SGER: Hollow-Fiber Membrane Microbial Fuel Cells (HFM-MFCs) for Electricity Production from Wastewater

CBET 0723003Robert Nerenberg Notre Dame UniversitySGER：用于废水发电的中空纤维膜微生物燃料电池（HFM-MFC）这一探索性研究提案的小额赠款将评估使用微孔中空纤维膜（HFM）作为反应器中微生物生物膜生长的物理支持的概念，以用作微生物燃料电池（MFC）。HFM具有极大地减小MFC中阳极和阴极之间的间隔的潜在优点，这将极大地减小内阻并提高效率。能量转换效率低一直是微生物燃料电池用于废水发电的发展中的主要问题。HFM的高比表面积还允许使用相对较小的反应器来处理大量废水。该项目将解决微生物燃料电池研究中的几个挑战，包括定量氧抑制MFC活性的重要性。PI还将探索通过消除阴极侧的氧气供应来转换HFM-MFC配置以产生H2的适用性，从而产生所谓的“生物电化学辅助微生物反应器”或BEAMR。PI是一名年轻的研究者，这符合该部门将SGER资金主要用于这类研究者的目标。

CBET 0723003Robert NerenbergNotre Dame UniversitySGER: Hollow-fiber membrane microbial fuel cells (HFM-MFCs) for electricity production from wastewaterThis small grant for exploratory research proposal will evaluate the concept of using microporous hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) as the physical support for growth of microbial biofilms in reactors to be used as microbial fuel cells (MFCs). HFMs have the potential advantage of greatly decreasing the separation between the anode and cathode in the MFC, which should greatly reduce internal resistance and increase efficiency. Low efficiency in energy conversion has been a major issue in the development of microbial fuel cells for electric power production from wastewater. The high specific surface area of HFMs also allows the use of relatively small reactors to treat large volumes of wastewater. The project will address several challenges in microbial fuel-cell research, including quantification of the importance of oxygen inhibition on MFC activity. The PI also will explore the suitability of converting the HFM-MFC configuration to produce H2 by eliminating oxygen supply to the cathodic side, thereby producing what has been called a "bioelectrochemically assisted microbial reactor" or BEAMR. The PI is a young investigator, which matches the division's goals of using SGER funding primarily for this class of investigators.