{"id":{"repo_id":"maryland","oai_identifier":"oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/10768"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/maryland/oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/10768","repository":{"repo_id":"maryland","name":"University of Maryland","base_url":"https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Design and testing of a microbial fuel cell for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into electricity","abstract":"Previous research has demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the ability to degrade soluble substrates such as wastewater; however, very few studies have attempted the conversion particulate biomass to electricity in an MFC. A single-chamber, air cathode MFC was developed using a solid, lignocellulosic substrate (corncob pellets) as the electron donor. The first trial, using a prototype reactor with a graphite rod anode, ran for 415 hours, and generated a maximum open circuit voltage and current of 0.67 V and 0.25 mA, respectively. The second trial employed graphite brush anodes and multiple microbial inocula. A pasteurized soil inoculum resulted in negligible power (P = 0.144 mW/m3). The addition of rumen fluid, which naturally contains cellulose-degrading microorganisms, and Geobacter metallireducens, resulted in Pmax values of 77 mW/m3 and 159 mW/m3, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, methane, organic acids, and the mass of substrate consumed provided insight into the relationship between cellulose oxidation, methanogenesis, and power production.","abstract_html":"Previous research has demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the ability to degrade soluble substrates such as wastewater; however, very few studies have attempted the conversion particulate biomass to electricity in an MFC. A single-chamber, air cathode MFC was developed using a solid, lignocellulosic substrate (corncob pellets) as the electron donor. The first trial, using a prototype reactor with a graphite rod anode, ran for 415 hours, and generated a maximum open circuit voltage and current of 0.67 V and 0.25 mA, respectively. The second trial employed graphite brush anodes and multiple microbial inocula. A pasteurized soil inoculum resulted in negligible power (P = 0.144 mW/m3). The addition of rumen fluid, which naturally contains cellulose-degrading microorganisms, and Geobacter metallireducens, resulted in Pmax values of 77 mW/m3 and 159 mW/m3, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, methane, organic acids, and the mass of substrate consumed provided insight into the relationship between cellulose oxidation, methanogenesis, and power production.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gregoire, Kyla Patricia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Civil Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Becker, Jennifer"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010","date_published":"2010","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:29Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10768","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Becker, Jennifer"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gregoire, Kyla Patricia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2010-10-07T05:33:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-10-07T05:33:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10768"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Previous research has demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the ability to degrade soluble substrates such as wastewater; however, very few studies have attempted the conversion particulate biomass to electricity in an MFC. A single-chamber, air cathode MFC was developed using a solid, lignocellulosic substrate (corncob pellets) as the electron donor. The first trial, using a prototype reactor with a graphite rod anode, ran for 415 hours, and generated a maximum open circuit voltage and current of 0.67 V and 0.25 mA, respectively. The second trial employed graphite brush anodes and multiple microbial inocula. A pasteurized soil inoculum resulted in negligible power (P = 0.144 mW/m3). The addition of rumen fluid, which naturally contains cellulose-degrading microorganisms, and Geobacter metallireducens, resulted in Pmax values of 77 mW/m3 and 159 mW/m3, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, methane, organic acids, and the mass of substrate consumed provided insight into the relationship between cellulose oxidation, methanogenesis, and power production."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design and testing of a microbial fuel cell for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into electricity"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Becker, Jennifer"],"dc:contributor.department":["Civil Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Gregoire, Kyla Patricia"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2010-10-07T05:33:10Z"],"dc:date.available":["2010-10-07T05:33:10Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2010"],"dc:description.abstract":["Previous research has demonstrated that microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the ability to degrade soluble substrates such as wastewater; however, very few studies have attempted the conversion particulate biomass to electricity in an MFC. A single-chamber, air cathode MFC was developed using a solid, lignocellulosic substrate (corncob pellets) as the electron donor. The first trial, using a prototype reactor with a graphite rod anode, ran for 415 hours, and generated a maximum open circuit voltage and current of 0.67 V and 0.25 mA, respectively. The second trial employed graphite brush anodes and multiple microbial inocula. A pasteurized soil inoculum resulted in negligible power (P = 0.144 mW/m3). The addition of rumen fluid, which naturally contains cellulose-degrading microorganisms, and Geobacter metallireducens, resulted in Pmax values of 77 mW/m3 and 159 mW/m3, respectively. Analysis of hydrogen, methane, organic acids, and the mass of substrate consumed provided insight into the relationship between cellulose oxidation, methanogenesis, and power production."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10768"],"dc:title":["Design and testing of a microbial fuel cell for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into electricity"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:29Z"}