Understanding the Niche of Bioelectrochemical Systems for Water and Energy Sustainability

1235848(任)。同时处理废水和发电一直是生物电化学系统(BES)研究的主要焦点，但与精制化学基质相比，使用废水作为基质时，系统的性能会显著降低。BESS使用微生物催化阳极室中有机和无机电子供体的氧化，并将电子传递到阳极。电子可以被直接捕获用于发电(微生物燃料电池，MFC)，或者由外部电力输入补充，用于生产氢气、甲烷或增值化学品(微生物电解池，MEC)。电子也可以在阴极室中用来修复铀、氯化溶剂和高氯酸盐等污染物。电极上的电势也可以驱动海水淡化(微生物海水淡化单元，MDC)。本项目将使用系统方法，从根本上了解各种BES功能所涉及的独特特征和机制。项目组还将确定、评估和开发反应堆系统，以提高该技术的适用性。具体地说，该团队将：1)系统地描述不同但互补的系统功能之间的相互作用，如海水淡化和废水能源生产(处理效率、电化学性能、离子迁移行为和微生物活性)；2)利用基本原理和发现来指导BES配置的开发，这些配置可以与现有的现场废水处理、能源生产和海水淡化基础设施集成；3)建立生命周期评估框架，以定量分析BES技术与现有技术相比的环境影响和能源足迹，并指导系统优化和集成。这项研究的结果不仅应该提供量化的指导方针，以促进BES转变为可行的废水基础设施技术，而且还应该促进对这项技术的理解和开发，用于其他应用，如生物修复和生物传感。这项工作的目标是解决我们社会面临的两个关键挑战--水和能源。除了促进对生物电化学系统的科学理解和发展外，拟议的工作还为教育学生和社会了解水-能源关系并向他们传授可用于科学和技术探索的跨学科工具提供了一个有吸引力的平台。该项目将在学术和财政上支持研究生，重点关注代表不足的群体的参与。已经与当地电视台和丹佛动物园建立了伙伴关系，并将继续发展，以向公众教育和展示环境可持续发展技术。该团队还将利用研究成果和系统开发作为教育工具，以捕捉K-12学生对能源和环境问题的兴趣，并鼓励他们在STEM领域追求职业生涯。

1235848 (Ren). Simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy generation has been a primary focus in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) research, but system performance is significantly reduced when using wastewater as the substrate compared to refined chemical substrates. BESs use microorganisms to catalyze the oxidization of organic and inorganic electron donors in the anode chamber and deliver electrons to the anode. The electrons can be captured directly for electricity generation (microbial fuel cells, MFCs) or supplemented by external power input for producing hydrogen, methane, or value-added chemicals (microbial electrolysis cells, MECs). The electrons can also be used in the cathode chamber to remediate contaminants such as uranium, chlorinated solvents, and perchlorate. The potential across the electrodes can also drive desalination (microbial desalination cells, MDCs). This project will use a systems approach to gain fundamental understanding of the unique features and mechanisms involved in various BES functions. The project team will also characterize, assess, and develop reactor systems to improve the applicability of the technology. Specifically, the team will: 1) Systematically characterize the interactions of different but complementary features for systems such as desalination and energy production from wastewater (treatment efficiency, electrochemical performance, ion transfer behavior, and microbial activity); 2) employ fundamental principles and findings to guide the development of BES configurations that can be integrated with current infrastructures for on-site wastewater treatment, energy production, and desalination; and 3) establish a life cycle assessment framework to provide quantitative analysis of the environmental impacts and energy footprint of BES technology as compared to existing technologies and direct system optimization and integration. Outcomes of this research should not only provide quantitative guidelines to facilitate the transformation of BES into a viable technology for wastewater infrastructure, but also advance the understanding and development of this technology for other applications such as bioremediation and biosensing. The work is targeted to address two crucial challenges facing our society - water and energy. In addition to the advancement of scientific understanding and development of bioelectrochemical systems, the proposed work provides an attractive platform for educating students and society to understand the Water-Energy Nexus and teaching them about interdisciplinary tools available for science and technology exploration. The project will academically and financially support graduate students focusing on the engagement of underrepresented groups. Partnerships with local TV stations and Denver Zoo have been established and will continue to be developed to educate and demonstrate environmental sustainability technology to the general public. The team will also use the research findings and system developments as education tools to capture K-12 students' interests in energy and environmental issues and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM areas.