Online Microbial Fuel Cell Biofilm BOD Sensor (with InnovateUK)

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The project aims to manufacture and develop an online Microbial Fuel Cell-based biosensor for rapid, online detection of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) to be used at wastewater treatment plants. The BOD provides a measure of the amount of biodegradable carbon, a constituent that is regulated to protect water quality. Current techniques for measuring BOD are either time-consuming and resource-intensive, or provide over-estimates of true BOD. Bioelectrochemical Systems (BES, a type of Microbial Fuel Cell) offer a potential solution for BOD sensing, in which the concentration of biodegradable material consumed by the anodic biofilm is proportional to the electrical current generated. Monitoring that current provides a measure of BOD in real time (or close to real time). The online BOD sensor developed in this project will enable water treatment companies, and other industries that discharge effluent containing organic matter, to continuously monitor BOD. For the first time, they will be able to use real time, continuous monitoring to economically optimise various treatment protocols to control BOD. Real time monitoring is currently not possible, as for each variation in operating parameters a large number of expensive and time consuming off-line BOD tests would have to be performed. Improved monitoring will also bring direct benefits by alerting operators as the discharge BOD approaches the consent limits, allowing action to be taken before the limits are breached and a fine is incurred, a situation that is not currently possible. There are clear environmental benefits to having improved control of the BOD in discharged water, where areas downstream of the treatment plants are no longer subject to wild fluctuations in BOD and a stable ecology can be managed. The project builds on work from a PhD project at Newcastle University, taking the design and concept and developing it into a commercial product that meets industrial needs. The BES-based BOD sensor will be developed, tested and calibrated. The project has a number of stages, as shown below. University of South Wales will lead on electrode design and fabrication. Newcastle University will will lead on testing and calibrating the sensor. 1. Design the sensor to be used in the project, ensuring the design meets the project requirements.2. Design the upstream sample handling systems for waste to be passed to the sensor.3. Build the BES sensor. Built sensor to be shipped to Newcastle for set-up and calibration.4. Build the sample treatment system. Built system to be shipped to Newcastle for integration with sensor.5. Probe set up and calibration. Newcastle to test the probe is stable and to calibrate under a variety of agreed conditions, including toxicity conditions.6. Software Development. Newcastle will provide the algorithm from the calibration data 7. BES probe stability and response testing under a variety of conditions, using artificial and then actual wastewater samples to validate the response times, range, stability and other agreed factors.8. Review and optimisation. The sensor data must be examined and the handling and stability reviewed. Once this data is reviewed then any changes that are required must be made to the design so that a design for a robust, commercially manufacturable system can be made. 9. Finalise a design for a BES-based BOD sensor with a report showing sufficient supporting data that a commercial decision on the viability of the project can be made and the information used to market the system to a commercial sensor manufacturer.The project brings together WHPartnership, University of Newcastle and University of South Wales. Together they bring necessary skills in engineering, software, microbiology and product design that are needed for the project. The universities bring the fundamental research and WHPartnership bring the expertise in industrial application.