TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of mass and charge transport speed and direction in porous anodes on microbial electrolysis cell performance
AU - Sleutels, T.H.J.A.
AU - Hamelers, H.V.M.
AU - Buisman, C.J.N.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The use of porous electrodes like graphite felt as anode material has the potential of achieving high volumetric current densities. High volumetric current densities, however, may also lead to mass transport limitations within these porous materials. Therefore, in this study we investigated the mass and charge transport limitations by increasing the speed of the forced flow and changing the flow direction through the porous anode. Increase of the flow speed led to a decrease in current density when the flow was directed towards the membrane caused by an increase in anode resistance. Current density increased at higher flow speed when the flow was directed away from the membrane. This was caused by a decrease in transport resistance of ions through the membrane which increased the buffering effect of the system. Furthermore, the increase in flow speed led to an increase of the coulombic efficiency by 306%.
AB - The use of porous electrodes like graphite felt as anode material has the potential of achieving high volumetric current densities. High volumetric current densities, however, may also lead to mass transport limitations within these porous materials. Therefore, in this study we investigated the mass and charge transport limitations by increasing the speed of the forced flow and changing the flow direction through the porous anode. Increase of the flow speed led to a decrease in current density when the flow was directed towards the membrane caused by an increase in anode resistance. Current density increased at higher flow speed when the flow was directed away from the membrane. This was caused by a decrease in transport resistance of ions through the membrane which increased the buffering effect of the system. Furthermore, the increase in flow speed led to an increase of the coulombic efficiency by 306%.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77957334606&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.06.018
DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.06.018
M3 - Article
SN - 0960-8524
SP - 399
EP - 403
JO - Bioresource Technology
JF - Bioresource Technology
ER -