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Rainwater-driven microbial fuel cells for power generation in the remote areas' raw data

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Sep 07, 2021 version files 10.21 MB

Abstract

The possibility of utilizing rainwater as a sustainable anolyte in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell is investigated in this study. The results indicate that the proposed microbial fuel cell can work within a wide temperature range (from 0 to 30 oC), and under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. However, the rainwater season has a distinct impact. Under anaerobic conditions, the summer rainwater achieves a promised open circuit potential of 553±2 mV without addition of nutrients at the ambient temperature, while addition of nutrients leads to increase the cell voltage to 763±3 and 588±2 mV at 30 oC and ambient temperature, respectively. The maximum open circuit potential for the winter rainwater (492±1.5 mV) is obtained when the reactor is exposed to the air (aerobic conditions) at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the winter rainwater microbial fuel cell generates a maximum power output of 7±0.1 mWm-2 at a corresponding current density value of 44±0.7 mAm-2 at 30 oC. While, at the ambient temperature, the maximum output power is obtained with the summer rainwater (7.2±0.1 mWm-2 at 26±0.5 mAm-2). Moreover, investigation of the bacterial diversity indicates that lactobacillus sp. is the dominant electroactive genus in the summer rainwater, while in the winter rainwater, Staphylococcus sp. is the main electroactive bacteria. The cyclic voltammetry analysis confirms that the electrons are delivered directly from the bacterial biofilm to the anode surface and without mediators. Overall, the study opens a new avenue for utilizing a novel sustainable type of microbial fuel cell derived by rainwater.