455 results about "Bioelectrochemistry" patented technology

Systems and processes for producing hydrogen using bacteria are described. One detailed process for producing hydrogen uses a system for producing hydrogen as described herein, the system including a reactor. Anodophilic bacteria are disposed within the interior of the reactor and an organic material oxidizable by an oxidizing activity of the anodophilic bacteriais introduced and incubated under oxidizing reactions conditions such that electrons are produced and transferred to the anode. A power source is activated to increase a potential between the anode and the cathode, such that electrons and protons combine to produce hydrogen gas. One system for producing hydrogen includes a reaction chamber having a wall defining an interior of the reactor and an exterior of the reaction chamber. An anode is provided which is at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber and a cathode is also provided which is at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber. The cathode is spaced apart at a distance in the range between 0.1-100 centimeters, inclusive, from the anode. A conductive conduit for electrons is provided which is in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode and a power source for enhancing an electrical potential between the anode and cathode is included which is in electrical communication at least with the cathode. A first channel defining a passage from the exterior of the reaction chamber to the interior of the reaction chamber is also included.

The compositions, methods and apparatus of the present invention allow the production of electricity, ethanol and hydrogen, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the invention provides a process for generating electricity or hydrogen comprising supplying a microbial catalyst and a fuel source to a microbial fuel cell or a bio-electrochemically assisted microbial reactor (BEAMR), respectively, under thermophilic conditions. In other embodiments, the invention provides a process of generating ethanol and electricity or ethanol and hydrogen comprising supplying a microbial catalyst and a fuel source to a fermentation vessel in operable relation with a microbial fuel cell or a BEAMR system, respectively, wherein the microbial catalyst has a cellulolytic activity, an ethanologenic activity, and an electricigenic activity. Other embodiments include compositions and apparati for practicing the invention.

The present invention provides reactor designs, component designs, and operating schemes for removing nitrates and chemical oxygen demand from any suitable wastewater stream. The invention also provides reactor designs, component designs, and operating schemes designed to modify and improve pH and water quality in wastewater streams.

A bioelectrochemical system includes an anode, a saline solution chamber, and a cathode. The anode is at least partially positioned within an anode chamber containing an aqueous reaction mixture including one or more organic compounds and one or more bacteria for oxidizing the organic compounds. The saline solution chamber contains a draw solution and is separated from the anode chamber by a forward osmosis membrane. Water diffuses across the forward osmosis membrane from the aqueous reaction mixture to the draw solution.

The invention belongs to the technical field of biological wastewater treatment, and particularly relates to a bioelectrochemical synchronous nitrification/denitrification denitriding reactor and an application method thereof. The reactor comprises a bed, a biological anode, a biological cathode, a filler, a gas flowmeter, an aerator, an aeration head, a circulating pump and a direct-current stabilized-voltage power supply, wherein the biological cathode and the biological anode are respectively arranged at both sides in the reactor and are respectively connected with the negative pole and the positive pole of the direct-current power supply; the filler is filled in the bed; the aeration head is arranged at the middle upper part of the bed; both ends of the bed are respectively provided with a water inlet and a water outlet and are connected with a circulating pipeline for internal circulation through the circulating pump; and the top of the reactor is provided with a gas outlet through which the reactor is communicated with the outside. The application method of the reactor comprises the following steps: forming an anode ammoxidation biological film and a cathode denitrification biological film, and starting the reactor after the films are successfully formed; carrying out nitrification and denitrification reaction under the condition of 0.2-1.0mg/L of dissolved oxygen; and carrying out denitriding reaction while applying a micro voltage of 0.2-0.5V and keeping a cathode potential of (-100)-(-250)mV. The invention has the advantages of good treatment effect, energy saving, environment friendliness, high start speed, convenient operation process and the like.

A process for producing one or more chemical compounds comprising the steps of providing a bioelectrochemical system having an anode and a cathode separated by a membrane, the anode and the cathode being electrically connected to each other, causing oxidation to occur at the anode and causing reduction to occur at the cathode to thereby produce reducing equivalents at the cathode, providing the reducing equivalents to a culture of microorganisms, and providing carbon dioxide to the culture of microorganisms, whereby the microorganisms produce the one or more chemical compounds, and recovering the one or chemical compounds.

The invention relates to bio-electrochemical systems for treating wastewater, and sour gas produced by anaerobic digestion of organic material. The invention further relates to novel anode/cathode pairing schemes, and electric and hydraulic architectures for use in bio-electrochemical systems.

The invention provides a dopamine polymer/noble metal nanoparticle electrochemical sensor as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The novel bioelectrochemical sensor is a three-electrode system sensor, wherein a reference electrode is a saturated calomel electrode, a counter electrode is a platinum wire electrode, and a working electrode is a glassy-carbon electrode modified by noble metal nanoparticles. According to the invention, noble metal nanoparticles are prepared by dropping a new-made dopamine or a ramification solution thereof and a water solution of a noble metal precursor on the glassy-carbon electrode layer by layer and reacting through a self-assembly method; and a dopamine polymer generated through the reaction has adhesion capacity and can increase the firmness of the noble metal nanoparticles and the glassy-carbon electrode. The dopamine polymer/noble metal nanoparticle electrochemical sensor provided by the invention can be applied to the detection of hydrogen peroxide; and a result indicates that the dopamine polymer/noble metal nanoparticle electrochemical sensor provided by the invention has the advantages of simple and fast preparation method, high firmness, low detection limit, good reproducibility and fast response.

The invention discloses a combination electrode preparation method and the application of the combination electrode preparation method in a bioelectricity Fenton system, and belongs to the field of environmental engineering and waste water treatment. According to a combination electrode prepared through the combination electrode preparation method, a bioelectrochemistry system serves as a reactor to treat azo dye waste water, anode electro-microorganisms oxidize organic matter so that electrons and protons can be generated, the electrons and the protons are transferred to a cathode chamber through an external circuit and an ion exchange membrane, H2O2 is generated on a cathode in an in-situ mode with O2 as the electron acceptor, a cathode iron source is slowly released, Fenton reaction is performed between iron and H2O2 generated in the in-situ mode, and thus non-biodegradable pollutants are treated.

Enhanced contaminant degradation systems via rapid transfer of electrons in an environment or matrix through bioelectrochemical electron transfer circuitry, electron transfer conduit and conductive materials. Specialized circuitry may be used with respect to the anode, cathode, and transmission line design including floating cathodes, anchored anodes, and the like.

The invention discloses a two-section type microbiological fuel cell which comprises a cathode chamber and an anode chamber, wherein a cathode is inserted in the cathode chamber, an anode is inserted in the anode chamber, an aerobic microorganism culture medium is arranged in the cathode chamber, and an aerobic microorganism film is hung on the surface of the cathode. The two-stage sewage treatment process is combined with the electric power generation process to cause the waste water to be thoroughly degraded by adopting the two-step anaerobic and aerobic process; in addition, the electrochemical activity of the aerobic microorganism is taken as the cathode microbial agent, and oxygen gas is taken as the electron acceptor, therefore, the continuous electric power generation is realized, the current density is improved, the cost of the conventional cathode catalyst is reduced, and the sewage water BOD can be tested by using the cathode aerobic microorganism; the invention has the advantages that the process structure is simple, the operation is easy, the latent electrical energy in the sewage water is 10 times of the processing cost of the sewage water, and the sewage treatment plant can solve the problem of cost of sewage treatment by utilizing 1/20 of the latent electrical energy.

The invention belongs to the technical field of treatment of waste water, and particularly relates to a method for reduction of sulfate into sulfide and treatment of metal waste water by sulfate reducing bacteria growing up with electric current. The sulfate reducing bacteria provided by the invention is a mixing bacteria group, which comprises Desulfobulbus propinonicus, geobacter sulfurreducens. Under the condition of lacking organic carbon resource, an electrode is used as the only electronic donator for growing, sulfate is reduced into sulfide via bioelectrical chemistry, and the sulfide is applied to the treatment of metal waste water. According to the method provided by the invention, the defect that organic carbon resource is needed to be used as the electronic donator is overcome,the operation is simple, the secondary pollution is zero, the cost is low, and is particularly suitable for the treatment on organic carbon metal waste water of mine waste water, metal smelting wastewater, electric plating waste water and the like.

The invention provides preparation of a graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material, and a method for accelerating the acclimation of a bio-anode, and relates to electrode preparation and bio-anode acclimation. A purpose of the present invention is to solve the technical problem of poor electron transfer efficiency of existing bioelectrochemical anode. The graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material preparation method comprises: loading graphene oxide onto a carbon cloth, immersing into a sodium borohydride solution, reducing, immersing into an aniline monomer solution, adding a curing agent solution in a dropwise manner, and polymerizing to obtain the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material. According to the present invention, with the application of the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material as the anode in the bioelectrochemical system reactor, the operation is performed after the starting until the output potential is stable so as to complete the acclimation; and the graphene polyaniline modified carbon cloth electrode material can be used in wastewater treatment.

The invention provides a method for treating dye wastewater by catalyzing biological electro-fenton through iron ore, and belongs to the field of water treatment processes. The method is characterized in that natural iron ore fine powder is adopted as a reaction catalytic substance, and hydrogen peroxide and reduced iron ions generated in cathode through a bioelectrochemistry system are adopted as ferrous ions to realize a fenton reaction as well as realize the oxidation treatment on dye wastewater. According to the method, the electro-fenton in the cathode of the bioelectrochemistry system does not needs hydrogen peroxide; and the natural iron ore fine powder is a natural raw material which is low in price and easy to obtain. The method shows a great effect on treating the dye wastewater, and realizes the treatment to the high-concentration degradable organic wastewater in an anode chamber and the treatment to nonbiodegradable wastewater in a cathode chamber at the same time.

The present invention relates to a method for producing electrical energy or hydrogen gas from a gas stream containing one or more gaseous compounds that are oxidatively degradable by microbes, the method comprising contacting the gas stream with an anode of a bioelectrochemical device, said anode containing said microbes which oxidatively degrade one or more of said gaseous compounds while producing electrical energy or hydrogen gas by said oxidative degradation, wherein: (i) said anode is sufficiently porous such that gas is permitted to flow therethrough, (ii) said anode contains on its surface and/or interior portions a proton-conducting medium, and (iii) said anode is in electrical communication with a cathode of the bioelectrochemical device. The invention is also directed to a bioelectrochemical device (e.g., microbial fuel cell) configured to accomplish the above method.

The invention relates to a novel DNA aptamer modified bioelectrochemical sensor and a preparation method thereof. The novel bioelectrochemical sensor is of a three-electrode system. The invention is characterized in that in the three electrodes, the counter electrode is a platinum electrode, the reference electrode is a saturated calomel electrode, and the working electrode is a gold electrode; and a DNA aptamer chain is modified on the gold electrode. The novel DNA aptamer modified bioelectrochemical sensor combines the characteristics of the high specificity of the DNA aptamer and the high sensitivity of an electrochemical detection method and ensures that the early diagnosis of cancer cells becomes possible.

The invention relates to a method for recovering multiple metals through driving microbial electrolysis cells by microbial fuel cells, and belongs to the field of heavy metal recovery treatment. The method comprises the following steps: MFCsCr and MFCCu which adopt Cr(VI) and Cu(II) as cathode electron acceptors respectively are connected in series, the anodes of MFCsCr and MFCCu after series connection are connected with the cathode of MECsCd adopting Cd(II) as a cathode electron acceptor, the cathodes of the MFCsCr and MFCCu after series connection are connected with the anode of MECsCd through a series resistor, the cathodes of MFCsCr and MFCCu are carbon rods, the cathode of MECsCd is a stainless steel wire or a titanium sheet, and the anodes of MFCsCr, MFCCu and MECsCd are carbon felts or carbon rods. Through the adoption of the method, organic sewage such as electroplating wastewater, printed circuit board etching wastewater and municipal wastewater can be treated, and Cr metal, Cu metal and Cd metal are recovered, and broad space is provided for expanding the application field and the use range of an electrochemical system by MFCs output electric energy in situ.

The present invention relates to the field of surface water monitoring. More specifically, the present invention provides low-cost, real-time bio-electrochemical sensors for surface water monitoring based on the metabolism of one or more electrogenic microbes.

The invention presents a urea bio-electrochemical (UBE) system to achieve resource recovery from water recycling systems. A GAC-urease bioreactor was used to recover urea from wastewater stream, and converted to ammonia. Then, the ammonia produced was used to feed an electrochemical cell to gather electrical energy. The invention shows the feasibility of using the UBE system in combination with a forward osmosis subsystem for water reclamation.

Among others, the present invention provides apparatus for detecting circulating tumor cells, comprising a system delivery biological subject and a probing and detecting device, wherein the probing and detecting device includes a first micro-device and a first substrate supporting the first micro-device, the first micro-device contacts a biologic material to be detected and is capable of measuring at the microscopic level an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical property, or a combination thereof, of the biologic subject.

The invention provides a method for generating hydrogen and converting electricity generation with a biological fuel cell reactor, relating to the filed of environment and biological energy source. The invention uses the biological fuel cell (BFC) reactor to treat solid or liquid organic wastes and convert organic matter into hydrogen gas fuel with high added value or electric energy. By adjusting the process of generating hydrogen/ converting electricity generation electrode of the BFC reactor, the invention can improve the conversion efficiency and the use efficiency of the energy. The method couples the electrode of the anaerobic BFC reactor with microorganism into a whole body, ferments the organic matter in way of anaerobism as required, and links a bioelectricity chemical unit to react so as to generate hydrogen or convert electricity generation. By directly converting the electrode process of the BFC reactor of the organic matter biological fermentation, the method can develop the clean biological energy source for generating hydrogen or generating electricity, reasonably switches the hydrogen generation into the electricity generation, and improves reacting efficiency.

The invention belongs to the field of microbial electrochemistry, and specifically relates to a multi-electrode microbial fuel cell system for researching the microbial electrochemistry. The multi-electrode microbial fuel cell system comprises a matrix storage tank, a peristaltic pump, a cylinder microbial fuel cell, anode electrodes, a cathode electrode, a data collecting card, a load resistor, a data recording and analyzing device, a three-electrode system and an electrochemical workstation. The cylinder microbial fuel cell comprises a cylinder shell, an anode chamber inside the shell, a cathode chamber and a proton exchange membrane. When an electrochemistry test is carried out, the three-electrode system is formed by employing the anode electrodes as working electrodes, and analysis is carried out by the electrochemical workstation. The invention provides a device for directly researching electricigens and a method for researching the electricigens. Microbes are prevented from being damaged by utilizing the method and the device. The method and the device are simple and convenient, so that analysis errors due to microbe transfer by prior methods are prevented, and electrochemistry characteristics of the electricigens can be really reflected. The multi-electrode microbial fuel cell system provided by the invention has a certain application value.