Evaluation of Separator Performance in a Vermiculture Based Microbial Fuel Cell Assembly (VBMFC) with Eudrilus Eugeniae

Kristopher Ray S. Pamintuan, Catherine Jill D. Brillas, Ronalyn R. Inagan

2019

Abstract

Vermiculture-based Microbial Fuel Cells (VBMFC) generate electricity by using earthworms as catalysts that speed up the degradation of bulk organic substrates, leaving simpler compounds for exoelectrogenic bacteria to feast on. In this type of set-up, renewable electricity is generated while simultaneously reducing the volume of solid waste. Eudrilus eugeniae, commonly known as African nightcrawler, was used as the model earthworm for this study. The worms were fed with a total of 1.854 kg of watermelon peels. These peels act as the substrate for the bacteria to metabolize and generate electricity. The main objective of the study is to determine what type of separator would yield a higher power output. Results show that the control system (no separator) produced the highest maximum voltage of 40.5 mV. On the other hand, VBMFCs with clay membranes had the highest average voltage of 9.68 mV. Polarization curves were used to measure the optimal current, maximum power density, and internal resistance of the three systems. The control system had the largest optimum current density of 1.23 mA/m2 and the highest maximum power density of 0.056 mW/m2. On the other hand, vessel that had cotton cloth as separator had a better current density and maximum power density than the vessel with clay membrane, which offered the most resistance. Overall, the absence of a separator seems to benefit power generation, as well as helping to offset the cost of construction as the membrane separator often is the most expensive part of the set-up.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Ray S. Pamintuan K., Jill D. Brillas C. and R. Inagan R. (2019). Evaluation of Separator Performance in a Vermiculture Based Microbial Fuel Cell Assembly (VBMFC) with Eudrilus Eugeniae.In Proceedings of the International Conference on Future Environment Pollution and Prevention - Volume 1: ICFEPP, ISBN 978-989-758-394-0, pages 41-45. DOI: 10.5220/0008656700410045

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icfepp19,
author={Kristopher Ray S. Pamintuan and Catherine Jill D. Brillas and Ronalyn R. Inagan},
title={Evaluation of Separator Performance in a Vermiculture Based Microbial Fuel Cell Assembly (VBMFC) with Eudrilus Eugeniae},
booktitle={Proceedings of the International Conference on Future Environment Pollution and Prevention - Volume 1: ICFEPP,},
year={2019},
pages={41-45},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0008656700410045},
isbn={978-989-758-394-0},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Future Environment Pollution and Prevention - Volume 1: ICFEPP,
TI - Evaluation of Separator Performance in a Vermiculture Based Microbial Fuel Cell Assembly (VBMFC) with Eudrilus Eugeniae
SN - 978-989-758-394-0
AU - Ray S. Pamintuan K.
AU - Jill D. Brillas C.
AU - R. Inagan R.
PY - 2019
SP - 41
EP - 45
DO - 10.5220/0008656700410045