SBIR Phase I:Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion of Wastewater Using Bioelectrodes

This SBIR Phase I project will develop an anaerobic digestion system which utilizes bio-electrodes to more efficiently convert wastewater into biogas and ultimately energy. Bio-electrochemical systems have received significant attention in recent years with the discovery of electricigen microbes capable of transferring electrons to and from electrodes at high rates. To date, most research has focused on using these processes in fuel-cell-like devices to produce electricity or hydrogen. In this project, IntAct will build and demonstrate a simplified process for enhanced anaerobic digestion based on adding electrodes and applying voltage directly into an AD chamber. The resulting proprietary system makes use of an applied voltage to modulate the growth of electricigen microbes on electrodes thus overcoming thermodynamic limitations to methane production and enabling pH control. The broader/commercial impact of the proposed project will be the ability to recover increased amounts of energy from the wastewater treatment process.