Bita Soleomani, Ali Haghighi Asl, Behnam Khoshandam et al.

Research Square • 2023

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells have received a lot of interest and use metal organic frameworks (MOF)/polymer nanocomposite membranes (PEMFC). ZIF-90 was employed as an addition in the SPEES matrix in order to investigate the proton conductivity in a novel nanocomposite membrane made of sulfonated poly (1, 4-phenylene ether-ether-sulfone) (SPEES)/zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF). The high porosity, free surface, and presence of the aldehyde group in the ZIF-90 nanostructure have a substantial impact on enhancing the mechanical, chemical, thermal, and proton conductivity capabilities of the SPEES/ZIF-90 nanocomposite membranes. The findings demonstrate that SPEES/ZIF-90 nanocomposite membranes with 3 wt. % ZIF-90 had proton conductivities up to 160 mS/cm at 90°C and 98% RH, which was 1.9 times more than SPEES membrane at 55 mS/cm under the same conditions. In comparison to the pristine SPEES membrane, the SPEES/ZIF-90/3 membrane demonstrated a 79 percent increase in maximum power density (0.52 W/cm2 at 0.5 V and 98% RH).

Kaoutar Kabouchi, Mohamed Karim Ettouhami, Hamid Mounir et al.

CFD Letters • 2024

The fuel cells performance is significantly impacted by both design and operational factors. The effective distribution of reactants within the flow fields is facilitated by the design of the flow channels. Therefore, the geometry of the flow channels and the overall design of the flow field play a crucial role in determining the fuel cells performance. Among various flow field designs, the serpentine flow field demonstrates superior performance compared to others. In this research, a three-dimensional proton exchange membrane fuel cell model was developed and used to study the influence of three-pass serpentine flow field on cell performance across varying operating voltages (0.9 V, 0.7 V and 0.5 V). The purpose of this research is to simulate and evaluate the comportment of the three-pass serpentine flow channels configuration by analyzing several parameters such as channels velocity distribution, oxygen mole fraction, pressure distribution and electrolyte current density along the z-axis at the cathode under different operating voltages. Numerical simulations were conducted using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. Therefore, this software is used to solve numerically the complete three-dimensional model with the governing equations of charge conservation, species transport, momentum, and continuity. The obtained results indicate that among different operating voltages, the cell voltage of 0.5 V demonstrated the highest channels velocity distribution, pressure distribution, and electrolyte current density. Moreover, it is found that at an operating voltage of 0.5 V, there is an important decrease in oxygen concentrations indicating a significant oxygen consumption in the fuel cell which improves the overall efficiency. This work contributes valuable insights to the optimization of fuel cell performance, specifically highlighting the favorable outcomes associated with the three-pass serpentine flow field design at lower operating voltages

Mingyu Lou, Rui Lin, Liang Chen

SAE Technical Paper Series • 2023

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising energy supply device. Its improvement on output performance has always been a main subject. Microporous layer (MPL) is the water management center of PEMFC, which has an important influence on the mass transfer process and performance of PEMFC under high current density. In this paper, the performance of GDL based on Toray-H-060 with different carbon powder and C:PTFE of MPL were tested and optimized. SEM and static contact Angle was used to investigate Characterization of GDLs. The polarization curve was used to select the best performance, and EIS was used to explore the internal optimization mechanism. The output performance increases with humidity from 25%RH to 75%RH for all four samples. The MPL sample formulated with C: PTFE = 8:2 and XC-72 powder is the best under wide humidity region, and the best performance is achieved at 75%RH. The maximum power density reaches 0.949W/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1.8A/cm<sup>2</sup>. At 100%RH, because of dense structure, the GDL of Toray substrate has poor output performance and low maximum power density of PEMFC, because of cathode flooding under high humidity conditions. The increasement of MPL hydrophobicity, achieved by change of carbon powder and PTFE content, contributes to the decrement of mass transfer resistance at high current density. The equilibrium between proton conductivity and water management is essential to ensure improved fuel cell performance. In summary, this study is useful for understanding influence of MPL contents on mass transfer performance in PEMFC and can guide the composition design of MPL.</div></div>

Siwei Zhao, Jiakai Wu, Minghao Wang

Journal of Engineering Research and Reports • 2022

Aims: Gas diffusion layer (GDL), catalytic layer (CL) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) are important components of hydrogen fuel cell (HFC). In this paper, the thickness of the diffusion layer, the catalytic layer and the proton exchange membrane of the hydrogen fuel cell are mainly simulated and analyzed, and the structural parameters with relatively good performance of the hydrogen fuel cell are obtained.
 Place and Duration of Study: North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, between November 2021 and March 2022.
 Methodology: Fuel cell models with different diffusion layers, catalytic layers and proton exchange membrane thicknesses were established by ANSYS, and simulated and analyzed them in the PEMFC module in Fluent, comparing the temperature distribution, water distribution and current density distribution of HFC with diffusion layer thickness, catalytic layer thickness and proton exchange membrane thickness, and comparing the structural parameters with relatively good performance of hydrogen fuel cells.
 Conclusion: The results show that the thicker the diffusion layer is, the more unfavorable the product water is discharged, which hinders the diffusion of oxygen and reduces the performance of fuel cell; The larger the thickness of the catalytic layer, the higher the current density and the better the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell; The larger the thickness of proton exchange membrane, the negative effect on the diffusion of reactive gas, the lower the reaction efficiency and current density of fuel cell, and the lower the performance of fuel cell.

Donglei Wu, Mingjie Zhang, Meiqing Yang et al.

Water Science and Technology • 2019

Abstract The textile industry is developing rapidly in China. It generates large volumes of cotton dyeing pretreatment wastewater (CDPW). CDPW contains high concentrations of pollutants characterized by their strongly alkaline and recalcitrant nature for microbial degradation. This project aimed to evaluate the performance of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) coupled with anoxic/oxic (A/O) system (MEC-A/O) in treating CDPW, as well as analyze changes in microbial diversity. The results indicated that the effect of biological treatment in an electrolytic cell to treat CDPW was optimal at the voltage of 0.6V. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency under optimum conditions was 69.13%, higher than that of the A/O system alone (48.93%). Within a certain range, applied voltage was able to enhance microbial activity, increase the sludge concentration and enlarge the sludge particle size. At the same time, the applied voltage could effectively increase the abundance and the diversity of Bacteria and Archaea, as well as accelerate the degradation of pollutants.

H. O. Stanley, C. J. Ugboma

Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology • 2020

The dynamics of electrochemicals and microbial populations during anaerobic treatment of human urine in soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were investigated. The experimental MFC was supplemented with daily urine input while the control MFC was without urine. During the treatment process, electrochemical and microbiological parameters in effluent of the urine-supplemented MFC were monitored using standard methods. The pH of the urine increased from 5.70 to 7.16 after 15 days of treatment in the urine supplemented MFC. The concentration of phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, total nitrogen and total organic carbon of the urine reduced from 0.76 g/l to 0.07 g/l, 1.91 g/l to 0.17 g/l, 2.24 g/l to 0.09 g/l, 0.14 g/l to 0.003 g/l, 0.08 g/l to 0.00 g/l, 8.25 g/l to 0.74 g/l and 7.10 g/l to 0.53 g/l respectively after 15 days of treatment. Furthermore, Open voltage of the urine supplemented MFC ranged from 5.63 V to 10.34 V while Open voltage of the control ranged from 1.84 V to 5.02 V after 15 days of operation. The population of facultative bacteria (FAB) and strict anaerobic bacteria (SAB) ranged from 64.2 x 104 CFU to 36.2 x 104 CFU and 21.2 x104 CFU to 61.3 x104 CFU respectively with time. The urine supplemented MFC performed significantly (p < 0.05) better than the control with respect to voltage output while significantly reduced concentrations of organic carbon, nitrogen and metallic (salt) species were found. Therefore, the soil MFC may be applied as a waste management option to treat human urine while generating electricity before disposal.

John Fagley, Jason Conley, David Masten

3rd International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology • 2004

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell-related research conducted and subsequently published by universities and public institutions. While a good deal of this research has been useful for understanding the underlying fundamental aspects of fuel cell components and operation, much of it is not as useful for a group working on automotive applications as it could be. The reason for this is that in order to be put to practical use in an automotive application, the system being studied must meet certain constraints; satisfying targets for projected system costs, system efficiency, volumetric and gravimetric power densities (packaging), and operating conditions. For example, numerous recent publications show studies with PEM fuel cells designed and built such that limiting current density is achieved at 0.9 A/cm2 or lower, and voltages of 600 mV can only be achieved at current densities less than 0.6 A/cm2. This type of performance is sufficiently below what is required for commercial application, that any conclusions drawn from these works are difficult to extrapolate to a system of commercial automotive interest. The purpose of this article is to show, through use of engineering calculations and cost projections, what operating conditions and performance are required in a commercial automotive fuel cell application. In addition, best known (public domain) performance and corresponding conditions are given, along with Department of Energy Freedom Car targets, which can be used for state-of-the-art benchmarking. Also, reference is made to a university publication where performance (500 mV at 1.5 A/cm2) close to automotive application targets was achieved, and important aspects of their components and flow field geometry are highlighted. It is our hope that through this publication, further PEM fuel-cell related research can be directed toward the region of greatest interest for commercial, automotive application.

Khlid Ben Hamad, Mohamed Tariq Kahn

International Journal of Engineering & Technology • 2020

It is a reality that future development in the energy sector is founded on the utilization of renewable and sustainable energy sources. These energy sources can empower to meet the double targets of diminishing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring reliable and cost-effective energy supply. Fuel cells are one of the advanced clean energy technologies and have demonstrated their ability to be a decent substitute to address the above-mentioned concerns. They are viewed as reliable and efficient technologies to operate either tied or non-tied to the grid and power applications ranging from domestic, commercial to industrial. Among different fuel cell technologies, proton exchange membrane is the most attractive. Its connection to the utility grid requires that the power conditioning system serving as the interface between the stack and the grid operates accordingly. This study aims to model and control a power conditioning system for the grid-connection of a megawatt fuel cell stack. Besides the grid, the system consists of a 1.54 MW/1400 V DC proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack, a 1.3 MW/600 V three-level diode clamped inverter and an LCL filter which is designed to reduced harmonics and meet the standards such as IEEE 519 and IEC 61000-3-6. The power conditioning control scheme comprises voltage and current regulators to provide a good power factor and satisfy synchronization requirements with the grid. The frequency and phase are synchronized with those of the grid through a phase-locked-loop. The modelling and simulation are performed using Matlab/Simulink. The results show good performance of the proposed microgrid as well as the inverter design and control approach with a low total harmonic distortion of about 0.35% for the voltage and 0.19% for the current.  Â

Muhammad Majid Gulzar

Sustainability • 2023

The efficiency of renewable energy sources like PV and fuel cells is improving with advancements in technology. However, maximum power point (MPP) tracking remains the most important factor for a PV-based fuel cell power system to perform at its best. The MPP of a PV system mainly depends on irradiance and temperature, while the MPP of a fuel cell depends upon factors such as the temperature of a cell, membrane water content, and oxygen and hydrogen partial pressure. With a change in any of these factors, the output is changed, which is highly undesirable in real-life applications. Thus, an efficient tracking method is required to achieve MPP. In this research, an optimal salp swarm algorithm tuned fractional order PID technique is proposed, which tracks the MPP in both steady and dynamic environments. To put that technique to the test, a system was designed comprised of a grid-connected proton exchange membrane fuel cell together with PV system and a DC-DC boost converter along with the resistive load. The output from the controller was further tuned and PWM was generated which was fed to the switch of the converter. MATLAB/SIMULINK was used to simulate this model to study the results. The response of the system under different steady and dynamic conditions was compared with those of the conventionally used techniques to validate the competency of the proposed approach in terms of fast response with minimum oscillation.

Mehmet Fatih Orhan, Kenan Saka, Mohammad Yousuf

Advances in Polymer Technology • 2022

Fuel cells are energy conversion devices that directly convert chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen to useful work with negligible environmental impact and high efficiency. This study deals with thermodynamic analysis and modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power systems for portable applications. In this regard, a case study of powering a computer with a PEMFC is presented. Also, an inclusive evaluation of various parameters such as voltage polarization, overall system efficiency, power output, and heat generation is reported. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to study the effect of many design and operation parameters on the overall efficiency. Results show the direct influence of current density and temperature values on optimization of the design parameters in PEMFCs.

Niloofar Hashemi, Joshua M. Lackore, Farrokh Sharifi et al.

TECHNOLOGY • 2016

Microbial fuel cells have gained popularity as a viable, environmentally friendly alternative for the production of energy. However, the challenges in miniaturizing the system for application in smaller devices as well as the short duration of operation have limited the application of these devices. Here, the capillary motion was employed to design a self-pumped paper-based microbial fuel cell operating under continuous flow condition. A proof-of-concept experiment ran approximately 5 days with no outside power or human interference required for the duration of operation. Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was used to create a maximum current of 52.25 µA in a 52.5 µL paper-based microfluidic device. SEM images of the anode following the experiment showed biofilm formation on the carbon cloth electrode. The results showed a power density of approximately 25 W/m 3 and proved unique capabilities of the paper-based microbial fuel cells to produce energy for an extended period of time.

Vernon Webb, Michael Hickner, Donald Baird et al.

2nd International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology • 2003

The electrical and mechanical properties of new lightweight graphite polymeric separator plates aged in a PEM fuel cell were investigated to assess their resistance to short-term durability. While the changes in electrical properties of great interest to the operation of the fuel cell, mechanical and dimensional stability over the life of the cell are critical. Thus, new polymeric based separator plates developed at Virginia Tech were aged under standard operating conditions in a PEM fuel cell over 300 hours at low pressure and 85°C. A comparison of conductivity, stiffness and strength of aged plates was made to as manufactured and unaged plates. Over the aging period, electrical conductivity did not decline even as the fuel cell performance showed some changes as evidenced by polarization curves. However, the mechanical strength of the monopolar plates was observed to declined less than 10% after 300 hours of fuel cell operation, due to the lack of stability of the polyester resin used to facilitate the rapid manufacturing of these new plates. These property changes were found to be independent of aging on the reduction and oxidation sides. Further work continues on plates formed through both fiber wet lay technology and those produced by compression molding of unique graphite filled epoxy systems, and to improve the electrochemical performance of cells fabricated using the resulting plates to levels comparable to those observed when using existing plate materials.

Yang Zhang, Dong Tang, Rui Xue Duan et al.

Advanced Materials Research • 2011

A new tubular cathode support for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC) was prepared by the gelcasting process using mesocarbon microbead(MCMB) and graphite as the main raw materials. The effects of different graphite doping ratios on tensile strength, bending strength, crushing strength, volume resistivity and shrinkage rate for the prepared tubular cathode support were studied by experimental test. The result showed that the prepared tubular cathode support had very good comprehensive performance. The tubular cathode support with 10% graphite exhibits the best performance such as bending strength 25MPa and resistivity30µΩ•m, and it satisfied the DEFC cathode working conditions and performance requirements.

Priji Chandran, Arpita Ghosh, Sundara Ramaprabhu

Scientific Reports • 2018

Abstract The integration of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack into vehicles necessitates the replacement of high-priced platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalyst, which contributes to about 45% of the cost of the stack. The implementation of high-performance and durable Pt metal-free catalyst for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) could significantly enable large-scale commercialization of fuel cell–powered vehicles. Towards this goal, a simple, scalable, single-step synthesis method was adopted to develop palladium-cobalt alloy supported on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (Pd 3 Co/NG) nanocomposite. Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) studies for the electrochemical activity towards ORR indicates that ORR proceeds via nearly four-electron mechanism. Besides, the mass activity of Pd 3 Co/NG shows an enhancement of 1.6 times compared to that of Pd/NG. The full fuel cell measurements were carried out using Pd 3 Co/NG at the anode, cathode in conjunction with Pt/C and simultaneously at both anode and cathode. A maximum power density of 68 mW/cm 2 is accomplished from the simultaneous use of Pd 3 Co/NG as both anode and cathode electrocatalyst with individual loading of 0.5 mg/cm 2 at 60 °C without any backpressure. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind of a fully non-Pt based PEM full cell.

You Li, Jing Du, Donglai Guo et al.

SAE Technical Paper Series • 2025

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The degradation of vehicle performance resulting from powertrain degradation throughout the lifecycle of alternative energy vehicles (AEVs) has consistently been a focal issue among scholars and consumers. The purpose of this paper is to utilize a one-dimensional vehicle simulation model to analyze the changes in power performance and economy of fuel cell vehicles as the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) stack degrades. In this study, a simulation model was developed based on the design parameters and vehicle architecture of a 45kW fuel cell vehicle. The 1D model was validated for accuracy using experimental data. The results indicate that as the stack performance degrades, the attenuation rate of the fuel cell engine is further amplified, with a degradation of up to 13.6% in the system's peak output power at the End of Life (EOL) state after 5000 hours. Furthermore, the level of economic performance degradation of the complete vehicle in the EOL state is dependent on the driving cycle, with higher hydrogen consumption attenuation observed under aggressive driving conditions.</div></div>

Abid Hussain, Vijaya Raghavan, Serge R. Guiot et al.

Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology • 2013

Abstract BACKGROUND Electricity production in single‐anode/cathode MFCs fed with simulated synthesis gas (syngas) as the sole electron donor has recently been demonstrated. This study evaluated the ability of a multi‐anode/cathode MFC fed with syngas to achieve improved volumetric efficiency at several operating temperatures and electrode arrangements . RESULTS A maximum power density of 33 mW (normalized to the anodic compartment volume) and a coulombic efficiency ( CE ) of 43% was achieved at an operating temperature of 37°C. MFC operation at 50°C resulted in a much lower power density of 10 mW and a CE of 15%. The MFC power density was greatly impacted by the electrode arrangement and the highest power density was achieved in a three anode–two cathode ( 3A‐2C ) arrangement . CONCLUSION The multi‐electrode design enhanced the performance of a syngas‐fed MFC , which could have major economic and operational implications for designing large‐scale syngas‐fed MFCs . The MFC performance at elevated temperatures was restricted by low microbial activity, implying that a thermophilic rather than a mesophilic inoculum might be required for successful operation under thermophilic conditions. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

Lei Lian, Peng Ji, Tianyu OuYang et al.

Complexity • 2020

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a renewable clean energy. Microorganisms are used as catalysts to convert the chemical energy of organic matter in the sewage into electrical energy to realize sewage treatment and recover energy at the same time. It has good development prospects. However, the output power of MFC is affected by many factors, and it is difficult to achieve a stable voltage output. For the control‐oriented single‐chamber MFC, a fuzzy integral sliding mode control is designed. The continuous adjustment of the sliding surface ensures that the system only moves on the sliding surface, which eliminates the arrival stage and improves robustness. For chattering existing in the system, the control scheme is further optimized to obtain fuzzy integral sliding mode control, and the fuzzy module adaptively adjusts the control parameters according to the system state, which effectively reduces the system chattering. Experiments prove that the control scheme reduces chattering while ensuring the stable output of the system.

Sanju Sreedharan

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution • 2021

Zero energy technologies and sustainable energy production are the two major concerns of present day researches. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioreactors that extract chemical energy stored in organic compounds, into electric potential, through bio-degradation. The core reason for the high strength of effluent generated from slaughterhouses is animal blood. The current study evaluates the potential of MFC technology to reduce the pollution strength of cattle blood in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The current study was piloted in three stages using lab scale two chambered MFC: The first stage was to determine the best oxidising agent as compared to natural aeration from three accessible options, KMnO 4 , diffused aeration and tape grass aquatic plant. KMnO 4 was found to be the superlative with a 30% reduction in COD in 100 hrs batch reactor and a maximum power of 0.97 mW using 125 mL livestock blood. The second stage of the study optimised the concentration of KMnO 4 . At 500 mg/L KMnO 4 concentration, 50% COD removal efficiency was acquired in a batch reactor of 60 hrs with an average energy output of 1.3 mW. In the final stage on the addition of coconut shell activated carbon with an Anolyte at a rate of 40 mL/125 mL of substrate COD removal efficiency increased to 74.9%.

Fakhriah Fakhirruddin, Azura Amid, Wan Wardatul Amani Wan Salim et al.

E3S Web of Conferences • 2017

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an alternative approach in generating renewable energy by utilising bacteria that will oxidize organic or inorganic substrates, producing electrons yielded as electrical energy. Different species of exoelectrogenic bacteria capable of generating significant amount of electricity in MFC has been identified, using various organic compounds for fuel. Soil sample taken from rice paddy field is proven to contain exoelectrogenic bacteria, thus electricity generation using mixed culture originally found in the soil, and pure culture isolated from the soil is studied. This research will isolate the exoelectrogenic bacterial species in the rice paddy field soil responsible for energy generation. Growth of bacteria isolated from the MFC is observed by measuring the optical density (OD), cell density weight (CDW) and viable cell count. Mixed bacterial species found in paddy field soil generates maximum power of 77.62 μW and 0.70 mA of current. In addition, the research also shows that the pure bacterium in rice paddy field soil can produce maximum power and current at 51.32 μW and 0.28 mA respectively.

Jong Hyun Cho, Yang Gao, Seokheun Choi

Sensors • 2019

Human access to safe water has become a major problem in many parts of the world as increasing human activities continue to spill contaminants into our water systems. To guarantee the protection of the public as well as the environment, a rapid and sensitive way to detect contaminants is required. In this work, a paper-based microbial fuel cell was developed to act as a portable, single-use, on-site water quality sensor. The sensor was fabricated by combining two layers of paper for a simple, low-cost, and disposable design. To facilitate the use of the sensor for on-site applications, the bacterial cells were pre-inoculated onto the device by air-drying. To eliminate any variations, the voltage generated by the microorganism before and after the air-drying process was measured and calculated as an inhibition ratio. Upon the addition of different formaldehyde concentrations (0%, 0.001%, 0.005%, and 0.02%), the inhibition ratios obtained were 5.9 ± 0.7%, 6.9 ± 0.7%, 8.2 ± 0.6%, and 10.6 ± 0.2%, respectively. The inhibition ratio showed a good linearity with the formaldehyde concentrations at R2 = 0.931. Our new sensor holds great promise in monitoring water quality as a portable, low-cost, and on-site sensor.

Dani Permana, Herlian Eriska Putra, Djaenudin Djaenudin

International Journal of Renewable Energy Development • 2018

Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) was utilized as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) in Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). The SPEEK performance in producing electricity had been observed in MFC using wastewater and glucose as substrates. The MFC with catering and tofu wastewater produced maximum power density about 0.31 mW/m2 and 0.03 mW/m2, respectively, lower that of MFC with tapioca average power density of 39.4 W/m2 over 48 h. The power density boosted because of the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as inoculum. The study using of S. cerevisiae and Acetobacter acetii, separately, were also conducted in with glucose as substrate. The MFC produced an average power densities were 7.3 and 6.4 mW/m2 for S. cerevisiae and A. acetii, respectively. The results of this study indicated that SPEEK membrane has the potential usage in MFCs and can substitute the commercial membrane, Nafion.Article History: Received: Juni 14th 2017; Received: Sept 25th 2017; Accepted: December 16th 2017; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Putra, H.E., Permana, D and Djaenudin, D. (2018) Preliminary Study of the Use of Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (SPEEK) as Proton Exchange Membrane for Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(1), 7-12.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.1.7-12

Kumar Sonu, Monika Sogani, Zainab Syed et al.

ChemistrySelect • 2022

Abstract This work has examined the effect of cellulose based substrates such as rice straw and wheat straw on the treatment of Reverse osmosis (RO) reject wastewater in a single chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC). At a substrate concentration of 125 mg/L (125 mg of substrate in 1 L of RO reject wastewater), the two type of MFCs with rice straw and wheat straw as substrates were operated along with the third one as the control without any substrate. MFC with the wheat straw as the substrate outperformed the MFC with rice straw substrate in respect to maximum power density and total dissolved solid (TDS) removal of 127 mW/m 2 and 71.88 percent, respectively. Performance of MFC with the three concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 mg/L of the chosen substrate (wheat straw) were compared. Substrate concentration of 125 mg/L was found to be the most effective. In SCMFCs formed for both the substrates, the ohmic losses were predominant, as shown by the polarization curves.

Nasser A. M. Barakat, Mohamed Taha Amen, Rasha H. Ali et al.

Polymers • 2022

Co-doped carbon nanofiber mats can be prepared by the addition of cobalt acetate to the polyacrylonitrile/DMF electrospun solution. Wastewater obtained from food industries was utilized as the anolyte as well as microorganisms as the source in single-chamber batch mode microbial fuel cells. The results indicated that the single Co-free carbon nanofiber mat was not a good anode in the used microbial fuel cells. However, the generated power can be distinctly enhanced by using double active layers of pristine carbon nanofiber mats or a single layer Co-doped carbon nanofiber mat as anodes. Typically, after 24 h batching time, the estimated generated power densities were 10, 92, and 121 mW/m2 for single, double active layers, and Co-doped carbon nanofiber anodes, respectively. For comparison, the performance of the cell was investigated using carbon cloth and carbon paper as anodes, the observed power densities were smaller than the introduced modified anodes at 58 and 62 mW/m2, respectively. Moreover, the COD removal and Columbic efficiency were calculated for the proposed anodes as well as the used commercial ones. The results further confirm the priority of using double active layer or metal-doped carbon nanofiber anodes over the commercial ones. Numerically, the calculated COD removals were 29.16 and 38.95% for carbon paper and carbon cloth while 40.53 and 45.79% COD removals were obtained with double active layer and Co-doped carbon nanofiber anodes, respectively. With a similar trend, the calculated Columbic efficiencies were 26, 42, 52, and 71% for the same sequence.

Carlito da Costa, Hadiyanto

MATEC Web of Conferences • 2017

Microbial fuel cell is an ecological innovative technology producing bioelectricity by utilizing microbes activity. Substituent energy is produced by changing the chemical energy to electrical energy through the catalytic reaction of microorganism. The research aims to find out the potency of bioelectricity produced by microalgae microbial fuel cell technology by utilizing the combination of tapioca wastewater and microalgae cultivation. This research is conducted through the ingredients preparation stage – microalgae culture, wastewater characterization, membrane and graphite activation, and the providing of other supporting equipment. The next stage is the MMFC arrangement, while the last one is bioelectricity measurement. The result of optimal bioelectricity production on the comparison of electrode 2 : 2, the power density is 44,33 mW/m 2 on day 6, meanwhile, on that of 1 : 1, 20,18 mW/m 2 power density on day 1 is obtained. It shows that bioelectricity can be produced from the combination of tapioca wastewater and microalgae culture through the microalgae-microbial fuel cell (MMFC) technology.This research is expected to be a reference for the next research particularly the one that observes the utilizing of microalgae as the part of new and renewable energy sources.

Dong Duy Pham, Kei Cai, Luc Duc Phung et al.

Water • 2019

To obtain a high rice yield and quality for animal feed without synthetic fertilizers, an experiment with bench-scale apparatus was conducted by applying continuous irrigation with treated municipal wastewater (TWW). Uniform rice seedlings of a high-yield variety (Oryza sativa L., cv. Bekoaoba) were transplanted in five treatments to examine different TWW irrigation directions (“bottom-to-top” and “top-to-top” irrigation) and fertilization practices (with and without P-synthetic fertilizers) as well as one control that simulated the irrigation and fertilization management of normal paddy fields. The highest rice yield (14.1 t ha−1), shoot dry mass (12.9 t ha−1), and protein content in brown rice (14.6%) were achieved using bottom-to-top irrigation, although synthetic fertilizers were not applied. In addition, this subsurface irrigation system could contribute to environmental protection by removing 85–90% of nitrogen from TWW more effectively than the top-to-top irrigation, which showed a removal efficiency of approximately 63%. No accumulation of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, and As) in the paddy soils was observed after TWW irrigation for five months, and the contents of these metals in the harvested brown rice were lower than the permissible limits recommended by international standards. A microbial fuel cell system (MFC) was installed in the cultivation system using graphite-felt electrodes to test the capacity of electricity generation; however, the electricity output was much lower than that reported in normal paddy fields. Bottom-to-top irrigation with TWW can be considered a potential practice to meet both water and nutrient demand for rice cultivation in order to achieve a very high yield and nutritional quality of cultivated rice without necessitating the application of synthetic fertilizers.

Rojas-Flores Segundo, Cabanillas-Chirinos Luis, Nélida Milly Otiniano et al.

Fermentation • 2025

The dairy industry generates large volumes of whey as a byproduct of cheese production, with a high organic load. Its untreated discharge contaminates water bodies, reduces dissolved oxygen, and damages aquatic ecosystems. In Peru, especially in the rural areas of the Andes, thousands of tons of industrial dairy waste are produced annually, representing an environmental and economic challenge. The lack of sustainable technologies for its management drives the need for innovative solutions, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which combine waste treatment with renewable energy generation. This research uses MFC technology with whey as a substrate to observe its potential to generate electrical energy and treat contaminants. Three liters of whey from a dairy company in Trujillo, Peru, were used and stored at 10 °C. Each MFC contained 800 mL of whey and employed activated carbon as the anode and zinc as the cathode. A maximum voltage of 0.867 ± 0.059 V was reached, with a maximum current of 4.114 ± 0.239 mA recorded on the 11th day. The maximum power density was 1.585 ± 0.061 mW/cm2, with a current density of 4.448 A/cm2, and the internal resistance of the MFCs was 16.847 ± 0.911 Ω. The initial pH of the whey was approximately 3.0, increasing to 4.135 ± 0.264 on the 11th day, and the electrical conductivity increased from 19.101 ± 1.025 mS/cm on the first day to 170.062 ± 9.511 mS/cm on the 11th day. The oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) increased to 104.287 ± 4.058 mV at the peak of electricity generation (day 11). Additionally, a 70% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) was achieved, dropping from 4650.52 ± 10.54 mg/L to 1400.64 ± 23.25 mg/L on the last day. Metagenomic analysis identified two dominant bacterial phyla: Bacteroidota at 48.47% and Proteobacteria at 29.83%. The most abundant families were Bacteroidaceae (38.58%) and Acetobacteraceae (33.39%). The study validates the potential of MFCs to transform whey into an energy resource, aligning with sustainability and circular economy goals, especially in regions with high dairy production, like Peru.

Marcelinus Christwardana, J. Joelianingsih, Linda Aliffia Yoshi

Reaktor • 2022

Several carbon substrates were tried, including glucose commercial, pro analysis glucose, commercial sugar, and yeast extract - peptone - d glucose (YPD) medium to improve the efficiency of the single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). The power production of various electron donors was investigated using baker yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Voltage and power density generation were used to establish the pattern of substrate use. In addition, electrochemical analysis of the anodic biofilm was performed. S. cervisiae was shown to successfully consume YPD medium by anode respiration with a higher power density of 18.40±1.98 mW/m2, followed by pro analysis glucose (9.41±1.15 mW/m2), commercial glucose (1.30±0.10 mW/m2), and commercial sugar (0.04±0.01 mW/m2). Furthermore, a clear relationship was established between power density generating rate and voltage output. Voltages produced were 0.16±0.02 V, 0.13±0.03 V, 0.03±0.01 V, 0.01±0.00 V for YPD medium, pro analysis glucose, commercial glucose, and commercial sugar, respectively in MFC. The weight of biofilm indicated that yeast attachment was significantly more common in YPD medium than in other MFC-operated media. This study discovered that the substrate type in the anodic compartment regulates the formation of anodic biofilm.

Fuel Cells Bulletin • 2020

German-based Enapter launched its EL 2.1 anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser at the recent FC EXPO 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, ahead of starting series production. The company says that the new model is significantly smaller than its predecessor, and consumes 8% less energy.

Ankit Kumar, Tabassum Siddiqui, Soumya Pandit et al.

Catalysts • 2023

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to break down organic matter and generate power, which is an exciting new field of research. MFCs’ power generation relies on oxygen reduction (ORR) at the cathode. However, the slow kinetics of the ORR can severely limit the performance of MFCs. Additionally, the growth of biofilm on the cathode hampers the ORR process. In order to ensure the sustainability of MFCs over time, it is crucial to employ bifunctional catalysts that can address these issues. Biogenic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and applied to a graphite sheet cathode in this study. Cyanobacteria, Phormidium species NCCU-104, was used to bio-fabricate titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. NPs were characterized using SEM and TEM analysis to determine their size, shape, surface morphology, and XRD. The particles had an average size of 18.11 nm, were spherical, and were well-dispersed, according to the results of the physicochemical characterization. TiO2 NPs were evaluated in MFC using different concentrations (0.5–2.5 mg/cm2) in the cathode to generate electricity and coulombic efficiency. MFC with a cathode impregnated with 2.0 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP produced maximum power density (15.2 W/m3), which was 38% more than 0.5 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP. The overall study results indicated that biogenic TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) could be an effective and low-cost catalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and significantly improve biofouling. Due to its efficient and affordable contribution to the ORR, these results imply that biogenic TiO2 NPs might be a feasible alternative for improving the performance of MFCs.

Devesh Dadhich Shreeram, Daniel J Hassett, Dale W Schaefer

Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology • 2015

Abstract This report documents the first observation of a urine-powered microbial fuel cell operating with a genetically engineered bacterial strain. Under identical conditions, a pilT mutant of the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed a 2.7-fold increase in peak power density compared to the wild-type strain, PAO1. The reduced twitching motility and hyperpiliation of the pilT mutant enhances the formation of electrogenic biofilms. For both strains, the observed high internal resistance near open-circuit voltage is attributed to sluggish redox reactions on the anode surface and not to slow bacterial metabolism. This work lays the groundwork for optimization of multiple bacterial traits leading to increased electroactive properties and opens new opportunities for urine-based mini-devices.

William A. Braff, Cullen R. Buie

ECS Transactions • 2011

We present a model for a novel fuel cell system incorporating hydrogen bromine electrochemistry into a laminar flow fuel cell architecture. The proposed system integrates the fast reaction kinetics of the bromine reduction reaction into a membrane-less device that relies on the fluid mechanics of laminar flow to maintain reactant separation. This design eliminates both the cross over losses and the hydration requirements that have limited the effectiveness of many previous proton exchange membrane-based hydrogen bromine fuel cells. A two dimensional model of the system predicts that the hydrogen bromine system will produce 1 W/cm2 at 90% efficiency, with a peak power output of 3.4 W/cm2.

Tianshun Song, Yuan Xu, Yejie Ye et al.

Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology • 2008

Abstract BACKGROUND: Pure terephthalic acid (PTA) is a petrochemical product of global importance and is widely applied as an important raw material in making polyester fiber and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. In this work, a single‐chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed using terephthalic acid (TA) with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration range from 500 mg L −1 to 3500 mg L −1 as the electron donor and strain PA‐18 as the biocatalyst. RESLUTS: In the single chamber MFC, several factors were examined to determine their effects on power output, including COD concentration and electrode spacing. The characteristic of the strain PA‐18 was further studied. Cyclic voltammetry showed that electrons were directly transferred onto the anode by bacteria in biofilms, rather than self‐produced mediators of bacteria in the solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that the anodic electrode surface was covered by bacteria which were responsible for electron transfer. Direct 16s‐rDNA analysis showed that the PA‐18 bacteria shared 99% 16SrDNA sequence homology with Pseudomonas sp. CONCLUSIONS: Electricity generation from TA in MFC was observed for the first time. The maximum power density produced by TA was 160 mW m −2 , lower than that achieved using domestic wastewater. This novel technology provided an economical route for electricity energy recovery in PTA wastewater treatment. High internal resistance was the major limitation. To further improve the power output, the electron transfer rate was accelerated by overexpression of membrane the protein gene of the strain PA‐18 and by reducing the electrolyte and mass transfer resistance by optimizing reactor configuration. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

Liping Fan, Junyi Shi, Tian Gao

Energies • 2020

Proton exchange membrane is an important factor affecting the power generation capacity and water purification effect of microbial fuel cells. The performance of microbial fuel cells can be improved by modifying the proton exchange membrane by some suitable method. Microbial fuel cells with membranes modified by SiO2/PVDF (polyvinylidene difluoride), sulfonated PVDF and polymerized MMA (methyl methacrylate) electrolyte were tested and their power generation capacity and water purification effect were compared. The experimental results show that the three membrane modification methods can improve the power generation capacity and water purification effect of microbial fuel cells to some extent. Among them, the microbial fuel cell with the polymerized MMA modified membrane showed the best performance, in which the output voltage was 39.52 mV, and the electricity production current density was 18.82 mA/m2, which was 2224% higher than that of microbial fuel cell with the conventional Nafion membrane; and the COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal rate was 54.8%, which was 72.9% higher than that of microbial fuel cell with the conventional Nafion membrane. Modifying the membrane with the polymerized MMA is a very effective way to improve the performance of microbial fuel cells.

I Subadri, A Satriyatama, I D M Budi et al.

IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering • 2021

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that utilize the work of microorganisms to oxidize organic substrate involving biochemical pathways. Several studies have been done based on experiments while simulation and modelling remain unexplored. Basically, MFCs have a lot of similarities to chemical fuel cell systems, which modelling and simulation have been widely developed. Hence, a study should be done to develop the model in order to widen the implementation of MFCs. In order to evaluate MFCs performance with less cost and time, numerical modelling might be an effective approach. Models could also be easily developed or modified for various operation conditions and configurations to generate experimental data on MFCs. A number of papers on simulation and modelling focused on cell voltage as function of both cell current density and chemicals concentration. In this paper, a double chamber acetate MFCs under continuous operation and unsteady state condition would be investigated. MFCs model based are developed by calculating biochemical reactions, Butler-Volmer equation, and electrochemical equations using MATLAB 2018a software. The parameters and constants data reported from recent literature are used. Results show that periodic flow rate of fuel could improve the power production. This result also gives the prediction of cell voltage and current density. Nevertheless, models with various conditions or configurations could be developed to scale-up or create more efficient MFCs using simple methods.

Lorenzo Bartolucci, Edoardo Cennamo, Stefano Cordiner et al.

SAE Technical Paper Series • 2023

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Hydrogen technologies have been widely recognized as effective means to reduce Greenhouse Gases emissions, a crucial issue to target a Carbon-free world aimed by the European Green Deal. Within the road transport sector, electric vehicles with a hybrid powertrain, including battery packs and hydrogen Fuel Cells (FCs), are gaining importance owing to their adaptability to a wide variety of applications, high driving mileages and short refueling times. The control strategy is crucial to achieve a proper management of the energy flows, to maximize energy efficiency and maximize components durability and state of health. This work is focused on the design of an integrated Energy Management Strategy (EMS), whose aim is to minimize the hydrogen consumption, by operating the FC mainly in the high efficiency region while the battery pack works according to a charge sustaining mode. The proposed EMS is composed of a control algorithm and a supervisor. A series of fuzzy controllers have been implemented: their Membership Functions have been designed by starting from a first guess and subsequently they have been trained through a Genetic Algorithm, targeting the optimal results previously obtained by a Dynamic Programming approach on specific driving cycles, resulting from a k-means clustering algorithm. On the other hand, within the supervisor, a Driving Pattern Recognition algorithm has been implemented, able to detect in real-time the actual driving conditions and to switch adaptively between the proper sub-optimized fuzzy controller options. The analysis has been performed for a microcar application, with four 2kW-nominal in-wheel motors, two 2kW rated power FCs and a 5.1kWh-capacity battery pack. The FC model has been validated through experimental tests. Results show that the system is able to manage the battery State of Charge around the target value (70%), considering two driving cycles, and to maintain the sub-optimal performances with an increase in hydrogen consumption of only 3.7 % if compared to the global optimum of Dynamic Programming results.</div></div>

Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos, Thomas G. Benjamin, John P. Kopasz et al.

ECS Transactions • 2011

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Program, in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), seeks to enable the widespread commercialization of fuel cells, through applied research and development (R&D) to overcome technical barriers, as well as through efforts to reduce institutional and market barriers. In support of this goal, DOE funds a broad range of fuel cell R&D activities with emphasis on materials, fuel cell stack components, balance of plant (BOP) subsystems, and integrated fuel cell systems targeting lower cost and enhanced durability. Fuel cell system cost estimates for transportation applications have illustrated that catalysts and system BOP are major cost drivers at high-volume production. Membranes are a cost driver at lower production volumes. The DOE has supported research to develop improved fuel cell catalysts and membranes and characterize and optimize transport phenomena to improve membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and stack performance.

Carolina Montoya-Vallejo, Juan Carlos Quintero Díaz, Yamid Andrés Yepes et al.

Applied Sciences • 2025

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are an emerging technology enabling electricity generation from the oxidation of biodegradable substrates by exoelectrogenic microorganisms. The use of microalgae in Microbial Fuel Cells (mMFCs) presents significant advantages such as their simultaneous contribution to the reduction in operational energy, CO2 capture, value-added compound production, and the endogenous supply of organic matter—through the decay biomass—to generate electrical current with coupled wastewater treatment. To achieve the desired electrical and wastewater performance, it is crucial to optimize the architecture, electrode and membrane characteristics, and operational conditions such as light intensity, CO2 and nutrient availability, pH, and algae strains used in the mMFCs. This optimization can be aided by mathematical models, with the goal of achieving efficient large-scale operation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advances in Microbial Fuel Cells with microalgae, highlighting their electron transfer mechanisms, evaluating strategies to enhance their efficiency and their potential applications.

Jongbin Woo, Younghyeon Kim, Sangseok Yu

Volume 7: Energy • 2023

Abstract Recently, the drone is tried to employ in the logistics industry that is known as cargo drone. Since a cargo drones requires high power density to allow large payload, hydrogen fuel cell is considered as power propulsion system for cargo drone. Typically, the fuel cell system of small drone is equipped with air cooled fuel cell system but the large payload of cargo drone requires liquid cooling fuel cell system. Since the high power density of cargo drone allows more weight for payload, the fuel cell should be operated with higher current density at the take-off. Those conditions result in serious amount of heat generation that should be maintained at reasonable set value for extended durability and high performance. Even though the liquid cooling of the fuel cells is very effective for controlling heat generation, the liquid cooling requires complicated system with heavy weight. Nonetheless, it is necessary to equip liquid cooling system as the system power requirement is large enough. This study developed a 20kWe polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system model through AMESet, a model development program, and the cooling system was developed as a water cooling system in consideration of the heat generation of the stack. The cooling system consists of a water pump, a cooling fan, a radiator, and a three-way valve, and the optimal cooling strategy is derived by comparing the temperature control performance of the fuel cell system with the parasitic energy of the cooling system.

Emilius Sudirjo, Cees J.N. Buisman, David P.B.T.B. Strik

Water • 2019

Wetlands cover a significant part of the world’s land surface area. Wetlands are permanently or temporarily inundated with water and rich in nutrients. Therefore, wetlands equipped with Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells (Plant-MFC) can provide a new source of electricity by converting organic matter with the help of electrochemically active bacteria. In addition, sediments provide a source of electron donors to generate electricity from available (organic) matters. Eight lab-wetlands systems in the shape of flat-plate Plant-MFC were constructed. Here, four wetland compositions with activated carbon and/or marine sediment functioning as anodes were investigated for their suitability as a bioanode in a Plant-MFC system. Results show that Spartina anglica grew in all of the plant-MFCs, although the growth was less fertile in the 100% activated carbon (AC100) Plant-MFC. Based on long-term performance (2 weeks) under 1000 ohm external load, the 33% activated carbon (AC33) Plant-MFC outperformed the other plant-MFCs in terms of current density (16.1 mA/m2 plant growth area) and power density (1.04 mW/m2 plant growth area). Results also show a high diversity of microbial communities dominated by Proteobacteria with 42.5–69.7% relative abundance. Principal Coordinates Analysis shows clear different bacterial communities between 100% marine sediment (MS100) Plant-MFC and AC33 Plant-MFC. This result indicates that the bacterial communities were affected by the anode composition. In addition, small worms (Annelida phylum) were found to live around the plant roots within the anode of the wetland with MS100. These findings show that the mixture of activated carbon and marine sediment are suitable material for bioanodes and could be useful for the application of Plant-MFC in a real wetland. Moreover, the usage of activated carbon could provide an additional function like wetland remediation or restoration, and even coastal protection.

Mikal A. McKinnon, Judith M. Cuta, Urban P. Jenquin

Volume 2: Mgmt. Low/Interm. Level Waste; Spent Fuel; Economics/Analyses for Waste Mgmt.; Radiological Characterization/Application Release Criteria; Panel Sessions; Solid Waste Reduction/Treatment; Current Activities in Central/Eastern Europe; Environmental Remediation Technology; LL/ILW; HLW/Spent Fuel; Chernobyl; D&D Waste; Performance Assessment; MOX and Spent UOX; D&D Nuclear Reactors; Decommissioning of Other Nuclear Facilities • 2001

Abstract As part of a cooperative program, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has supported analyses to determine the effect of cask loading on the thermal and shielding performance of a cask containing spent nuclear fuel. Two considerations that must be addressed in licensing spent fuel storage casks are peak fuel temperature and cask surface dose rate. Generally, storage systems are approved for uniform loading of the cask with design basis fuel. The storage system design basis typically specifies maximum assembly enrichment, maximum burnup, and minimum cooling times for the design basis fuel. Some casks specify an enrichment/burnup table. These conditions set the maximum decay heat loads and maximum radioactive source terms for the design. Supportive analysis using conservative assumptions is then used to demonstrate that acceptable fuel storage temperatures and cask dose rates are maintained. This study analyzes the effect of non.-uniform load patterns on peak fuel cladding temperatures and cask surface dose rates using previously validated analytical methods. The study was performed using a spent fuel storage cask that was designed to hold 24 spent fuel assemblies with a decay heat load of 24 kW. The cask was assumed to have a forged steel body with an overall length of 5.0 m and a diameter of 2.3 m. The body was assumed to be surrounded by a resin layer for neutron shielding and a steel outer shell. The fuel was selected to have cooling times of 3.5 to 10 years and burnups of 20 to 60 GWd/MTU to bound the expected range of burnup for most of the fuel to be discharged from boiling water and pressurized water reactors from the mid-1970s through 2020. Three radial power distributions were considered in the study: uniform loading, hotter assemblies in the center of the cask, and hotter assemblies near the wall of the cask. Each load pattern resulted in a total decay heat output of 24 kW from the cask. Seventeen different load patterns were selected, and the thermal analysis was repeated for three backfill gases: helium, nitrogen, and vacuum. For a given decay heat load in the cask, loading assemblies with higher decay heat output around the outside of the cask results in lower peak fuel cladding temperatures than loading hotter assemblies in the center of the cask. Several of the load patterns resulted in a peak cladding temperature that was lower than for a uniformly loaded cask. For a helium backfill with an optimum load pattern in the cask (hot assemblies near the basket wall), the peak fuel clad temperature was 17°C lower than a uniformly loaded cask. Using the same assemblies from the optimum load pattern but reversing the load pattern so the hot assemblies are moved to the inside of the cask., increased the peak fuel clad temperatures by 35°C for a helium backfill. This is 18°C greater than for a uniform load pattern. Seven source terms were selected to provide the thermal output used in the thermal analysis. Source term calculations were completed using fuel burnups of 20 to 60 GWd/MTU and enrichments of 2.4 to 4.8%. A constant power density of 32 MW/MTU was used for all irradiation calculations. Cooling times were selected to provide the decay heat values used in the thermal analysis. Photon dose rates are dominated by the cobalt-60 in the bottom-end fittings, top-end fittings, and plenum and are proportional to fuel burnup. For short cooling times, photon dose rates on the side of the cask are somewhat higher due to short-lived fission products. Cask loadings with high decay heat assemblies near the periphery exhibit increased photon dose rates on the side surface and top and bottom surfaces away from the centerline. Near the centerline, on the top and bottom of the cask, the dose rates are reduced substantially. Neutron dose rates increase exponentially with burnup and are nearly independent of cooling time. Cask loadings with high decay heat assemblies impact the neutron dose rates minimally. The peak dose rates (neutron plus photon) for the short-cooled, higher-burnup fuel loaded around the outside of the cask’s basket are generally less than for a uniform loading of longer-cooled, higher-burnup spent fuel.