Mathematical stimulation for bioelectrochemical behavior of a dualchambered microbial fuel cell (MFC)

Rusul M.  Khazaal; Zainab Z.  Ismail

doi:10.52716/jprs.v10i1.299

Authors

Rusul M. Khazaal Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Zainab Z. Ismail Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52716/jprs.v10i1.299

Keywords:

Butler-Volmer-Monod, Petroleum refinery oily sludge, Microbial fuel cell, sustainable energy, overpotential

Abstract

In this study, a steady-state bioelectrochemical model was developed to simulate the
correlation between the acting overpotential and the produced current that is accounting for
anode polarization. This study aimed to analyze the performance of a dual-chambered
microbial fuel cell (MFC) equipped with two bio-anodes and fueled with real refinery oily
sludge having a COD concentration of 13890 mg /L. Anode polarization data revealed a
maximum current density of 6.07 A/m3 of the substrate at an overpotential of 1.83 V. In
addition, the behavior of the experimental measurements revealed the dominance of the
ohmic losses in the overall anode overpotential compared to activation and mass transfer
losses, respectively. On the other hand, the suggested mathematical model was verified
significantly by the obtained experimental data, achieving a determination coefficient (R2)
of 0.96. Actual sustainable energy was also obtained using the reductive decrease of anode
potential (RDAP) and it was found that the sustainable energy for this corresponding
system can be attained when applying 17.6 KΩ as the external resistor.