Potential of Electric Power Production from Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) in Evapotranspiration Reactor for Leachate Treatment Using Alocasia macrorrhiza Plant and Eleusine indica Grass

• Published in: E3S Web of Conferences Vol. 31; p. 2010
• Main Authors: Zaman, Badrus, Wisnu Wardhana, Irawan
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis EDP Sciences 01-01-2018
• Subjects: Alocasia; Anodes; Bacteria; Bacterial leaching; Biochemical fuel cells; Bioreactors; Cathodes; Electric potential; Electric power; Electric power generation; Electric power production; Eleusine; Energy consumption; Evaporation; Evapotranspiration; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Grasses; Leachates; Nuclear fuels; Plant roots; Power plants; Reactors; Roots; Waste treatment; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Water treatment
• ISSN: 2267-1242; 2555-0403; 2267-1242
• DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/20183102010

Microbial fuel cell is one of attractive electric power generator from nature bacterial activity. While, Evapotranspiration is one of the waste water treatment system which developed to eliminate biological weakness that utilize the natural evaporation process and bacterial activity on plant roots and plant media. This study aims to determine the potential of electrical energy from leachate treatment using evapotranspiration reactor. The study was conducted using local plant, namely
Alocasia macrorrhiza
and local grass, namely
Eleusine Indica
. The system was using horizontal MFC by placing the cathodes and anodes at different chamber (i.e. in the leachate reactor and reactor with plant media). Carbon plates was used for chatode-anodes material with size of 40 cm x 10 cm x1 cm. Electrical power production was measure by a digital multimeter for 30 days reactor operation. The result shows electric power production was fluctuated during reactor operation from all reactors. The electric power generated from each reactor was fluctuated, but from the reactor using
Alocasia macrorrhiza
plant reach to 70 μwatt average. From the reactor using
Eleusine Indica
grass was reached 60 μwatt average. Electric power production fluctuation is related to the bacterial growth pattern in the soil media and on the plant roots which undergo the adaptation process until the middle of the operational period and then in stable growth condition until the end of the reactor operation. The results indicate that the evapotranspiration reactor using
Alocasia macrorrhiza
plant was 60-95% higher electric power potential than using
Eleusine Indica
grass in short-term (30-day) operation. Although, MFC system in evapotranspiration reactor system was one of potential system for renewable electric power generation.