INVESTIGATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF MICROBIAL ELECTROLYSIS CELL (MEC) DEVICES FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION

Shmuel Rozenfeld, Chemical Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
Alex Schechter, Chemical Sciences , Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
Rivka Cahan, Chemical Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

Enter the body of your abstract hereBio-hydrogen may play a central role in a future energy economy, based on non-fossil fuels. A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) utilizes microbial anode and hydrogen reduction catalyst cathode. The anodic part is based on an exo-electrogenic bacteria that maintain an effective electrochemical charge transfer with the anode, while preforming their metabolic process by oxidizing hydrocarbon substrate to electrons and protons. MEC cathodic reaction of proton reduction to hydrogen gas has a lower redox potential than the anodic redox bacterial reaction, hydrogen reduction requires external energy source at least of  ̴0.2V (theoretically) to force the electrochemical reaction. However, this requires external potential is much lower than the external potential of 1.2V to force the electrolysis of water reaction. This study, is focusing on reduction the applied energy to ignite the process of bio-hydrogen production, by designation a single chamber MEC with low energy losses. Reduction of the energy losses and increasing of hydrogen production obtained by; a. Improving the surface area of a carbon cloth and stainless steel electrodes by surface  treatments and investigation of them as an effective anode electrodes. b. Exeminination of  several types of low cost anode-cathode separators as an alternative of expensive PEM nafion membrane