German Sustainability Award for Bio-electrochemical Fuel Cell

Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis für bio-elektrochemische Brennstoffzelle

So far, sewage treatment plants are among the largest municipal energy consumers. With a new technology that turns the power-consuming wastewater treatment plant into a small power plant, a German research team now wants to initiate a turnaround.

At the heart of the plant is a bio-electrochemical fuel cell that can generate electricity and hydrogen directly without the usual detour via the digestion process. The group has now been awarded the German Sustainability Award in the research category for the innovative concept, which involves researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and which is coordinated by the TU Clausthal.

The technology relies on fuel cells made from microorganisms that directly generate electric power and hydrogen when purifying wastewater: The bio-electrochemical fuel cell (BioBZ) can generate electrical energy without the usual detour via the digester process. Instead of laboriously working on the digestion of the wastewater and the subsequent use of the resulting digester gas, the BioBZ needs only one step and integrates the power generation directly into the microbial decomposition process of the ingredients contained in the water.

Anaerobic bacteria grow on the electrodes of the BioBZ and can transfer electrons directly to the electrodes when reacting organic components from the municipal wastewater. The electric current generated can then be used. This not only reduces the energy consumption, but it also increases the efficiency of power generation and cleaning significantly. At the same time, the process makes a contribution to improved wastewater treatment.

Kläranlagen gehören bislang zu den größten kommunalen Energieverbrauchern. Mit einer neuen Technologie, die aus dem Stromverbraucher Kläranlage ein kleines Kraftwerk macht, will ein deutsches Forscherteam nun eine Trendwende einleiten. Kernstück der Anlage ist eine bio-elektrochemische Brennstoffzelle, die direkt – ohne den bisher üblichen Umweg über den Faulprozess – Strom und Wasserstoff erzeugen kann. Für das innovative Konzept, an dem Forscher des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT) mitarbeiten und das von der TU Clausthal koordiniert wird, hat die Gruppe nun den Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreis in der Kategorie Forschung erhalten.

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Taxonomy

• Wastewater Treatment
• Energy
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Design
• Fuel Cells