{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44458"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44458","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Electrical Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Carbon Nanostructure Enhanced Anodes","abstract":"Microbial fuel cells (MiFCs) have been suggested as a means to harness energy that is otherwise unutilized during the wastewater treatment process. MiFCs have the unique ability to treat influent waste streams while simultaneously generating power which can offset energy associated with the biological treatment of wastewater. During the oxidation of organic and inorganic wastes, microorganisms known as exoelectrogens have the ability to move electrons extracellularly. MiFCs generate electricity by facilitating the microbial transfer of these electrons from soluble electron donors in feedstocks to a solid-state anode. While MiFCs are a promising renewable energy technology, current systems suffer from low power densities which hinder their practical applicability. In this study, a novel anode design using flame-deposited carbon nanostructures (CNSs) on stainless steel mesh is developed to improve the electron transfer efficiency of electrons from microorganisms to the anode and thus the power densities achievable by MiFCs. These new anodes appear to allow for increased biomass accumulation on the anode and may aid in the direct transfer of electrons to the anode in mediatorless MiFC systems. Experiments were conducted using anaerobic biomass in single-chamber MiFCs with CNS-enhanced and untreated stainless steel anodes. Fuel cells utilizing CNS-enhanced anodes generated currents up to two orders of magnitude greater than cells with untreated metal anodes, with the highest power density achieved being 510 mW m-2.","abstract_html":"Microbial fuel cells (MiFCs) have been suggested as a means to harness energy that is otherwise unutilized during the wastewater treatment process. MiFCs have the unique ability to treat influent waste streams while simultaneously generating power which can offset energy associated with the biological treatment of wastewater. During the oxidation of organic and inorganic wastes, microorganisms known as exoelectrogens have the ability to move electrons extracellularly. MiFCs generate electricity by facilitating the microbial transfer of these electrons from soluble electron donors in feedstocks to a solid-state anode. While MiFCs are a promising renewable energy technology, current systems suffer from low power densities which hinder their practical applicability. In this study, a novel anode design using flame-deposited carbon nanostructures (CNSs) on stainless steel mesh is developed to improve the electron transfer efficiency of electrons from microorganisms to the anode and thus the power densities achievable by MiFCs. These new anodes appear to allow for increased biomass accumulation on the anode and may aid in the direct transfer of electrons to the anode in mediatorless MiFC systems. Experiments were conducted using anaerobic biomass in single-chamber MiFCs with CNS-enhanced and untreated stainless steel anodes. Fuel cells utilizing CNS-enhanced anodes generated currents up to two orders of magnitude greater than cells with untreated metal anodes, with the highest power density achieved being 510 mW m-2.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lamp, Jennifer Lynn"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":"Mechanical Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Ellis, Michael W."],"committee_members":["Behkam, Bahareh","Love, Nancy G."],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-08-13","date_published":"2009-08-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:35Z","subjects":["microbial fuel cell","fuel cell","carbon nanostructures","MiFC","biofilm anode"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08272009-015749"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-08272009-015749","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44458","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Ellis, Michael W."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Behkam, Bahareh","Love, Nancy G."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lamp, Jennifer Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:54Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:54Z","2009-09-22"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2009-08-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["microbial fuel cell","fuel cell","carbon nanostructures","MiFC","biofilm anode"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08272009-015749"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44458"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Microbial fuel cells (MiFCs) have been suggested as a means to harness energy that is otherwise unutilized during the wastewater treatment process. MiFCs have the unique ability to treat influent waste streams while simultaneously generating power which can offset energy associated with the biological treatment of wastewater. During the oxidation of organic and inorganic wastes, microorganisms known as exoelectrogens have the ability to move electrons extracellularly. MiFCs generate electricity by facilitating the microbial transfer of these electrons from soluble electron donors in feedstocks to a solid-state anode. While MiFCs are a promising renewable energy technology, current systems suffer from low power densities which hinder their practical applicability. In this study, a novel anode design using flame-deposited carbon nanostructures (CNSs) on stainless steel mesh is developed to improve the electron transfer efficiency of electrons from microorganisms to the anode and thus the power densities achievable by MiFCs. These new anodes appear to allow for increased biomass accumulation on the anode and may aid in the direct transfer of electrons to the anode in mediatorless MiFC systems. Experiments were conducted using anaerobic biomass in single-chamber MiFCs with CNS-enhanced and untreated stainless steel anodes. Fuel cells utilizing CNS-enhanced anodes generated currents up to two orders of magnitude greater than cells with untreated metal anodes, with the highest power density achieved being 510 mW m-2."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Electrical Power Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Carbon Nanostructure Enhanced Anodes"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Ellis, Michael W."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Behkam, Bahareh","Love, Nancy G."],"dc:contributor.department":["Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Lamp, Jennifer Lynn"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:43:54Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:43:54Z","2009-09-22"],"dc:date.issued":["2009-08-13"],"dc:description.abstract":["Microbial fuel cells (MiFCs) have been suggested as a means to harness energy that is otherwise unutilized during the wastewater treatment process. 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These new anodes appear to allow for increased biomass accumulation on the anode and may aid in the direct transfer of electrons to the anode in mediatorless MiFC systems. Experiments were conducted using anaerobic biomass in single-chamber MiFCs with CNS-enhanced and untreated stainless steel anodes. 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