MESS-Learning

This repository is a downstream mirror. Source of truth lives in the messai-ai monorepo; this mirror is updated on each release. Issues and Discussions are welcome here. PRs against this mirror will be redirected — see CONTRIBUTING.md.

History was reset as part of the 2026 monorepo consolidation. Versions tagged before that (e.g. v0.2.0) remain accessible as historical refs.

Educational content and calculators for Microbial Electrochemical Systems

Overview

MESS-Learning provides educational tools and interactive visualizations for MES:

• Interactive Electron Flow - Animated MFC visualization
• Sustainability Calculator - Carbon footprint & LCA tools
• Economic Calculator - ROI and cost analysis
• MES Type Comparisons - System type visualizations
• SDG Alignment - UN Sustainable Development Goals mapping

Installation

Not yet published to npm. This package is source-available here while its public API stabilises. Use it by cloning the mirror:

git clone https://github.com/Messai-io/MESS-Learning.git
cd MESS-Learning && pnpm install && pnpm build

Track the packaging issue for the npm release.

Features

Interactive Electron Flow Visualization

import { InteractiveElectronFlow } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

function MFCEducation() {
  return (
    <InteractiveElectronFlow
      systemType="dual-chamber-mfc"
      showLabels={true}
      animationSpeed={1}
      interactiveMode={true}
    />
  );
}

Sustainability Calculator

import { SustainabilityCalculator } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

const calc = new SustainabilityCalculator();

// Calculate carbon footprint comparison
const comparison = calc.carbonFootprint({
  wastewaterVolume: 1000, // m³/day
  currentTechnology: 'activated_sludge',
  proposedTechnology: 'mfc',
});

console.log(comparison.currentEmissions); // kg CO2/year
console.log(comparison.proposedEmissions); // kg CO2/year
console.log(comparison.reduction); // %
console.log(comparison.equivalentTrees); // Trees offset

Life Cycle Assessment

import { LCACalculator } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

const lca = new LCACalculator();

// Full life cycle analysis
const results = lca.analyze({
  systemType: 'mfc',
  scale: 'pilot',
  lifetime: 10, // years
  location: 'US',
});

console.log(results.environmentalImpact);
console.log(results.energyBalance);
console.log(results.materialRequirements);

Economic Analysis

import { EconomicCalculator } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

const econ = new EconomicCalculator();

// Calculate ROI for MFC wastewater treatment
const roi = econ.calculateROI({
  capitalCost: 50000,
  operationalCostPerYear: 5000,
  energyRecoveryPerYear: 8000,
  wastewaterSavingsPerYear: 12000,
  lifetime: 15,
});

console.log(roi.paybackPeriod); // years
console.log(roi.netPresentValue); // $
console.log(roi.internalRateReturn); // %

SDG Alignment

import { SDGAlignment } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

const sdg = new SDGAlignment();

// Map MES applications to UN SDGs
const alignment = sdg.analyze('wastewater_treatment_mfc');

console.log(alignment.primaryGoals); // [6, 7, 13] (Water, Energy, Climate)
console.log(alignment.secondaryGoals); // [9, 11, 12]
console.log(alignment.impactMetrics);

System Type Comparisons

import { MESTypeComparison } from '@messai-io/mess-learning';

function TypesPage() {
  return (
    <MESTypeComparison
      types={['MFC', 'MEC', 'MDC', 'MES']}
      comparisonMetrics={['efficiency', 'cost', 'application']}
    />
  );
}

Educational Modules

Module	Description
Fundamentals	Basic MES principles
Electrochemistry	Redox reactions, potentials
Microbiology	Electroactive bacteria
Applications	Real-world use cases
Economics	Cost-benefit analysis
Sustainability	Environmental impact

Calculator assumptions and citation guidance

Read this before citing any number from these calculators. The calculators in src/calculators/ are React presentation components (default exports taking a level prop), not calculation classes with an analysis API. They are educational / illustrative: several impact numbers are hardcoded default values chosen to demonstrate the shape of an analysis, not measured or literature-sourced figures. Treat outputs as teaching aids, not as a validated LCA/TEA. The code is the source of truth for every constant below.

Life Cycle Assessment (LifeCycleAssessment.tsx)

Key assumptions encoded in the component's "Advanced LCA Insights" panel:

• System lifetime: 15 years
• Capacity: 1000 m³/day
• Electricity grid: "Regional mix" (no specific grid-emission factor is applied — the grid is named as a qualitative assumption only)
• Discount rate: 3% annually (stated in the panel)
• Stated sensitivity bands: lifetime ±5 yr → ±15% impact; performance ±20% → ±18%; grid carbon → ±25%; material costs → ±8%.

The per-phase and per-technology carbon / energy / water impact values (e.g. MES operation phase carbon −12.3, energy −156.7) are hardcoded illustrative arrays in the component, compared against Activated Sludge, Membrane Bioreactor, and Anaerobic Digestion. They are not derived from an inventory database.

Economic Calculator (EconomicCalculator.tsx)

This calculator does compute from inputs. Default inputs and encoded assumptions:

• Default inputs: flow rate 1000 m³/day, COD 2000 mg/L, electricity rate $0.12/kWh, power density 2.5 (W/m² basis), COD removal 85%, operating cost $0.15/m³/day, capital cost $800/m³ capacity, conventional treatment cost $0.45/m³.
• Scenario multipliers (applied to power / cost / removal): optimistic 1.3 / 0.8 / 1.1, realistic 1.0 / 1.0 / 1.0, conservative 0.7 / 1.2 / 0.9.
• COD removal is capped at 95% after the scenario multiplier.
• Carbon offset factor: 1.5 kg CO₂-eq per kg COD removed (labelled "Approximate" in the code).
• NPV uses a 10-year horizon at an 8% discount rate (Math.pow(1.08, i)). Payback period = total capital cost ÷ annual net benefit.

Internal inconsistency to be aware of: the Economic Calculator's NPV uses an 8% discount rate while the LCA panel states 3%. If you quote both, reconcile the rate first.

Carbon Footprint Comparison (CarbonFootprintComparison.tsx)

Encoded per-m³ assumptions (from the component's assumptions panel):

• Construction: material impacts 12 kg CO₂/m³ capacity, transportation 2 kg CO₂/m³, installation 3 kg CO₂/m³.
• Operational benefits: avoided electricity −8 kg CO₂/m³/year, reduced chemicals −4 kg CO₂/m³/year, sludge reduction −3 kg CO₂/m³/year.
• Comparison bars use hardcoded kg CO₂ eq/m³ values per technology.

Citation guidance

• Do not cite these calculator outputs as measured results. They are parameterised illustrations with the constants listed above baked in.
• For a real techno-economic or life-cycle claim, replace the hardcoded impact arrays and cost/emission constants with values from a sourced inventory (e.g. ecoinvent, a regional grid-emission factor, and site-specific capital/operating costs) and document those sources.
• If you reuse this package's educational figures, attribute per its CC BY 4.0 license and make clear they are illustrative defaults, not primary data.

API Reference

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Links

• MESSAI Platform
• Documentation
• Live Demo