microbial fuel cell comprising:
- an anode;
- a cathode electrically coupled to the anode;
- a first fluid in contact with the anode, the first fluid comprising first microorganisms, wherein the first microorganisms are ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms that catalyze oxidation of ammonium;
- a second fluid in contact with the cathode, the second fluid comprising second microorganisms, wherein the second microorganisms are nitrite-reducing microorganisms that catalyze reduction of nitrite;
- and
- a biofilm on the cathode, the biofilm comprising ammonia-oxidizing organisms;
- and
- oxidizing some of the ammonium to form nitrite.
A method of generating electricity, the method comprising:
- providing ammonium to a microbial fuel cell comprising:
- an anode;
- a cathode electrically coupled to the anode;
- a first fluid in contact with the anode, the first fluid comprising first microorganisms, wherein the first microorganisms are ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms that catalyze oxidation of ammonium;
- a second fluid in contact with the cathode, the second fluid comprising second microorganisms, wherein the second microorganisms are nitrite-reducing microorganisms that catalyze reduction of nitrite;
- and
- a biofilm on the cathode, the biofilm comprising ammonia-oxidizing organisms;
- and
- biocatalyzing oxidation of some of the ammonium in the microbial fuel cell to generate electricity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.