The theory, design, construction, and operation of microbial fuel
cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs), devices in which bacteria create
electrical power by oxidizing simple compounds such as glucose or
complex organic matter in wastewater, represent a new and promising
approach for generating power. Not only do MFCs clean wastewater,
but they also convert organics in these wastewaters into usable
energy. Given the world's limited supply of fossil fuels and fossil
fuels' impact on climate change, MFC technology's ability to create
renewable, carbon-neutral energy has generated tremendous interest
around the world.

This timely book is the first dedicated to MFCs. It not only serves
as an introduction to the theory underlying the development and
functioning of MFCs, it also serves as a manual for ongoing
research. In addition, author Bruce Logan, a leading pioneer in MFC
research and development, provides practical guidance for the
effective design and operation of MFCs based on his own firsthand
experience.

This reference covers everything you need to fully understand MFCs,
including:

* Key topics such as voltage and power generation, MFC materials and
architecture, mass transfer to bacteria and biofilms, bioreactor
design, and fundamentals of electron transfer

* Applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation
in the laboratory to approaches for using MFCs for wastewater
treatment

* The role of MFCs in the climate change debate

* Detailed illustrations of bacterial and electrochemical
concepts

* Charts, graphs, and tables summarizing key design and operation
variables

* Practice problems and step-by-step examples

Microbial Fuel Cells, with its easy-to-follow explanations, is
recommended as both a textbook for students and professionals
interested in entering the field and as a complete reference for
more experienced practitioners.

Bruce E. Logan, PHD, is the Stan and Flora Kappe Professor of EnvironmentalEngineering at Penn State University, and Director of Penn State's Hydrogen Energy (H2E) Center and the Engineering Environmental Institute. Dr. Logan's areas of expertise include bioenergy (microbial fuel cells and biohydrogen production),bacterial adhesion, colloid transport, and bioremediation. He is the author or coauthor of over 200 refereed publications and books on environmental transport processes, microbial fuel cells, and perchlorate reduction.

The theory, design, construction, and operation of microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs), devices in which bacteria create electrical power by oxidizing simple compounds such as glucose or complex organic matter in wastewater, represent a new and promising approach for generating power. Not only do MFCs clean wastewater, but they also convert organics in these wastewaters into usable energy. Given the world's limited supply of fossil fuels and fossil fuels' impact on climate change, MFC technology's ability to create renewable, carbon-neutral energy has generated tremendous interest around the world.

This timely book is the first dedicated to MFCs. It not only serves as an introduction to the theory underlying the development and functioning of MFCs, it also serves as a manual for ongoing research. In addition, author Bruce Logan, a leading pioneer in MFC research and development, provides practical guidance for the effective design and operation of MFCs based on his own firsthand experience.

This reference covers everything you need to fully understand MFCs, including:

• Key topics such as voltage and power generation, MFC materials and architecture, mass transfer to bacteria and biofilms, bioreactor design, and fundamentals of electron transfer

• Applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation in the laboratory to approaches for using MFCs for wastewater treatment

• The role of MFCs in the climate change debate

• Detailed illustrations of bacterial and electrochemical concepts

• Charts, graphs, and tables summarizing key design and operation variables

• Practice problems and step-by-step examples

Microbial Fuel Cells, with its easy-to-follow explanations, is recommended as both a textbook for students and professionals interested in entering the field and as a complete reference for more experienced practitioners.

1. Introduction.

1.1. Energy needs.

1.2. Energy and the challenge of global climate change.

1.3. Bioelectricity generation using a microbial fuel cell --the process of electrogenesis.

1.4. MFCs and energy sustainability of the water infrastructure.

1.5. MFC technologies for wastewater treatment.

1.6. Renewable energy generation using MFCs.

1.7. Other applications of MFC technologies.

2. Exoelectrogens.

2.1. Introduction.

2.2. Mechanisms of electron transfer.

2.3. MFC studies using known exoelectrogenic strains.

2.4. Community analysis.

2.5. MFCs as tools for studying exoelectrogens.

3. Voltage generation.

3.1. Voltage and current.

3.2. Maximum voltages based on thermodynamic relationships.

3.3. Anode potentials and enzyme potentials.

3.4. Role of enzymes versus communities in setting anode potentials.

3.5. Voltage generation by fermentative bacteria?

4. Power generation.

4.1. Calculating power.

4.2. Coulombic and energy efficiency.

4.3. Polarization and power density curves.

4.4. Measuring internal resistance.

4.5. Chemical and ele…