Power Generation Enhancement by Utilizing Plant Photosynthate in Microbial Fuel Cell Coupled Constructed Wetland System

In the present study, a new technology that coupled constructed wetland (CW) with microbial fuel cell (MFC) (CW-MFC) was developed to convert solar energy into electricity on the principles of photosynthetic MFC by utilizing root exudates of Ipomoea aquatica as part of fuel. The maximum power density of 12.42 mW m −2 produced from the CW-MFC planted with Ipomoea aquatica was 142% higher than that of 5.13 mW m −2 obtained from the unplanted CW-MFC. The maximum power output for the planted CW-MFC could be divided into two parts: the maximum power yield from <path id="x43" d="M614 175l29 -10q-33 -109 -57 -154q-121 -26 -184 -26q-90 0 -160.5 29t-112.5 77t-63.5 105.5t-21.5 119.5q0 157 108 253t277 96q36 0 71.5 -5t69 -13.5t36.5 -8.5q15 -102 20 -150l-29 -8q-20 79 -66.5 114t-128.5 35q-119 0 -187.5 -86t-68.5 -207 q0 -140 73.5 -227.5t188.5 -87.5q73 0 119.5 37.5t86.5 116.5z" /> <path id="x44" d="M43 650h280q194 0 282 -85q85 -82 85 -215q0 -173 -123 -267q-107 -83 -297 -83h-236v27q65 5 79.5 19.5t14.5 77.5v402q0 45 -6 62.5t-21.5 24t-57.5 9.5v28zM213 547v-416q0 -55 24.5 -75t81.5 -20q133 0 203 86t70 214q0 80 -30 143t-88 97q-66 41 -170 41 q-62 0 -78 -13q-13 -9 -13 -57z" /> <path id="x1D445" d="M627 18l-10 -26q-79 6 -116 27t-69 76q-41 71 -71 138q-13 29 -27.5 39t-42.5 10h-46l-27 -145q-13 -74 -2.5 -88.5t78.5 -20.5l-6 -28h-271l5 28q66 6 82.5 21.5t30.5 87.5l71 387q12 66 2 78.5t-77 19.5l8 28h233q102 0 147 -29q65 -43 65 -129q0 -69 -45.5 -117 t-115.5 -72q40 -86 66 -133q39 -68 65 -101q28 -37 73 -51zM491 483q0 67 -33.5 101t-91.5 34q-35 0 -51 -10q-13 -8 -20 -48l-45 -245h49q71 0 113 28q79 52 79 140z" /> in the water body was 66.05 KJ Kg −1 , and the maximum power transformation from plant photosynthesis was 2.31 GJ ha −1 year −1. The average COD removal efficiencies were 92.1% and 94.8% in the unplanted CW-MFC and planted CW-MFC, respectively; the average TN removal efficiencies amounted to 54.4% and 90.8% in the unplanted CW-MFC and planted CW-MFC. This research demonstrates that planting Ipomoea aquatica in the CW-MFC achieved a higher power density and nutrient removal of nitrogen simultaneously.

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