Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea.
JEONGBONG CO., LTD., 69-4 Munhwa-dong, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Bioresour Technol. 2018 Jan;247:226-233. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.09.021. Epub 2017 Sep 6.
A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising technology for enhancing biogas production from an anaerobic digestion (AD) reactor. In this study, the effects of the MEC on the rate of methane production from food waste were examined by comparing an AD reactor with an AD reactor combined with a MEC (AD+MEC). The use of the MEC accelerated methane production and stabilization via rapid organic oxidation and rapid methanogenesis. Over the total experimental period, the methane production rate and stabilization time of the AD+MEC reactor were approximately 1.7 and 4.0 times faster than those of the AD reactor. Interestingly however, at the final steady state, the methane yields of both the reactors were similar to the theoretical maximum methane yield. Based on these results, the MEC did not increase the methane yield over the theoretical value, but accelerated methane production and stabilization by bioelectrochemical reactions.
微生物电解池（MEC）是一种很有前途的技术，可以提高厌氧消化（AD）反应器中沼气的产量。在这项研究中，通过比较单独的 AD 反应器和与 MEC 结合的 AD 反应器（AD+MEC），考察了 MEC 对食物垃圾产甲烷速率的影响。MEC 的使用通过快速的有机氧化和快速的产甲烷作用加速了甲烷的产生和稳定。在整个实验期间，AD+MEC 反应器的甲烷产率和稳定时间分别比 AD 反应器快约 1.7 倍和 4.0 倍。然而有趣的是，在最终的稳定状态下，两个反应器的甲烷产率都与理论最大甲烷产率相似。基于这些结果，MEC 并没有提高理论值以上的甲烷产率，而是通过生物电化学反应加速了甲烷的产生和稳定。
