Energy production from microbial fuel cells

With the increasing human population, the energy demand has risen due to advancements and developments in technology. As non-renewable energy sources such as oil, natural gas, lignite, coal, etc., approach depletion, the need for renewable alternative energy sources has increased. The excessive use of fossil fuels and resulting dependency have rendered the current resources insufficient and unsustainable. While research is ongoing for multiple energy finding solutions, it appears that the discovered solutions alone cannot entirely replace fossil fuels. Therefore, it is likely that there will be multiple alternatives for energy production for specific tasks.The escalating global climate change has prioritized efforts towards renewable energy production. Renewable energy sources are expected to occupy a significant space as an alternative energy source in the coming years. Alongside the continuously increasing population, the amount of water used has also increased. Used water (wastewater) poses serious environmental issues. To mitigate this and treat wastewater, wastewater treatment plants are established. The operation of wastewater treatment plants, along with the electricity they consume, incurs high costs. It is crucial to recover energy for wastewater treatment plants that operate continuously. One of the energy sources that will occupy a significant space in the coming years as an alternative energy source in renewable energy is microbial fuel cells.Microbial fuel cells are systems that convert the chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms into electrical energy. In this thesis, we will examine the components, operating principles, and the electricity generated from the wastewater treatment plant in Şırnak using microbial fuel cell systems.