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Production of hydrogen from domestic wastewater in a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Elizabeth Heidrich, Dr Jan DolfingORCiD, Emeritus Professor Keith Scott, Stephen Edwards, Emeritus Professor Colin Jones, Professor Thomas CurtisORCiD

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Abstract

Addressing the need to recover energy from the treatment of domestic wastewater, a 120-L microbial electrolysis cell was operated on site in Northern England, using raw domestic wastewater to produce virtually pure hydrogen gas (100 ± 6.4 %) for a period of over 3 months. The volumetric loading rate was 0.14 kg of chemical oxygen demand (COD) per cubic metre per day, just below the typical loading rates for activated sludge of 0.2–2 kg COD m−3 day−1, at an energetic cost of 2.3 kJ/g COD, which is below the values for activated sludge 2.5–7.2 kJ/g COD. The reactor produced an equivalent of 0.015 L H2 L−1 day−1, and recovered around 70 % of the electrical energy input with a coulombic efficiency of 55 %. Although the reactor did not reach the breakeven point of 100 % electrical energy recovery and COD removal was limited, improved hydrogen capture and reactor design could increase the performance levels substantially. Importantly, for the first time, a ‘proof of concept’ has been made, showing that this technology is capable of energy capture as hydrogen gas from low strength domestic wastewaters at ambient temperatures.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Heidrich ES, Dolfing J, Scott K, Edwards SR, Jones C, Curtis TP

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Year: 2013

Volume: 97

Issue: 15

Pages: 6979-6989

Print publication date: 01/08/2013

ISSN (print): 0175-7598

ISSN (electronic): 1432-0614

Publisher: Springer

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4456-7

DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4456-7

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