Avis Soutenance These Doctorat Zakarya BAICHA ST2I ENSIAS ENSET 17 Octobre 2020

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École Nationale Supérieure d'Informatique et d'Analyse des Systèmes
Centre d’Études Doctorales en Sciences des Technologies de l'Information et de l'Ingénieur
AVIS DE SOUTENANCE DE THÈSE DE DOCTORAT
Monsieur Zakarya BAICHA
soutiendra publiquement sa thèse de Doctorat
en Sciences de l’ingénieur
le Samedi 17 Octobre 2020 à 10h30 à l’ENSET de Rabat
Intitulé de la thèse
INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND ENERGY PRODUCTION BY
MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS: NOVEL MEMBRANES, CONFIGURATIONS FOR
CONTINUOUS FLOW AND MICROALGAE APPLICATION
Devant le Jury composé de :
Président :
Pr. El Mostapha LOTFI, PES, ENSET, Université Mohammed V de Rabat
Directeur de thèse :
Pr. Mohammed EL MAHI, PES, ENSET, Université Mohammed V de Rabat
Rapporteurs :
Pr. Moulay Abderrahim EL MHAMMEDI, PES, FPK, Université Sultan Moulay Slimane, Béni Mellal
Pr. Souad EL HAJJAJI, PES, Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V de Rabat
Pr. Malika SERGHINI IDRISSI, PES, Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V de Rabat
Examinateurs :
Pr. Abdelmajid SKALLI, PES, ENSET, Université Mohammed V de Rabat
Pr. Najoua LABJAR, PH, ENSET, Université Mohammed V de Rabat

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INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND ENERGY PRODUCTION BY
MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS: NOVEL MEMBRANES, CONFIGURATIONS FOR
CONTINUOUS FLOW AND MICROALGAE APPLICATION
Abstract: Climate change is a complex and cross-cutting problem that needs an integrated and
transformative systems approach to respond to the challenge. The complex interdependencies
between climate change, water, energy and other social and environmental factors present a
challenge for researchers and policy makers.
MFCs (microbial fuel cells) are an emerging biotechnology that could contribute to overcome the
current energy crisis and meet water needs in developing world countries. Thus, this technology
has become the focus of many research studies trying to improve its performance by investigating
alternative materials and determining optimal operating conditions. In this work, a new single-
chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell configuration has been used to operate in continuous mode
with vertical and horizontal up-flow. This design incorporates a novel embedded ionic liquid-based
membrane-cathode assembly working as separator. The ionic liquid selected for the present work
is triisobutyl (methyl) phosphoniumtosylate, [PI4;I4;I4;1+][TOS-]. MFC performance is
investigated in terms of electricity production and wastewater treatment for various feed flow rates.
It has been concluded, that the effectiveness of treatment is directly dependent to the HRT, pH, T°
operated in continuous mode, and the highest performance of wastewater treatment was reached
for the flow of 0.25 ml.min-1.
Nutrients transport through polymer inclusion membranes based on different concentrations of
methyltrioctylammonium chloride, was also investigated in this work, in order to broaden the
application range of these kinds of membranes. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and sodium hydrogen
phosphate (Na2HPO4) nutrients were used at the concentration of 1 g.L-1 in the feeding phase.
The evolution of the concentration in the receiving phase over time (168 h) was monitored and the
experimental data fitted to a diffusion-solution transport model. The results show very low
permeation values for CaCl2.
By contrast, in the case of Na2HPO4 the permeation values were higher and increase as the
amount of ionic liquid in the membrane also increases. The surface of the membranes was

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characterized before and after being used in the separation process by scanning electron
microscopy coupled to energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) and elemental
mapping analysis. The SEM–EDX images show that the polymer inclusion membranes
studied are stable to aqueous solution contacting phases and therefore, they might be
used for the selective transport of nutrients in separation processes.
Microalgae have been identified as one of the newest bio-material due to its use in
microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The resulting microalgae-MFC systems can produce electricity
using the electrons released to the anode during microalgae degradation. Furthermore,
microalgae can be grown in the cathode chamber, capturing the CO2 therein and using
light as power source.
Keywords: Bioenergy, Continuous microbial fuel cell, Energy production, Industrial
wastewater, Ionic liquids; Membrane stability, Microbial fuel cells, Microalgae, Microalgae-
microbial fuel cells, Nutrients, Polymer inclusion membrane, Permeation, Wastewater
treatment.