Carbon nanotube-supported microbial electrochemical device for continuous sewage treatment and electricity generation

Abstract

The invention discloses a carbon nanotube carrier type microbial electrochemical device for continuously treating sewage and generating power, belonging to the technical field of sewage treatment of microbial fuel cells. The microbial electrochemical device comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the anode chamber is uniformly filled with carbon nanotubes which serve as anodes and microbial carriers; organic sewage and anaerobic digested sludge are inoculated, the anode chamber and the cathode chamber are sealed by a silicone pad, and an anaerobic environment is formed in the anode chamber; a water outlet of the anode chamber is connected with a three-phase separator. According to the device, the anode chamber is filled with the carbon nanotubes to form a packed bed reactor, the device is easy to operate and free of any catalyst, sewage can be continuously and efficiently treated by a continuous and unconventional batched treatment manner, and when the organic load is 4g COD.L<-1>.d<-1> and the hydraulic retention time is 16 hours, the sewage removal rate can be about 90 percent. Moreover, the three-phase separator is added to the water outlet of the anode chamber, so that the problems of blockage and difficulty in maintenance caused by outflow of carbon particle materials are solved.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of microbial fuel cell sewage treatment, in particular to a microbial electrochemical device using carbon nanotubes as an anode and a microbial carrier at the same time, which can continuously operate to treat sewage and generate electricity. Background technique [0002] Due to global warming and energy crisis, people are eager to find an environmentally friendly and renewable energy source. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device that meets people's expectations to produce new energy. MFC uses microorganisms as catalysts to convert chemical energy in organic matter into electrical energy, which has the potential to continuously remove pollutants in the environment and generate electrical energy. A typical MFC consists of an anode, a cathode, and sometimes a diaphragm between the two chambers. The anodic and anode separator membranes in the double-chamber reactor play a very important role. The membrane sele...

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Problems solved by technology

For example, the anode disclosed in the Chinese patent "A Non-Aerated Biological Cathode Microbial Fuel Cell Reactor and Its Anode" (publication number CN202231105U) is to implant carbon fiber into the stainless steel mesh to increase the surface, but this method increases the operational cost. complexity, and whether the long-term operation of stainless steel in the system is feasible remains to be studied

In the Chinese patent "Ion-exchange membrane-free mediator-free columnar microbial fuel cell" (publication number CN101667651A), the anode chamber is filled with granular activated carbon, and the activated carbon is connected to the external circuit with a carbon rod; the Chinese patent "A microbial fuel cell" ( Publication No. CN103337650A) the anode material is columnar activated carbon particles, but activated carbon has a small surface area and a large internal resistance

[0004] As a new type of material, carbon nanotubes have unique physical / chemical properties, such as good electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength and high specific surface area, although they have been used as electrode materials or electrode modification materials for MFC, such as carbon cloth loaded Carbon nanotubes, compression molding of carbon nanotubes by binder, etc., but untreated carbon nanotubes have not been used as anode material and microbial carrier of MFC at the same time

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