Long-Term Electromethane Production in Continuous Flow Alkaline Microbial Electrolysis

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dc.contributor.advisorStrous, Marc
dc.contributor.advisorBirss, Viola
dc.contributor.authorSalehi, Vajiheh
dc.contributor.committeememberHubert, Casey R. J.
dc.contributor.committeememberLarter, S. R.
dc.date2018-11
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-20T20:46:20Z
dc.date.available2018-09-20T20:46:20Z
dc.date.issued2018-09-14
dc.description.abstractMicrobial Power to Gas (P2G) is a promising technology for storing renewable energy in the form of natural gas (methane). Energy storage is necessary because renewable energy is often produced at times when it is not demanded. Methane can be used as a transportation fuel in combustion engines due to its low energy density. Microorganisms can produce methane in a single compartment microbial electrolytic cell at room temperature and neutral pH. However, this technology faces several challenges, including anode corrosion, membrane failure, and the fact that the final product is a mixture of methane, hydrogen and CO2. Here, the performance of a continuous-flow MEC (without a membrane separator) was studied for microbial P2G, while monitoring hydrogen and methane gas production at the cathode, as well as microbial community changes over time, all in a pH 10 medium. A steel cathode was found to be preferred over various carbons, as the carbons changed their morphology and surface chemistry with time. Platinized titanium mesh was developed for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) carried out on stainless steel cathode in order to produce hydrogen necessary for biologically produce methane. The results showed that this alkaline environment is a superior alternative to neutral one for methane production. High rate of hydrogen production was observed in bicarbonate buffer with 97% columbic efficiency. Methane generation reached up to 17 µL/L reactor/day in 1.0 M bicarbonate buffer solution (BBS). Methanobacters a hydrogenotrophic methanogen along with Delta proteobacteria, and Archobacter, an aerobic sulfide, formate and acetate oxidizer, were significantly enriched in MEC. These results showed in this study indicates that inoculation and enrichment procedures are necessary to the initial success of larger-scale systems.en_US
dc.identifier.citationSalehi, V. (2018). Long-Term Electromethane Production in Continuous Flow Alkaline Microbial Electrolysis (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32964en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32964
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/107801
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.facultyScience
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject.classificationGeochemistryen_US
dc.subject.classificationBiochemistryen_US
dc.subject.classificationEnergyen_US
dc.titleLong-Term Electromethane Production in Continuous Flow Alkaline Microbial Electrolysis
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineGeoscience
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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