Improving hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells through hydraulic connection with thermoelectric generators |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;2. Department of Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA;1. School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China;2. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Clean Pulp & Papermaking and Pollution Control, Nanning 530004, China;3. Guangxi Bossco Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, 12 Kexin Road, Nanning, 530007, China;4. College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China;1. College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China;2. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China;3. International Science and Technology Cooperation Platform for Low-carbon Recycling of Waste and Green Development, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China;4. Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark;5. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, USA;1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, China;2. Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China;3. Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China |
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| Abstract: | Using alternative power sources to drive hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) is important to implementation of MEC technology. Herein, thermoelectric generators (TEG) were to power MECs using simulated waste heat. With the MEC anolyte as a cold source for TEG, current generation of the MEC increased to 2.46 ± 0.06 mA and hydrogen production reached 0.14 m3 m−3 d-1, higher than those of the TEG-MEC system without hydraulic connection (1.16 ± 0.07 mA and 0.07 ± 0.01 m3 m−3 d-1). A high recirculation rate of 30 mL min-1 doubled both current generation and hydrogen production with 10 mL min-1, benefited from a stronger cooling effect that increased the TEG voltage output. However, the optimal recirculation rate was determined as 20 mL min-1 because of comparable performance but potentially less energy requirement. Reducing anolyte hydraulic retention time to 4 h has increased hydrogen production to 0.25 ± 0.05 m3 m−3 d-1 but decreased organic removal efficiency to 69 ± 2%. Adding three more TEG units that captured more heat energy further enhanced hydrogen production to 0.36 m3 m−3 d-1. Those results have demonstrated a successful integration of TEG with MEC through both electrical and hydraulic connections for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy recovery. |
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| Keywords: | Waste heat Thermoelectric generator Microbial electrolysis cell Hydrogen Wastewater treatment |
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