2011 International Conference on Alternative Energy in Developing Countries and Emerging Economies
- 43 -
Thai Microbial Fuel Cell Application:
Palm Oil Mill Effluent Treatment
C. Sukkasem
*,**
and S. Laehlah
*
*
Center of Excellent in Sustainable Energy and Evironment, Thaksin University, (
Thailand
)
**
Faculty of Technology and Community Development, Thaksin University, Phattalung campus,(
Thailand
)
E-mail :
Abstract
--A bulk of palm oil mill effluent (POME)
containing over 100 kg COD/m
3
organic matter,
needs to be treated by a typical method. A bio gas
production type has well applied in these plants.
However, special techniques and large area
fermentation are limited. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is
as well known as wastewater treatment technology
that is able to convert organic matter to electricity
without combustion. It has greater advantages than
existed technologies, including superior efficiency,
area-less and maintenance-less needed and high
stability. In this study, the Thai microbial fuel cell
was developed base on Thai configuration. It hooked
up with carbon fiber brush as an immobilized base of
a bio-anode and air bio-cathode. Both parts separated
by long tube funnel. The optimum condition was
determined by fed the POMP wastewater up-flow at
various organic loading rates (OLR), hydraulic
retention times (HRT), pHs and aeration rates step
wise. A volumetric power was evaluated at varied
exterior resistances. The power was shown
insufficient. However, the highest chemical oxygen
demand (COD) removal efficiency was illustrated at
26.67 kg COD/m
3
/day, at neutral pH of POME, OLR
30.0 kg COD/m
3
and HRT 1.04 day. The air cathode
was aerated at 200 ml/min and closed circuit by an
external resistance 10 kΩ. This reactor
costs $US
2,303 and consumed power of aeration about 3.2 kW-
hr per cubic meter of wastewater. It is possible to
scale up to an economic scale.
Index Terms
--
Thai microbial fuel cell, Low cost
design, High efficiency, Wastewater treatment, Palm
oil milled process.
I.
I
NTRODUCTION
Oil palm is an economic plant of southern
Thailand, which had a rapid growth trend of the
process industrial each year. It is a typical plant
which grows in a tropical zone only and gained
more productivity of oil per crop field than others.
Presently, 42 of 223 countries can plant it and 4 of
them are best places, e.g. Malaysia, Columbia,
Thailand and Indonesia. Over 48 factories in the
south of Thailand have been preserved for 6.7
million ton of crude oil palm annually. The oil
extraction process needs a lot of fresh water (0.4
m3 per ton of fresh oil palm). Its wastewater;
containing over 100 kg COD/m3, high fat&oil and
dust, pH 3.0-5.0 (Purtpaiboon et al., 2006); impacts
an environment stronger along with productive
rate. It needs to be treated by a typical method
before discharge.
Previously, usual wastewater system was an
aerobic pond system need huge area, low
efficiency, strong smell and green house gas
emission. A biogas production type has well
applied in these plants (Cheng et al., 2010;
Promotion of Renewable Energy, Energy
Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Abatement
(PREGA), 2004; Biomass One-stop Clearing
House, 2003; Malasian Palm Oil Board, 2000;
Borja, R., et al., 1996; Rao, Peram M., 1999).
Then, a completely stirred tank reactor: CSTR or
closed anaerobic tank system was applied.
However, large agitator and sludge separator were
expensive and force seed loss. Afterward, upflow
anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB), upflow
anaerobic filter and anaerobic pond were developed
to collect bio gas as an alternative energy resource.
Even though, special techniques and large area
fermentation are limited.
Microbial fuel cell is as well known as
wastewater treatment technology that is able to
convert organic matter to electricity without
combustion. It has greater advantages than existed
technologies, including, superior efficiency, area-
less and maintenance-less needed and high
stability. The microbial fuel cell power efficient
digestion of organic substances in wastewater is
higher than the current technologies many times.
However, their application is still a major
constraint of the cost of materials in the reactor
which is very expensive such as graphite materials
electrodes, metal catalyst (platinum or gold),
mediators and membrane. Through these expensive
materials, some are very poisonous and wasteful.
Researchers have developed proprietary materials
which were obtained in the country and abroad and
much cheaper to substitute materials as mentioned
above (He
et al
2005; Jang
et al
2003; Kim
et al
2002; Moon
et al
2006; Rabaey and Verstraete,
2005; Zeikus 2007, Cheng
et al
2006; Cheng and
Logan, 2007. ; Lee
et al
2006; Liu
et al
2005; Liu
and Logan, 2004; Behera
et al
, 2010; Deng
et al
,
2010; Sun
et al
, 2009; Hu, 2008; Du
et al
, 2008;
Jang
et al
, 2004. ; Sukkasem, 2009). Recently,
Cheng et al. (2010) applied MFC and I-BAFs
(immobilized biological aerated filters) together to
treat this wastewater instead of UASB. A 96.5 %
COD removal was found after fed COD
concentration up to 10,000 mg/l.
