This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) is a term that encompasses a group of novel technologies able to interconvert electrical energy and chemical energy by means of a bioelectroactive biofilm. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) systems, which branch off from BESs, are able to convert CO2 into valuable organic chemicals and fuels. This study demonstrates that CO2 reduction in MES systems can be enhanced by enriching the inoculum and improving CO2 availability to the biofilm. The proposed system is proven to be a repetitive, efficient, and selective way of consuming CO2 for the production of acetic acid, showing cathodic efficiencies of over 55% and CO2 conversions of over 80%. Continuous recirculation of the gas headspace through the catholyte allowed for a 44% improvement in performance, achieving CO2 fixation rates of 171 mL CO2 L−1·d−1, a maximum daily acetate production rate of 261 mg HAc·L−1·d−1, and a maximum acetate titer of 1957 mg·L−1. High-throughput sequencing revealed that CO2 reduction was mainly driven by a mixed-culture biocathode, in which Sporomusa and Clostridium, both bioelectrochemical acetogenic bacteria, were identified together with other species such as Desulfovibrio, Pseudomonas, Arcobacter, Acinetobacter or Sulfurospirillum, which are usually found in cathodic biofilms. Moreover, results suggest that these communities are responsible of maintaining a stable reactor performance.
Raúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Antonio Morán; Adrián Escapa. Enhanced CO2 Conversion to Acetate through Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES) by Continuous Headspace Gas Recirculation. Energies 2019, 12, 3297 .
AMA StyleRaúl Mateos, Ana Sotres, Raúl M. Alonso, Antonio Morán, Adrián Escapa. Enhanced CO2 Conversion to Acetate through Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES) by Continuous Headspace Gas Recirculation. Energies. 2019; 12 (17):3297.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Antonio Morán; Adrián Escapa. 2019. "Enhanced CO2 Conversion to Acetate through Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES) by Continuous Headspace Gas Recirculation." Energies 12, no. 17: 3297.
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) can potentially provide a mean for storing renewable energy surpluses as chemical energy. However, the fluctuating nature of these energy sources may represent a threat to MES, as the microbial communities that develop on the biocathode rely on the continuous existence of a polarized electrode. This work assesses how MES performance, product generation and microbial community evolution are affected by a long-period (6 weeks) power off (open circuit). Acetogenic and H2-producing bacteria activity recovered after reconnection. However, few days later syntrophic acetate oxidation bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens became dominant, producing CH4 as the main product, via electromethanogenesis and the syntrophic interaction between eubacterial and archaeal communities which consume both the acetic acid and the hydrogen present in the cathode environment. Thus, the system proved to be resilient to a long-term power interruption in terms of electroactivity. At the same time, these results demonstrated that the system could be extensively affected in both end product generation and microbial communities.
Raúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa; María Isabel San-Martín; Heleen De Wever; Ana Sotres; Deepak Pant. Long-term open circuit microbial electrosynthesis system promotes methanogenesis. Journal of Energy Chemistry 2019, 41, 3 -6.
AMA StyleRaúl Mateos, Adrián Escapa, María Isabel San-Martín, Heleen De Wever, Ana Sotres, Deepak Pant. Long-term open circuit microbial electrosynthesis system promotes methanogenesis. Journal of Energy Chemistry. 2019; 41 ():3-6.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa; María Isabel San-Martín; Heleen De Wever; Ana Sotres; Deepak Pant. 2019. "Long-term open circuit microbial electrosynthesis system promotes methanogenesis." Journal of Energy Chemistry 41, no. : 3-6.
This study was aimed at understanding the effect of applied voltage, catholyte and reactor scale on nitrogen recovery from two different organic wastes (digestate and pig slurry) by means of microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology. For this purpose, MEC sizes of 100, 500 and 1000 mL were tested at applied voltages of 0.6, 1 and 1.4 V using either a phosphate-buffered solution or NaCl solution as the catholyte. By increasing the reactor size from 500 to 1000 mL, a decrease in the ammonia recovery efficiency from 47 to 42% was observed. The results also showed that the phosphate-buffered solution is preferable as the catholyte and that the voltage applied does not have a noticeable effect on current production and ammonia recovery. Low biodegradability of the wastes was identified as the main bottleneck.
M. Isabel San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. Understanding nitrogen recovery from wastewater with a high nitrogen concentration using microbial electrolysis cells. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 2019, 54, 472 -477.
AMA StyleM. Isabel San-Martín, Raúl Mateos, Adrián Escapa, Antonio Morán. Understanding nitrogen recovery from wastewater with a high nitrogen concentration using microbial electrolysis cells. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 2019; 54 (5):472-477.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Isabel San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. 2019. "Understanding nitrogen recovery from wastewater with a high nitrogen concentration using microbial electrolysis cells." Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 54, no. 5: 472-477.
This study aims to characterize the performance of a 150 L bioelectrochemical system-based plant, during the simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal from several waste streams of wastewater treatment plants. The bioelectrochemical system (BES) contained five electrode pairs (operated hydraulically and electrically in parallel) and was fed with either wastewater, centrate (nutrient-rich liquid stream produced during the dewatering of digested biomass), or a mixture of both over 63 days, with a hydraulic retention time of one day. Total organic carbon and total nitrogen removal rates averaged 80% and 70%, respectively, with a specific energy consumption of 0.18 kWh·m (BES + ancillary equipment). This work also underlines the challenges of using BES for nitrogen removal, highlighting the limitations of the current design, and suggesting some strategies for improvement.
María Isabel San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Begoña Carracedo; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. Pilot-scale bioelectrochemical system for simultaneous nitrogen and carbon removal in urban wastewater treatment plants. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 2018, 126, 758 -763.
AMA StyleMaría Isabel San-Martín, Raúl Mateos, Begoña Carracedo, Adrián Escapa, Antonio Morán. Pilot-scale bioelectrochemical system for simultaneous nitrogen and carbon removal in urban wastewater treatment plants. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering. 2018; 126 (6):758-763.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Isabel San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Begoña Carracedo; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. 2018. "Pilot-scale bioelectrochemical system for simultaneous nitrogen and carbon removal in urban wastewater treatment plants." Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 126, no. 6: 758-763.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) valorization for the production of different commodity chemicals is a highly desired approach to moderate CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The versatility of microbial electrochemical technologies makes it possible to use them for carbon capture and utilization. This is mainly achieved through two novel processes, namely: microbial electrosynthesis and electro-fermentation. These processes allow CO2 conversion (and some of its organic derivatives) into a wide variety of valuable products such as carboxylic acids and alcohols by means of an external electrical input. This chapter focuses on different aspects of these bioelectrochemical CO2 valorization approaches and reviews their key challenges and future perspectives from a technological and economical point of view.
Raul Mateos; Adrian Escapa; Karolien Vanbroekhoven; Sunil A. Patil; Antonio Moran; Deepak Pant. Microbial Electrochemical Technologies for CO2 and Its Derived Products Valorization. Microbial Electrochemical Technology 2018, 777 -796.
AMA StyleRaul Mateos, Adrian Escapa, Karolien Vanbroekhoven, Sunil A. Patil, Antonio Moran, Deepak Pant. Microbial Electrochemical Technologies for CO2 and Its Derived Products Valorization. Microbial Electrochemical Technology. 2018; ():777-796.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaul Mateos; Adrian Escapa; Karolien Vanbroekhoven; Sunil A. Patil; Antonio Moran; Deepak Pant. 2018. "Microbial Electrochemical Technologies for CO2 and Its Derived Products Valorization." Microbial Electrochemical Technology , no. : 777-796.
Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) allow CO2 capture and utilization for the electricity-driven bioproduction of organics such as acetic acid. Such systems can be coupled to any renewable electricity supply, especially those derived from solar and wind energy. However, fluctuations or even absence of electricity may cause damages or changes in the microbial community, and/or affect the performance and robustness of MES. Therefore, the transformation of gaseous CO2 into organic products in a MES was assessed continuously during 120 days of operation. Time-increasing power outages, from 4 h to 64 h, were applied in order to evaluate the effects of electric energy (current) absence on microbial community, organics formation, production rates and product accumulation. Acetic acid was the main product observed before and after the power outages. A maximum titer and production rate of 6965 mg L−1 and 516.2 mg L−1 d−1 (35.8 g m−2 d−1) of acetic acid were observed, respectively. During the absence of power supply, it was observed that acetic acid is oxidized back to CO2 which suggests microbial activity and/or pathway reversal. However, the electro-autotrophic activity recovered after the power gaps, and acetic acid production was restored after reconnecting the energy supply, reaching a current density of −25 A m−2. The microbial community of the biofilm responsible for this behavior was characterized by means of high-throughput sequencing, revealing that Clostridium, Desulfovibrio and Sporomusa accounted for 93% of the total community attached onto the cathodic biofilm. Such resilience of electrotrophic microorganisms reinforces the opportunity to couple bioelectrochemical systems to renewable energy, overcoming the eventual electrical power fluctuations.
Mélida Del Pilar Anzola Rojas; Raúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Marcelo Zaiat; Ernesto Rafael Gonzalez; Adrián Escapa; Heleen De Wever; Deepak Pant. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) from CO2 is resilient to fluctuations in renewable energy supply. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 177, 272 -279.
AMA StyleMélida Del Pilar Anzola Rojas, Raúl Mateos, Ana Sotres, Marcelo Zaiat, Ernesto Rafael Gonzalez, Adrián Escapa, Heleen De Wever, Deepak Pant. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) from CO2 is resilient to fluctuations in renewable energy supply. Energy Conversion and Management. 2018; 177 ():272-279.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMélida Del Pilar Anzola Rojas; Raúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Marcelo Zaiat; Ernesto Rafael Gonzalez; Adrián Escapa; Heleen De Wever; Deepak Pant. 2018. "Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) from CO2 is resilient to fluctuations in renewable energy supply." Energy Conversion and Management 177, no. : 272-279.
María Isabel San-Martín; Daniel David Leicester; Elizabeth Susan Heidrich; Raúl Marcos Alonso; Raúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa. Bioelectrochemical Systems for Energy Valorization of Waste Streams. Energy Systems and Environment 2018, 1 .
AMA StyleMaría Isabel San-Martín, Daniel David Leicester, Elizabeth Susan Heidrich, Raúl Marcos Alonso, Raúl Mateos, Adrián Escapa. Bioelectrochemical Systems for Energy Valorization of Waste Streams. Energy Systems and Environment. 2018; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Isabel San-Martín; Daniel David Leicester; Elizabeth Susan Heidrich; Raúl Marcos Alonso; Raúl Mateos; Adrián Escapa. 2018. "Bioelectrochemical Systems for Energy Valorization of Waste Streams." Energy Systems and Environment , no. : 1.
This study seeks to understand how the bacterial communities that develop on biocathodes are influenced by inocula diversity and electrode potential during start-up. Two different inocula are used: one from a highly diverse environment (river mud) and the other from a low diverse milieu (anaerobic digestion). In addition, both inocula were subjected to two different polarising voltages: oxidative (+0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and reductive (−0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Bacterial communities were analysed by means of high throughput sequencing. Possible syntrophic interactions and competitions between archaea and eubacteria were described together with a discussion of their potential role in product formation and current production. The results confirmed that reductive potentials lead to an inconsistent start-up procedure regardless of the inoculum used. However, imposing oxidative potentials help to quickly develop an electroactive biofilm ready to withstand reductive potentials (i.e. biocathodic operation). The microbial structure that finally developed on them was highly dependent on the raw community present in the inoculum. Using a non-specialised inoculum resulted in a highly specialised biofilm, which was accompanied by an improved performance in terms of consumed current and product generation. Interestingly, a much more specialised inoculum promoted a rediversification in the biofilm, with a lower general cell performance.
Raúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Moran. Impact of the start-up process on the microbial communities in biocathodes for electrosynthesis. Bioelectrochemistry 2018, 121, 27 -37.
AMA StyleRaúl Mateos, Ana Sotres, Raúl M. Alonso, Adrián Escapa, Antonio Moran. Impact of the start-up process on the microbial communities in biocathodes for electrosynthesis. Bioelectrochemistry. 2018; 121 ():27-37.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Mateos; Ana Sotres; Raúl M. Alonso; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Moran. 2018. "Impact of the start-up process on the microbial communities in biocathodes for electrosynthesis." Bioelectrochemistry 121, no. : 27-37.
Information about the paper titled "THE USE OF RUBRICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE SUBJECTS’ PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING STUDIES, CONSISTING IN SOLVING REAL CASES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPANIES: THE CASE OF THE PROJECT EVALUA-PRACTIC" at IATED Digital Library
Beatriz Urbano; Xiomar Gómez; Marta Elena Sánchez-Morán; Rebeca Mulas; María Isabel San-Martín; Raul Mateos; Camino Fernández; Olegario Martínez; Antonio Morán; Fernando Gonzalez-Andres. THE USE OF RUBRICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE SUBJECTS’ PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING STUDIES, CONSISTING IN SOLVING REAL CASES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPANIES: THE CASE OF THE PROJECT EVALUA-PRACTIC. INTED2018 Proceedings 2018, 4062 -4068.
AMA StyleBeatriz Urbano, Xiomar Gómez, Marta Elena Sánchez-Morán, Rebeca Mulas, María Isabel San-Martín, Raul Mateos, Camino Fernández, Olegario Martínez, Antonio Morán, Fernando Gonzalez-Andres. THE USE OF RUBRICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE SUBJECTS’ PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING STUDIES, CONSISTING IN SOLVING REAL CASES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPANIES: THE CASE OF THE PROJECT EVALUA-PRACTIC. INTED2018 Proceedings. 2018; ():4062-4068.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBeatriz Urbano; Xiomar Gómez; Marta Elena Sánchez-Morán; Rebeca Mulas; María Isabel San-Martín; Raul Mateos; Camino Fernández; Olegario Martínez; Antonio Morán; Fernando Gonzalez-Andres. 2018. "THE USE OF RUBRICS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE SUBJECTS’ PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING STUDIES, CONSISTING IN SOLVING REAL CASES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPANIES: THE CASE OF THE PROJECT EVALUA-PRACTIC." INTED2018 Proceedings , no. : 4062-4068.
The development and practical implementation of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) requires an in-depth characterisation of their components. The electrodes, which are critical elements, are usually built from carbon-based materials due to their high specific surface area, biocompatibility and chemical stability. In this study, a simple methodology to electrochemically characterise carbon-based electrodes has been developed, derived from conventional electrochemical analyses. Combined with classical electrochemical theory and the more innovative fractal geometry approach, our method is aimed at comparing and characterising the performance of carbon electrodes through the determination of the electroactive surface and its fractal dimension. Overall, this methodology provides a quick and easy method for the screening of suitable electrode materials to be implemented in BES.
Raúl Mateos; Raúl M. Alonso; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. Methodology for Fast and Facile Characterisation of Carbon-Based Electrodes Focused on Bioelectrochemical Systems Development and Scale Up. Materials 2017, 10, 79 .
AMA StyleRaúl Mateos, Raúl M. Alonso, Adrián Escapa, Antonio Morán. Methodology for Fast and Facile Characterisation of Carbon-Based Electrodes Focused on Bioelectrochemical Systems Development and Scale Up. Materials. 2017; 10 (1):79.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaúl Mateos; Raúl M. Alonso; Adrián Escapa; Antonio Morán. 2017. "Methodology for Fast and Facile Characterisation of Carbon-Based Electrodes Focused on Bioelectrochemical Systems Development and Scale Up." Materials 10, no. 1: 79.
The effect of microwave pre-treatment (MwP) on anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge was studied by means of thermal analysis and evolved gas analysis. The effect of the pre-treatment at low energy input (<1000 kJ L−1) on sludge solubilisation was studied with the aid of response surface methodology. The pre-treatment process was subsequently studied at energies of 488–2700 kJ L−1 to evaluate the improvement in biogas production under mesophilic conditions. Organic matter modifications were studied using a Setaram TGA92 analyser at atmospheric pressure coupled to an MSC200 quadrupole mass spectrometer from Balzers. Particle size analysis was carried out using a Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyser LS 13 320 Beckmann Coulter for evaluating the effect of MwP on sludge particles. Results showed an increase in organic matter solubilisation with the increase in the energy applied. Modifications in the specific surface area of the organic matter due to the MwP resulted in increments in methane yields. However, an accumulation of complex compounds was observed in thermal profiles at the maximum energy input (2700 kJ L−1). Semi-continuous digestion experiments were evaluated using as substrate pre-treated sludge at the optimum energy value (975 kJ L−1). Results showed a significant increase in methane yield (43 %) when evaluating the process at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 25–10 days.
E. J. Martínez; M. V. Gil; J. G. Rosas; R. Moreno; Raúl Mateos; Antonio Moran; X. Gómez. Application of thermal analysis for evaluating the digestion of microwave pre-treated sewage sludge. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 2016, 127, 1209 -1219.
AMA StyleE. J. Martínez, M. V. Gil, J. G. Rosas, R. Moreno, Raúl Mateos, Antonio Moran, X. Gómez. Application of thermal analysis for evaluating the digestion of microwave pre-treated sewage sludge. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 2016; 127 (2):1209-1219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleE. J. Martínez; M. V. Gil; J. G. Rosas; R. Moreno; Raúl Mateos; Antonio Moran; X. Gómez. 2016. "Application of thermal analysis for evaluating the digestion of microwave pre-treated sewage sludge." Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 127, no. 2: 1209-1219.
Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are cutting edge technology with great potential to become an alternative to conventional wastewater treatments (anaerobic digestion, activated sludge, etc.). One of the main features of MECs is that they allow organic matter present in wastewater to be converted into hydrogen thus helping to offset the energy consumed during treatment. There are already some large-scale experiments under way but MECs are far from being a mature technology; important challenges, mostly techno-economic in nature (cost of materials, hydrogen management, etc.) remain. This study provides an up-to-date review of the latest developments in MECs, paying special attention to those aspects that may be critical to the commercial viability of MECs for wastewater treatment and hydrogen production. It explores the suitability of different cell configurations and the scalability of MEC designs; it also reviews many of the laboratory, semi-pilot and pilot scale experiments. The review provides a critical analysis of the current state and the future prospects for MECs; it highlights factors crucial to the development of successful MEC designs, identifies potential application niches and discusses the integration of MECs with energy transportation systems.
A. Escapa; Raúl Mateos; E.J. Martínez; J. Blanes. Microbial electrolysis cells: An emerging technology for wastewater treatment and energy recovery. From laboratory to pilot plant and beyond. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2016, 55, 942 -956.
AMA StyleA. Escapa, Raúl Mateos, E.J. Martínez, J. Blanes. Microbial electrolysis cells: An emerging technology for wastewater treatment and energy recovery. From laboratory to pilot plant and beyond. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2016; 55 ():942-956.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Escapa; Raúl Mateos; E.J. Martínez; J. Blanes. 2016. "Microbial electrolysis cells: An emerging technology for wastewater treatment and energy recovery. From laboratory to pilot plant and beyond." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 55, no. : 942-956.
Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have the potential to become a sustainable domestic wastewater (dWW) treatment system. However, new scale-up experiences are required to gain knowledge of critical issues in MEC designs. In this study we assess the ability of two twin membraneless MEC units (that are part of a modular pilot-scale MEC) to treat dWW. Batch tests yielded COD removal efficiencies as high as 92%, with most of the hydrogen (>80% of the total production) being produced during the first 48h. During the continuous tests, MECs performance deteriorated significantly (energy consumption was relatively high and COD removal efficiencies fell below 10% in many cases), which was attributed to an inadequate configuration of the anodic chamber, insufficient mixing inside this chamber, inefficient hydrogen management on the cathode side and finally to dWW in itself. Some alternatives to the current design are suggested.
A. Escapa; M.I. San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Antonio Moran. Scaling-up of membraneless microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for domestic wastewater treatment: Bottlenecks and limitations. Bioresource Technology 2015, 180, 72 -78.
AMA StyleA. Escapa, M.I. San-Martín, Raúl Mateos, Antonio Moran. Scaling-up of membraneless microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for domestic wastewater treatment: Bottlenecks and limitations. Bioresource Technology. 2015; 180 ():72-78.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Escapa; M.I. San-Martín; Raúl Mateos; Antonio Moran. 2015. "Scaling-up of membraneless microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) for domestic wastewater treatment: Bottlenecks and limitations." Bioresource Technology 180, no. : 72-78.