Disposal of solid wastes presents a serious problem facing the 21st century. The annual production of municipal solid wastes (MSW) in the United States is nearly 250 million tons. The organic fraction of the MSW renders it a suitable feedstock for energy production. The current study describes a bioreactor for biological stabilization of organic wastes for simultaneous production of hydrogen or electricity, at room temperature. The bioreactor integrates two consecutive stages. In the first stage, the anaerobic hydrolysis produces soluble chemical oxygen demand that is fermented under low pH conditions for production of hydrogen and volatile fatty acids. In the second stage, electrochemical oxidation of the acids and hydrogen in a microbial fuel cell produces electricity. The preliminary studies were carried out with marine waste; the COD removal and power production exceeded 60% and 250 W/m2 respectively.

Bioelectrochemical reactor for energy production from food wastes

245th National Meeting (2013)

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