Electricity production from dual chambers microbial fuel cell fed with chicken manure-wastewater

Abstract

Chicken manure wastewaters are increasingly being considered a valuable resource of organic compounds. Screened chicken manure was evaluated as a representative solid organic waste. In this study, electricity generation from livestock wastewater (chicken manure) was investigated in a continuous mediator-less horizontal flow microbial fuel cell with graphite electrodes and a selective type of membrane separating the anodic and cathodic compartments of MFC from each other. The performance of MFC was evaluated to livestock wastewater using aged anaerobic sludge. Results revealed that COD and BOD removal efficiencies were up to 88% and 82%, respectively. At an external resistance value of 150 Ω, a maximum power and current densities of 278 m.W/m2 and 683 mA/m2, respectively were obtained, hence MFC utilizing livestock wastewater would be a sustainable and reliable source of bio-energy generation .