Resource Recovery from Kitchen Garbage by Using Microbial Fuel Cell

M. Azizul Moqsud & Kiyoshi Omine

Department of Civil Engineering Kyushu University Japan moqsud@gmail.com
The 3rd International conference on MFC, The Netherlands 5-8 June 2011

What is waste?

Waste can be defined as useless, unwanted and discarded materials coming from production and consumption. Such as kitchen garbage, Biodegradable municipal waste (BMW), municipal solid waste (MSW) etc.

BMW

MSW

Solid waste management has become a serious environmental problem all over the world.

Resource recovery from solid waste and Recycling is considered as a viable management option.

Recycling is a key component of R the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.

Characteristics of residential waste:

Developing countries

Industrialized countries

A Large Portion of Total Waste is Biodegradable waste both in Developing and Industrialized countries
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In the world, 1.4 to 1.6 billion people according to the U.N. live without electricity!!

According to Power Ministry, Bangladesh produces up to 4,000MW of electricity everyday against a minimum daily demand for 6,000MW. In the rural areas the demand stands at some 2,400 MW per day but the Rural Electrification Board (REB) can supply barely half of that.
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Energy, in any form, plays the most important role in the modern world. We need energy especially Green electrical energy in our daily needs .

Purpose of study

To develop a Microbial Fuel cell by using the kitchen garbage (KG) for bio-electricity generation

To convert/recycled KG for soil conditioner by Hybrid composting method as a byproduct of bio-electricity.

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Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC)

What is MFC???

Microbial fuel cell (MFC)s are bioelectrochemical devices which convert biomass into electricity through the metabolic activity of the microorganisms.

Living Bacteria generate electricity in the normal course of metabolizing nutrients. This metabolic process delivers sustainable, renewable, commercially valuable electricity.
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Schematic diagram of the laboratory test of MFC

Cathode (carbon fiber) Paper filter & activated carbon

Resistance

Anode (carbon fiber)

Biomass from kitchen garbage

Arcylic container

Tester

10 cm

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Materials

Materials (Gram)
Quantity

EM

Leaf Mold

Kitchen Garbage
120

Water

15

120

80

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Methods

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Data captured during Laboratory test

Voltage in every 20 minutes Temperature (Deg. Cel) in every 20 minutes

At room temperature at 25 Degree Celcius. Total Test Duration 45 days

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Variation of Voltage with duration

Peak Voltage (590 mV) reached around 21 days

0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 Duration

2009/11/5 0:00 2009/11/3 0:00 2009/11/1 0:00 2009/10/30 0:00 2009/10/28 0:00 2009/10/26 0:00 2009/10/24 0:00 2009/10/22 0:00 2009/10/20 0:00 2009/10/18 0:00 2009/10/16 0:00 2009/10/14 0:00 2009/10/12 0:00 2009/10/10 0:00 2009/10/8 0:00 2009/10/6 0:00 2009/10/4 0:00 2009/10/2 0:00 2009/9/30 0:00 2009/9/28 0:00 2009/9/26 0:00 2009/9/24 0:00 2009/9/22 0:00 2009/9/20 0:00 2009/9/18 0:00 2009/9/16 0:00 2009/9/14 0:00 Voltage (V)

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

2009/9/26 0:00 2009/9/25 12:00 2009/9/25 0:00 2009/9/24 12:00 2009/9/24 0:00 2009/9/23 12:00 2009/9/23 0:00 2009/9/22 12:00 2009/9/22 0:00 2009/9/21 12:00 2009/9/21 0:00 2009/9/20 12:00 2009/9/20 0:00 2009/9/19 12:00 2009/9/19 0:00 2009/9/18 12:00 2009/9/18 0:00 2009/9/17 12:00
Duration
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Variation of Power density with duration

Power density (W/m2)

Various Parameters showing the performance of MFC

Parameters 1 2 V max (mV) Current at V max (mA)

Value 590 11.56

3
4 5

P max (mW)
Power Density (mW/m2) Current Density (mA/m2)

6.82
682 1156
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N.B: V=I * R, P=V * I,

Nutrients presence in different samples of compost in in-vessel composting reactor and MFC
1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1
Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium

%
0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 BD S1Jp Sample S2 S3

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Conclusions
MFC

by using Kitchen Garbage is proved to be good way for bio-electricity generation

energy.

Sustainable, Renewable, Green The

by-product of the electricity generation by MFC can be used as soil conditioner

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ADDRESSING 3 MAJOR PROBLEMS

ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH PROBLEMS IN URBAN AREAS DUE TO UNMANAGED WASTE

ORGANIC MATTER DEPLETION IN THE SOIL OF RURAL AREAS

Bio-electricity generation from organic waste Converting Organic Waste Into Compost Use of Compost/Enriched Compost in Agriculture
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Thank you so much for your attention..

17th December 2010

Think globally but act locally and personally to make beautiful world for the future generation