Biofuel Cells


Book Description

Rapid industrialization and urbanization associated with the environment changes calls for reduced pollution and thereby least use of fossil fuels. Biofuel cells are bioenergy resources and biocompatible alternatives to conventional fuel cells. Biofuel cells are one of the new sustainable renewable energy sources that are based on the direct conversion of chemical matters to electricity with the aid of microorganisms or enzymes as biocatalysts. The gradual depletion of fossil fuels, increasing energy needs, and the pressing problem of environmental pollution have stimulated a wide range of research and development efforts for renewable and environmentally friendly energy. Energy generation from biomass resources by employing biofuel cells is crucial for sustainable development. Biofuel cells have attracted considerable attention as micro- or even nano-power sources for implantable biomedical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, implantable self-powered sensors, and biosensors for monitoring physiological parameters. This book covers the most recent developments and offers a detailed overview of fundamentals, principles, mechanisms, properties, optimizing parameters, analytical characterization tools, various types of biofuel cells, all-category of materials, catalysts, engineering architectures, implantable biofuel cells, applications and novel innovations and challenges in this sector. This book is a reference guide for anyone working in the areas of energy and the environment.




Desalination


Book Description

There has been an exponential increase in desalination capacity both globally and nationally since 1960, fueled in part by growing concern for local water scarcity and made possible to a great extent by a major federal investment for desalination research and development. Traditional sources of supply are increasingly expensive, unavailable, or controversial, but desalination technology offers the potential to substantially reduce water scarcity by converting the almost inexhaustible supply of seawater and the apparently vast quantities of brackish groundwater into new sources of freshwater. Desalination assesses the state of the art in relevant desalination technologies, and factors such as cost and implementation challenges. It also describes reasonable long-term goals for advancing desalination technology, posits recommendations for action and research, estimates the funding necessary to support the proposed research agenda, and identifies appropriate roles for governmental and nongovernmental entities.




Microbial Fuel Cell


Book Description

This book represents a novel attempt to describe microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a renewable energy source derived from organic wastes. Bioelectricity is usually produced through MFCs in oxygen-deficient environments, where a series of microorganisms convert the complex wastes into electrons via liquefaction through a cascade of enzymes in a bioelectrochemical process. The book provides a detailed description of MFC technologies and their applications, along with the theories underlying the electron transfer mechanisms, the biochemistry and the microbiology involved, and the material characteristics of the anode, cathode and separator. It is intended for a broad audience, mainly undergraduates, postgraduates, energy researchers, scientists working in industry and at research organizations, energy specialists, policymakers, and anyone else interested in the latest developments concerning MFCs.




Microbial Fuel Cells


Book Description

The theory, design, construction, and operation of microbial fuel cells Microbial fuel cells (MFCs), devices in which bacteria create electrical power by oxidizing simple compounds such as glucose or complex organic matter in wastewater, represent a new and promising approach for generating power. Not only do MFCs clean wastewater, but they also convert organics in these wastewaters into usable energy. Given the world's limited supply of fossil fuels and fossil fuels' impact on climate change, MFC technology's ability to create renewable, carbon-neutral energy has generated tremendous interest around the world. This timely book is the first dedicated to MFCs. It not only serves as an introduction to the theory underlying the development and functioning of MFCs, it also serves as a manual for ongoing research. In addition, author Bruce Logan, a leading pioneer in MFC research and development, provides practical guidance for the effective design and operation of MFCs based on his own firsthand experience. This reference covers everything you need to fully understand MFCs, including: * Key topics such as voltage and power generation, MFC materials and architecture, mass transfer to bacteria and biofilms, bioreactor design, and fundamentals of electron transfer * Applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation in the laboratory to approaches for using MFCs for wastewater treatment * The role of MFCs in the climate change debate * Detailed illustrations of bacterial and electrochemical concepts * Charts, graphs, and tables summarizing key design and operation variables * Practice problems and step-by-step examples Microbial Fuel Cells, with its easy-to-follow explanations, is recommended as both a textbook for students and professionals interested in entering the field and as a complete reference for more experienced practitioners.




Microbial Fuel Cell Technology for Bioelectricity


Book Description

In view of the increased consumption of energy due to the proliferation of electronic devices, this book addresses the trends, similarities, differences and advances in fuel cells of both chemical and biological composition. Fundamentals of microbial fuel cells are described, accompanied by details surrounding their uses and limitations. Chapters on electricigens, microbial group investigations and performance, Rumen Fluid microbes and state-of-the-art advances in microbial fuel cell technology are discussed. The book elaborates upon analytical techniques used for biofilm characterization. It also includes chapters on MFC models that include plant-based MFCs, Algal/Fungi MFCs, MDCs and MFCs using animal waste. A critical review on the performance of MFC technology in field trials is offered in an exclusively dedicated section. By addressing one of the most promising sources for clean and renewable energy, this book fills a pressing need to understand a possible solution for meeting the energy demands in our highly advanced technical world.




Microbial Electrochemical Technologies


Book Description

This book encompasses the most updated and recent account of research and implementation of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs) from pioneers and experienced researchers in the field who have been working on the interface between electrochemistry and microbiology/biotechnology for many years. It provides a holistic view of the METs, detailing the functional mechanisms, operational configurations, influencing factors governing the reaction process and integration strategies. The book not only provides historical perspectives of the technology and its evolution over the years but also the most recent examples of up-scaling and near future commercialization, making it a must-read for researchers, students, industry practitioners and science enthusiasts. Key Features: Introduces novel technologies that can impact the future infrastructure at the water-energy nexus. Outlines methodologies development and application of microbial electrochemical technologies and details out the illustrations of microbial and electrochemical concepts. Reviews applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation in the laboratory to approaches. Discusses techniques such as molecular biology and mathematical modeling; the future development of this promising technology; and the role of the system components for the implementation of bioelectrochemical technologies for practical utility. Explores key challenges for implementing these systems and compares them to similar renewable energy technologies, including their efficiency, scalability, system lifetimes, and reliability.




Bioelectrochemical Systems


Book Description

In the context of wastewater treatment, Bioelectrochemical Systems (BESs) have gained considerable interest in the past few years, and several BES processes are on the brink of application to this area. This book, written by a large number of world experts in the different sub-topics, describes the different aspects and processes relevant to their development. Bioelectrochemical Systems (BESs) use micro-organisms to catalyze an oxidation and/or reduction reaction at an anodic and cathodic electrode respectively. Briefly, at an anode oxidation of organic and inorganic electron donors can occur. Prime examples of such electron donors are waste organics and sulfides. At the cathode, an electron acceptor such as oxygen or nitrate can be reduced. The anode and the cathode are connected through an electrical circuit. If electrical power is harvested from this circuit, the system is called a Microbial Fuel Cell; if electrical power is invested, the system is called a Microbial Electrolysis Cell. The overall framework of bio-energy and bio-fuels is discussed. A number of chapters discuss the basics – microbiology, microbial ecology, electrochemistry, technology and materials development. The book continues by highlighting the plurality of processes based on BES technology already in existence, going from wastewater based reactors to sediment based bio-batteries. The integration of BESs into existing water or process lines is discussed. Finally, an outlook is provided of how BES will fit within the emerging biorefinery area.




Management of Legionella in Water Systems


Book Description

Legionnaires' disease, a pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, is the leading cause of reported waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Legionella occur naturally in water from many different environmental sources, but grow rapidly in the warm, stagnant conditions that can be found in engineered water systems such as cooling towers, building plumbing, and hot tubs. Humans are primarily exposed to Legionella through inhalation of contaminated aerosols into the respiratory system. Legionnaires' disease can be fatal, with between 3 and 33 percent of Legionella infections leading to death, and studies show the incidence of Legionnaires' disease in the United States increased five-fold from 2000 to 2017. Management of Legionella in Water Systems reviews the state of science on Legionella contamination of water systems, specifically the ecology and diagnosis. This report explores the process of transmission via water systems, quantification, prevention and control, and policy and training issues that affect the incidence of Legionnaires' disease. It also analyzes existing knowledge gaps and recommends research priorities moving forward.




Ion-Exchange Membrane Separation Processes


Book Description

Today, membranes and membrane processes are used as efficient tools for the separation of liquid mixtures or gases in the chemical and biomedical industry, in water desalination and wastewater purification. Despite the fact that various membrane processes, like reverse osmosis, are described in great detail in a number of books, processes involving ion-exchange membranes are only described in a fragmented way in scientific journals and patents; even though large industrial applications, like electrodialysis, have been around for over half a century. Therefore, this book is emphasizing on the most relevant aspects of ion-exchange membranes. This book provides a comprehensive overview of ion-exchange membrane separation processes covering the fundamentals as well as recent developments of the different products and processes and their applications. The audience for this book is heterogeneous, as it includes plant managers and process engineers as well as research scientists and graduate students. The separate chapters are based on different topics. The first chapter describes the relevant Electromembrane processes in a general overview. The second chapter explains thermodynamic and physicochemical fundamentals. The third chapter gives information about ion-exchange membrane preparation techniques, while the fourth and fifth chapter discusses the processes as unit operations giving examples for the design of specific plants. - First work on the principles and applications of electrodialysis and related separation processes - Presently no other comprehensive work that can serve as both reference work and text book is available - Book is suited for teaching students and as source for detailed information