SGER: Determination of the Potential for Direct Generation of Electricity from Wastewater Using a Microbial Fuel Cell

0331824 洛根 在这个项目中，我们将证明，当底物第一次发酵时，废水发电对于MFC中的电流是最佳的，并且发电量可以比以前认为的高得多。最近有人从海洋中的微生物沉积物中证明了电流流动。然而，发电量很低，并且没有显示出功率与特定的衬底耦合。我们的假设是，发酵产生的底物是最佳的电力生产，如果使用的金属还原细菌。发酵终产物，如乙酸盐，通常被缓慢生长的产甲烷菌使用。然而，在MFC中，能够进行金属还原的细菌具有更高的生长速率，并且将生长出产甲烷菌。因此，发电可以是稳定的，并且电极上的细菌不会被产甲烷菌竞争可用底物。

0331824 Logan In this project we will demonstrate power generation from wastewater is optimal for current flow in an MFC when substrate is first fermented, and that power generation can be much higher than previously believed. Current flow has recently been demonstrated by others from microbial sediments in the ocean. However, power generation was low and it was not shown that power was coupled to specific substrates. Our hypothesis is that substrates produced by fermentation are optimal for electricity production if used by metal-reducing bacteria. Fermentation end products, such as acetate, ordinarily are used by slow growing methanogens. However, in a MFC bacteria capable of metal reduction have higher growth rates and will out grow methanogens. Thus, electricity generation could be stable and bacteria on the electrode would not be out competed by methanogens for available substrate.