Aymar de Lichtervelde - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Aymar de Lichtervelde

Research paper thumbnail of Operating Water Treatment and Recycling Systems in Isolated Environments

Research paper thumbnail of Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework

Research paper thumbnail of Theory of Ion and Electron Transport Coupled with Biochemical Conversions in an Electroactive Biofilm

Physical Review Applied, 2019

Bioelectrochemical systems are electrochemical cells that rely on conductive biofilms covering an... more Bioelectrochemical systems are electrochemical cells that rely on conductive biofilms covering an electrode. We consider the example of a microbial fuel cell, and we derive a dynamic model of ion transport, biochemical reactions and electron transport inside such a biofilm. After validating the model against data, we evaluate model output to obtain an understanding of the transport of ions and electrons through a current-producing biofilm. For a system fed with a typical wastewater stream containing organic molecules and producing 5 A m −2 , our model predicts that transport of the organic molecules is not a limiting factor. However, the pH deep within the biofilm drops significantly, which can inhibit current production of such biofilms. Our results suggest that the electronic conductivity of the biofilm does not limit charge transport significantly, even for a biofilm as thick as 100 µm. Our study provides an example of how physics-based modelling helps to understand complex coupled processes in bioelectrochemical systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework

Physical Review, 2020

Early recordings of nervous conduction revealed a notable thermal signature associated with the e... more Early recordings of nervous conduction revealed a notable thermal signature associated with the electrical signal. The observed production and subsequent absorption of heat arise from physicochemical processes that occur at the cell membrane level during the conduction of the action potential. In particular, the reversible release of electrostatic energy stored as a difference of potential across the cell membrane appears as a simple yet consistent explanation for the heat production, as proposed in the "Condenser Theory." However, the Condenser Theory has not been analyzed beyond the analogy between the cell membrane and a parallel-plate capacitor, i.e., a condenser, and cannot account for the magnitude of the heat signature. In this work, we use a detailed electrostatic model of the cell membrane to revisit the Condenser Theory. We derive expressions for free energy and entropy changes associated with the depolarization of the membrane by the action potential, which give a direct measure of the heat produced and absorbed by neurons. We show how the density of surface charges on both sides of the membrane impacts the energy changes. Finally, considering a typical action potential, we show that if the membrane holds a bias of surface charges, such that the internal side of the membrane is 0.05 C m −2 more negative than the external side, the size of the heat predicted by the model reaches the range of experimental values. Based on our study, we identify the release of electrostatic energy by the membrane as the primary mechanism of heat production and absorption by neurons during nervous conduction.

Research paper thumbnail of Theory of Ion and Electron Transport Coupled with Biochemical Conversions in an Electroactive Biofilm

Physical Review Applied, 2019

An electroactive biofilm is a porous layer of bacteria covering an electrode, which plays an impo... more An electroactive biofilm is a porous layer of bacteria covering an electrode, which plays an important role in bioelectrochemical systems, such as in the microbial fuel cell. We derive a dynamic model of ion transport, biochemical reactions, and electron transport inside such a biofilm. After validating the model against data, we evaluate model output to obtain an understanding of the transport of ions and electrons through a current-producing biofilm. For a system fed with a typical wastewater stream containing organic molecules and producing 5 A m −2 , our model predicts that transport of the organic molecules is not a limiting factor. However, the pH deep within the biofilm drops significantly, which can inhibit current production of such biofilms. Our results suggest that the electronic conductivity of the biofilm does not limit charge transport significantly, even for a biofilm as thick as 100 μm. Our study provides an example of how physics-based modeling helps to understand complex coupled processes in bioelectrochemical systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Operating Water Treatment and Recycling Systems in Isolated Environments

Research paper thumbnail of Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework

Research paper thumbnail of Theory of Ion and Electron Transport Coupled with Biochemical Conversions in an Electroactive Biofilm

Physical Review Applied, 2019

Bioelectrochemical systems are electrochemical cells that rely on conductive biofilms covering an... more Bioelectrochemical systems are electrochemical cells that rely on conductive biofilms covering an electrode. We consider the example of a microbial fuel cell, and we derive a dynamic model of ion transport, biochemical reactions and electron transport inside such a biofilm. After validating the model against data, we evaluate model output to obtain an understanding of the transport of ions and electrons through a current-producing biofilm. For a system fed with a typical wastewater stream containing organic molecules and producing 5 A m −2 , our model predicts that transport of the organic molecules is not a limiting factor. However, the pH deep within the biofilm drops significantly, which can inhibit current production of such biofilms. Our results suggest that the electronic conductivity of the biofilm does not limit charge transport significantly, even for a biofilm as thick as 100 µm. Our study provides an example of how physics-based modelling helps to understand complex coupled processes in bioelectrochemical systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework

Physical Review, 2020

Early recordings of nervous conduction revealed a notable thermal signature associated with the e... more Early recordings of nervous conduction revealed a notable thermal signature associated with the electrical signal. The observed production and subsequent absorption of heat arise from physicochemical processes that occur at the cell membrane level during the conduction of the action potential. In particular, the reversible release of electrostatic energy stored as a difference of potential across the cell membrane appears as a simple yet consistent explanation for the heat production, as proposed in the "Condenser Theory." However, the Condenser Theory has not been analyzed beyond the analogy between the cell membrane and a parallel-plate capacitor, i.e., a condenser, and cannot account for the magnitude of the heat signature. In this work, we use a detailed electrostatic model of the cell membrane to revisit the Condenser Theory. We derive expressions for free energy and entropy changes associated with the depolarization of the membrane by the action potential, which give a direct measure of the heat produced and absorbed by neurons. We show how the density of surface charges on both sides of the membrane impacts the energy changes. Finally, considering a typical action potential, we show that if the membrane holds a bias of surface charges, such that the internal side of the membrane is 0.05 C m −2 more negative than the external side, the size of the heat predicted by the model reaches the range of experimental values. Based on our study, we identify the release of electrostatic energy by the membrane as the primary mechanism of heat production and absorption by neurons during nervous conduction.

Research paper thumbnail of Theory of Ion and Electron Transport Coupled with Biochemical Conversions in an Electroactive Biofilm

Physical Review Applied, 2019

An electroactive biofilm is a porous layer of bacteria covering an electrode, which plays an impo... more An electroactive biofilm is a porous layer of bacteria covering an electrode, which plays an important role in bioelectrochemical systems, such as in the microbial fuel cell. We derive a dynamic model of ion transport, biochemical reactions, and electron transport inside such a biofilm. After validating the model against data, we evaluate model output to obtain an understanding of the transport of ions and electrons through a current-producing biofilm. For a system fed with a typical wastewater stream containing organic molecules and producing 5 A m −2 , our model predicts that transport of the organic molecules is not a limiting factor. However, the pH deep within the biofilm drops significantly, which can inhibit current production of such biofilms. Our results suggest that the electronic conductivity of the biofilm does not limit charge transport significantly, even for a biofilm as thick as 100 μm. Our study provides an example of how physics-based modeling helps to understand complex coupled processes in bioelectrochemical systems.