Abstract:
Hybrid technologies have fascinated elevating attention globally. In this study, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) and an aerobic sludge digestion reactor have been combined to each other with the aim of generating direct electricity from municipal wastewater sludge simultaneous with its aerobic digestion. The optimal conditions for operational parameters of the processes have been determined using response surface methodology (RSM). The performances of both digestion and electricity generation process have been investigated comprehensively and the validity of the models have been evaluated by experimental investigations. According to the results, the optimal conditions for the merging MFC performance are 35.87°C ± 2°C, 7.27 ± 0.5, and 53.08% ± 2% for temperature, pH value of the cathode chamber, and the primary sludge content of the influent, respectively. In these conditions, the MFC is able to remove about 45.81% ± 2% of the volatile suspended solid (VSS) content of the feed sludge and generate 8,950 ± 50 mW/m3 electrical power density.