Control technology for methane fermentation by using electron transfer in microbial fuel cell

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14826
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: TOJO Seishu 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (40155495)
• Research Collaborator: SAKAI Kentaro ; UEDA Megumi ; KOBAYASI Kaoru
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: メタン発酵 / 有機酸 / 微生物電池 / 電子伝達 / バイオフィルム / 電力密度 / カーボンブラシ / アノード

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most of organic acid such as butyrate and propionate contained highly in the methane fermentation liquor were consumed with a microbial fuel cell fabricated as one tank cell. Since electricity densities of MFC output with these organic acid substrate were low, numbers of electrons transferred to the anode were also small. A revisional study on the biofilm formed in the anode is necessary to control the consumption of organic acids with a MFC. A carbon brash type anode increased the output electricity from MFC. However, the reaction in the cathode was a rate controlling factor when a carbon brash was used as anode electrode. Improvement of a cathode is one of challenges in this project.

Free Research Field

農業環境工学