Yasna Acevedo Gomez, Göran Lindbergh, Carina Lagergren

Molecules • 2020

While the market for fuel cell vehicles is increasing, these vehicles will still coexist with combustion engine vehicles on the roads and will be exposed to an environment with significant amounts of contaminants that will decrease the durability of the fuel cell. To investigate different recovery methods, in this study, a PEM fuel cell was contaminated with 100 ppm of NO2 at the cathode side. The possibility to recover the cell performance was studied by using different airflow rates, different current densities, and by subjecting the cell to successive polarization curves. The results show that the successive polarization curves are the best choice for recovery; it took 35 min to reach full recovery of cell performance, compared to 4.5 h of recovery with pure air at 0.5 A cm−2 and 110 mL min−1. However, the performance recovery at a current density of 0.2 A cm−2 and air flow 275 mL min−1 was done in 66 min, which is also a possible alternative. Additionally, two operation techniques were suggested and compared during 7 h of operation: air recovery and air depletion. The air recovery technique was shown to be a better choice than the air depletion technique.

Anuradh Gunawardena, Sandun Fernando, Filip To

International Journal of Molecular Sciences • 2008

Saccharomyces cerevisiae present in common Baker’s yeast was used in a microbial fuel cell in which glucose was the carbon source. Methylene blue was used as the electronophore in the anode compartment, while potassium ferricyanide and methylene blue were tested as electron acceptors in the cathode compartment. Microbes in a mediator-free environment were used as the control. The experiment was performed in both open and closed circuit configurations under different loads ranging from 100 kΩ to 400Ω. The eukaryotic S. cerevisiae-based fuel cell showed improved performance when methylene blue and ferricyanide were used as electron mediators, rendering a maximum power generation of 146.71±7.7 mW/m3. The fuel cell generated a maximum open circuit voltage of 383.6±1.5 mV and recorded a maximum efficiency of 28±1.8 % under 100 kΩ of external load.

Dang‐Trang Nguyen, Kozo Taguchi

IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering • 2019

In this letter, a disposable micropower source was developed by integrating a microbial fuel cell (MFC) in filter paper. The paper‐based MFC could harvest electrical energy generated by Escherichia coli during the metabolic process. The air‐dried biofilm anode was activated by water for on‐demand electricity generation. This study aimed to optimize the anodic and cathodic materials for maximization of the MFC performance. The concentration of activated carbon powder in the anode and potassium ferricyanide in the cathode were optimized. The paper‐based MFC with the optimum anode and cathode generated a maximum power density of 8.4 µW/cm 2 . © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tri Mulyono, Zulfikar Zulfikar, Misto Misto et al.

Computational And Experimental Research In Materials And Renewable Energy • 2023

The substrate is an important factor for efficient electricity production in Microbial Fuel Cell systems. The substrate is an organic compound that promotes the growth of active microbes. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of substrate type and concentration on the bioelectricity produced by a single-chamber MFC. Fructose and butyric acid were used as substrates and carbon felt used as an electrode. Types and variations in substrate concentration were applied to the soil media used in the MFC. After 3 weeks of incubation, the optimum power density value achieved by MFC with 90 g/L fructose substrate was 20.5 mW/m2. Whereas, MFC treated with 800 mg/L butyric acid produced a maximum power density of 19.7 mW/m2.Keywords: Substrate, Fructose, Butyric acid, Power density, Microbial Fuel Cell.

Ramesh Aryal, Chunjie Xia, Jia Liu

Water Environment Research • 2019

Abstract A two‐chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) was used for the first time for the remediation of an emerging contaminant—1,4‐dioxane in its anode chamber. Groundwater historically detected 1,4‐dioxane contamination was sampled from a Superfund site. Comparative study was carried out between metabolic (i.e., 1,4‐dioxane as sole carbon source) and cometabolic (i.e., 1,4‐dioxane and methanol as carbon sources) anodic degradations. It was found that cometabolic degradation increased 1,4‐dioxane removal by 10%–52% after 7 days and increased maximum power production of the MFC by 18% to 88.9 mW/m 3 . Oxalic acid was detected as a main metabolic degradation product. Beside oxalic acid, acetic acid and isopropanol were also detected as main products for cometabolic degradation. The presence of a biofilm for 1,4‐dioxane anodic degradation was observed by a scanning electron microscopy. Phyla of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, as well as a variety of species, were identified for the first time—especially Rikenella sp. and Solitalea canadensis , whose relative abundances were the highest of 18.8% and 24.0% for metabolic and cometabolic degradation, respectively. This study provided an innovative and sustainable approach for 1,4‐dioxane anodic biodegradation, which would be potentially utilized for remediation of groundwater contaminated by 1,4‐dioxane. Practitioner points Groundwater contaminated with 1,4‐dioxane was remediated in the anode chamber of a two‐chambered microbial fuel cell. Cometabolic pathway increased 1,4‐dioxane removal and power production of the MFC compared to metabolic pathway. The presence of a biofilm for 1,4‐dioxane anodic degradation was observed, and oxalic acid was a main degradation product. This study would be potentially utilized for 1,4‐dioxane‐contaminated groundwater remediation with simultaneous energy production. External voltage supply for bioelectrochemical remediation of groundwater would potentially be reduced when treating chlorinated hydrocarbons co‐occurred with 1,4‐dioxane.

Esra Ateş, Selim Latif Sanin

Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia • 2024

This study aimed to use whey and river sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) to produce electrical potential, which has been investigated rarely in previous studies. In this study, the majority of the microorganisms in the river SMFC mixed culture were Bacteroides and Clostridium. After the voltage and internal resistance were measured, the current and power density were calculated. The power density (279*10-3 mW/cm2 ) and maximum current density (1100*10-6 mA/cm2 ) were determined through computations. Bacteria present in river SMFCs showed the potential to generate electricity without any external mediators. By utilizing organic materials, bioelectricity can be produced affordably and sustainably. KEY WORDS: Electrical potential, SMFC, Treatment, Whey, River sediment Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(5), 1479-1491. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i5.22

Georgios Bampos, Symeon Bebelis

Electronics • 2022

A 21.7 wt.% Pd—7.3 wt.% Zn/C electrocatalyst prepared via the wet impregnation (w.i.) method was deposited onto commercial carbon cloth (E-TEK) and tested towards its electrocatalytic performance as a cathode electrode material for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a H2 fueled single proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A commercial PtRu electrode (E-TEK) was used as PEM anode for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). The performance of the aforementioned PEMFC was compared with that of the same PEMFC with two different Pt-based cathodes, which were prepared by deposition onto commercial carbon cloth (E-TEK) of 29 wt.% Pt/C synthesized via w.i. and of commercial 29 wt.% Pt/C (TKK). The metal loading of the tested cathode electrodes was 0.5 mgmet cm−2. Comparison was based both on polarization curves and on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements at varying cell potential. In terms of power density, the lowest and highest performance was exhibited by the PEMFC with the 21.7 wt.% Pd—7.3 wt.% Zn/C cathode and the PEMFC with the commercial 29 wt.% Pt/C (TKK) cathode electrode, respectively. This behavior was in accordance with the results of EIS measurements, which showed that the PEMFC with the 21.7 wt.% Pd—7.3 wt.% Zn/C cathode exhibited the highest polarization resistance.

Pimprapa Chaijak, Nopparit Changkit, Alisa Kongthong

Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus • 2024

Aim of the study In our investigation, the freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp. BF01 to degrade the melanoidin in the palm oil mill effluent and generate electricity in the photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFC). Material and methods The freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp. were used in a PMFC consortium for the degradation of melanoidin and electricity generation. The removal (%), electrochemical properties, and biomass recovery were monitored without adding exogenous medium. Results and conclusions In this study, lipid-producing microalgae were employed as whole-cell biocatalysts in a PMFC using palm oil mill effluent as a substrate. The maximal melanoidin removal of 79.54±0.45% was gained. The maximum power density reached was 3.98±0.10 W/m3. The research presents findings that pave the way for the practical implementation of this innovative approach on an industrial scale.

Panuwat Ekdharmasuit

Trends in Sciences • 2024

One of the main challenges with passive direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) is ethanol transport management since the liquid ethanol is supplied to the anode compartment by natural processes including convection and diffusion with a low cell operating condition. The significant layer in the cell is the diffusion layer (DL), which facilitates reactants to reach the anode catalyst layer (CL). In this study, the impact of various DLs fabricated of readily accessible commercial materials on cell performance in passive DEFCs with different ethanol feed concentrations was examined with various in-situ characterization methods. The results demonstrate that the cell with a DL coated by the hydrophobic microporous layer (MPL) yielded the best performance of 0.887 mW·cm-2 at the optimal ethanol feed concentration of 5 M. In conclusion, the benefits of enhancing ethanol mass transfer to the anode CL would outweigh the drawbacks of preventing ethanol crossover to the cathode. HIGHLIGHTS The effect of the anode diffusion layer (DL) on passive direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) performance was determined Five different anode DLs fabricated of readily accessible commercial materials were employed Various characterizations enabled the assessment of each loss affecting the passive DEFC performance The cell with an anode DL modified with a hydrophobic microporous layer (MPL) exhibited the best cell performance The optimal ethanol feed concentration of the best cell was found to be 5 M GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Zainab z. Ismail, Ahmed Yasir Radeef

Journal of Engineering • 2019

This study aimed to investigate the effect of total suspended solids (TSS) on the performance of a continuously operated dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) proceeded by primary clarifier to treat actual potato chips processing wastewater. The system was also tested in the absence of the primary clarifier and the results demonstrated a significant effect of TSS on the polarization curve of the MFC which was obtained by operating the graphite anodic electrode against Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The maximum observed power and current densities were decreased form 102.42 mW/m2 and 447.26 mA/m2 to 80.16 mW/m2 and 299.10 mA/m2, respectively due to the adverse effect of TSS. Also, the internal resistance increased from 40 to 70Ω.

Okan Avci, Yudum T. Büyüksünetçi, Ziba Güley et al.

ChemistrySelect • 2021

Abstract In this work, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis DLP27 (L .lactis) strain isolated from a traditional Turkish raw milk cheese, Divle Obruk Cheese, was used as a biocatalyst on the bioanode combined with a platinum cathode to fabricate a Nafion membrane based double compartment microbial fuel cell (MFC). Graphene‐gold‐platinum hybrid nanomaterial was used as modifier in L. lactis immobilized carbon felt based bioanode. Developed Nafion membrane based double compartment MFC characteristics were inspected by using optimized bioanode. In consequence, an open‐circuit voltage of 0.282 V, a maximum current density of 59.52 μA/cm 2 and a maximum power density of 2.12 μW/cm 2 were achieved with excellent lifetime of 49 days with developed MFC system.

Juan Carlos Fragoso-Jiménez, Rosa María Gutierrez-Rios, Noemí Flores et al.

Microbial Cell Factories • 2022

Abstract Background The modification of glucose import capacity is an engineering strategy that has been shown to improve the characteristics of Escherichia coli as a microbial factory. A reduction in glucose import capacity can have a positive effect on production strain performance, however, this is not always the case. In this study, E. coli W3110 and a group of four isogenic derivative strains, harboring single or multiple deletions of genes encoding phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS)-dependent transporters as well as non-PTS transporters were characterized by determining their transcriptomic response to reduced glucose import capacity. Results These strains were grown in bioreactors with M9 mineral salts medium containing 20 g/L of glucose, where they displayed specific growth rates ranging from 0.67 to 0.27 h −1 , and specific glucose consumption rates ( qs ) ranging from 1.78 to 0.37 g/g h. RNA-seq analysis revealed a transcriptional response consistent with carbon source limitation among all the mutant strains, involving functions related to transport and metabolism of alternate carbon sources and characterized by a decrease in genes encoding glycolytic enzymes and an increase in gluconeogenic functions. A total of 107 and 185 genes displayed positive and negative correlations with qs , respectively. Functions displaying positive correlation included energy generation, amino acid biosynthesis, and sugar import. Conclusion Changes in gene expression of E. coli strains with impaired glucose import capacity could be correlated with qs values and this allowed an inference of the physiological state of each mutant. In strains with lower qs values, a gene expression pattern is consistent with energy limitation and entry into the stationary phase. This physiological state could explain why these strains display a lower capacity to produce recombinant protein, even when they show very low rates of acetate production. The comparison of the transcriptomes of the engineered strains employed as microbial factories is an effective approach for identifying favorable phenotypes with the potential to improve the synthesis of biotechnological products.

Atikur Rahman, Md Saidul Borhan, Shafiqur Rahman

Water Science and Technology • 2017

Abstract Bioelectricity generation from biodegradable compounds using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offers an opportunity for simultaneous wastewater treatment. This study evaluated the synergy of electricity generation by the MFC while reducing pollutants from sugar beet processing wastewater (SBPW). A simple dual-chamber MFC was constructed with inexpensive materials without using catalysts. Raw SBPW was diluted to several concentrations (chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 505 to 5,750 mg L−1) and fed as batch-mode into the MFC without further modification. A power density of 14.9 mW m−2 as power output was observed at a COD concentration of 2,565 mg L−1. Coulombic efficiency varied from 6.21% to 0.73%, indicating diffusion of oxygen through the cation exchange membrane and other methanogenesis and fermentation processes occurring in the anode chamber. In this study, >97% of the COD and up to 100% of the total suspended solids removals were observed from MFC-treated SBPW. Scanning electron microscopy of anode indicated that a diverse community of microbial consortia was active for electricity generation and wastewater treatment. This study demonstrated that SBPW can be used as a substrate in the MFC to generate electricity as well as to treat for pollutant removal.

Luca Andreassi, Stefano Cordiner, Massimo Feola et al.

Volume 1 • 2003

Fuel cells (FC) technology applied to energy production could represent an effective solution to face greenhouse gas emissions and to differentiate energy sources. However, real performances of FC systems still represent a critical issue in the definition of an assessed and economically competitive technology. In fact, FC performances depend on many variables such as temperature, pressure, current, membrane humidification, stoichiometry of the reactant gas, etc.; additionally, many of these influencing parameters depend one on the other, further complicating the analysis. Numerical simulation could greatly contribute to a better understanding of the influence of design parameters. Nevertheless, the availability of experimental data to validate and to verify the numerical models is an imperative issue. The primary target of the research activity described in this paper is the set up of an experimental test bench for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEM FC) at the Department of Mechanical Engineer of the University of Roma Tor Vergata aiming to completely test 8 cells 0.1 kW stack: the measured data are fundamental to validate the numerical models which have been developed by the Authors following different hierarchical levels (both semi-empirical and dimensional analytical approach) with different predictive capabilities. This apparatus allows the control of the reactant gas mass flow rates, stack pressure, humidity, current, temperature and voltage. In this way it is possible to assess a mixed experimental-numerical methodology allowing a tuning procedure for the developed models making a wide use of dedicated experimental data. The preliminary results in terms of comparisons between experimental and computational data show a good agreement even by varying some of the most performance-affecting parameters such as operating pressure and temperature.

Aris Mukimin, Nur Zen, Hanny Vistanty et al.

Jurnal Riset Teknologi Pencegahan Pencemaran Industri • 2020

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a new proposed technology reported to generate renewable energy while simultaneously treating wastewater. Membraneless microbial fuel cell (ML-MFC) system was developed to eliminate the requirement of membrane which is expensive and prone to clogging while enhancing electricity generation and wastewater treatment efficiency. For this purpose, a reactor was designed in two chambers and connected via three pipes (1 cm in diameter) to enhance fluid diffusion. Influent flowrate was maintained by adjusting peristaltic pump at the base of anaerobic chamber. Carbon cloth (235 cm2) was used as anode and paired with gas diffusion layer (GDL) carbon-Pt as cathode. Anaerobic sludge was filtered and used as starter feed for the anaerobic chamber. The experiment was carried out by feeding synthetic wastewater to anaerobic chamber; while current response and potential were recorded. Performance of reactor was evaluated in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). Electroactive microbe was inoculated from anaerobic sludge and showed current response (0.55-0.65 mA) at 0,35 V, range of diameter 1.5-2 µm. The result of microscopics can showed three different species. The microbial performance was increased by adding ferric oxide 1 mM addition as acceptor electron. The reactor was able to generate current, voltage, and electricity power of 0.36 mA, 110 mV, and 40 mWatt (1.5 Watt/m2), respectively, while reaching COD removal and maximum coulomb efficiency (EC) of 16% and 10.18%, respectively.

Ruiwen Wang, Mei Yan, Huidong Li et al.

Advanced Materials • 2018

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have received great attention worldwide due to their potential in recovering electrical energy from waste and inexhaustible biomass. Unfortunately, the difficulty of achieving the high power, especially in real samples, remains a bottleneck for their practical applications. Herein, FeS 2 nanoparticles decorated graphene is fabricated via a simple hydrothermal reaction. The FeS 2 nanoparticles decorated graphene anode not only benefits bacterial adhesion and enrichment of electrochemically active Geobacter species on the electrode surface but also promotes efficient extracellular electron transfer, thus giving rise to a fast start‐up time of 2 d, an unprecedented power density of 3220 mW m −2 and a remarkable current density of 3.06 A m −2 in the acetate‐feeding and mixed bacteria‐based MFCs. Most importantly, the FeS 2 nanoparticles decorated graphene anode successfully achieves a power density of 310 mW m −2 with simultaneous removal of 1319 ± 28 mg L −1 chemical oxygen demand in effluents from a beer factory wastewater. The characteristics of improved power generation and enhanced pollutant removal efficiency opens the door toward development of high‐performance MFCs via rational anode design for practical application.

João Vitor Aires Teixeira, Elki Cristina De Souza

DESAFIOS - Revista Interdisciplinar da Universidade Federal do Tocantins • 2025

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment and renewable energy generation, with their efficiency being highly dependent on microbial community composition, which varies considerably across effluent types and operational conditions. In this study, metagenomic sequencing libraries of 16S rRNA amplicons were obtained from 227 samples across 30 published MFC studies. These libraries were processed using the QIIME2 v2025.5.1 amplicon data analysis pipeline to perform taxonomic classification, evaluate microbial diversity metrics, and infer functional pathway associations. Despite the variability observed, common electroactive genera such as Geobacter (1.10%) and organic matter degraders like Proteiniphilum (0.84%) were consistently identified, along with halotolerant Halobacteriota in high-salinity environments. At the phylum level, Pseudomonadota (13.45%) and Bacteroidota (9.88%) were predominant, with functional pathways linked to extracellular electron transfer, biofilm formation, and pollutant degradation. These findings underscore key microbial taxa and metabolic processes critical to MFC performance, providing a foundation for optimizing microbial consortia and refining operational strategies to enhance bioenergy production and wastewater treatment across diverse environmental contexts.

Misto, Siswanto, Tri Mulyono et al.

BIO Web of Conferences • 2023

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising technology that converts organic waste into electrical energy through bacterial activity. The process involves capturing a low voltage of approximately 0.4 V generated by the MFC using a small capacitor, which is then stored and transferred to a larger capacitor to increase the capacity. In order for this energy to be used for general AC-powered devices, an inverter is essential to convert the DC output to AC. This system, consisting of a series of capacitors and inverters, along with voltage dampers and rectifiers, forms a circuit that can potentially function as an efficient low-power generator. The effectiveness of this arrangement remains to be tested, which will determine its viability as a renewable energy storage solution.

Min-Chi Hsieh, Chiu-Yu Cheng, Man-Hai Liu et al.

Sensors • 2015

The conventional Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) method takes five days to analyze samples. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) may be an alternate tool for rapid BOD determination in water. However, a MFC biosensor for continuous BOD measurements of water samples is still unavailable. In this study, a MFC biosensor inoculated with known mixed cultures was used to determine the BOD concentration. Effects of important parameters on establishing a calibration curve between the BOD concentration and output signal from the MFC were evaluated. The results indicate monosaccharides were good fuel, and methionine, phenylalanine, and ethanol were poor fuels for electricity generation by the MFC. Ions in the influent did not significantly affect the MFC performance. CN− in the influent could alleviate the effect of antagonistic electron acceptors on the MFC performance. The regression equation for BOD concentration and current density of the biosensor was y = 0.0145x + 0.3317. It was adopted to measure accurately and continuously the BOD concentration in actual water samples at an acceptable error margin. These results clearly show the developed MFC biosensor has great potential as an alternative BOD sensing device for online measurements of wastewater BOD.

Siti Kudnie Sahari, Nashley Ursula Mundi Ujai, Thommy Thomas et al.

Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology • 2025

The study examines the effect of chamber size, Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) arrangement, environmental conditions on voltage production, and the influence of connecting Power Management System (PMS) with MFC. A 6-unit single-chamber MFC device was built using soil as a catalyst and coconut leaves as a substrate. It was then connected to a PMS. The study showed that a 350 ml MFC unit arranged in series produced a greater voltage of 457 mV compared to a 700 ml container. The smaller chamber was connected in series and integrated with a PMS consisting of a charge pump, DC-DC boost converter, and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), which led to a maximum stable voltage of 10.56 V. It highlights the possibility of increasing voltage consistently by using smaller MFC chambers, dirt as a catalyst, coconut leaves as a substrate, and aluminum as an electrode, together with a thorough PMS setup.

Jenna Heilmann, Bruce E. Logan

Water Environment Research • 2006

Electricity generation was examined from proteins and a protein‐rich wastewater using a single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC). The maximum power densities achieved were 354 ± 10 mW/m 2 using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 269 ± 14 mW/m 2 using peptone (1100 mg/L BSA and 300 mg/L peptone). The recovery of organic matter as electricity, defined as the Coulombic efficiency (CE), was comparable to that obtained with other substrates with CE = 20.6% for BSA and CE = 6.0% for peptone. A meat packing wastewater (MPW), diluted to 1420 mg/L chemical oxygen demand, produced 80 ± 1 mW/m 2 , and power was increased by 33% by adding salt (300 mg/L sodium chloride) to increase solution conductivity. A wastewater inoculum generated 33% less power than the MPW inoculum. The MFC was an effective method of wastewater treatment, demonstrated by >86% of biochemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon removal from wastewater.

P Gajbhiye, K S Maan, J S Kahlon

Journal of Physics: Conference Series • 2022

Abstract Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) has been attracting significant attention as it not only treats waste water but also generates electricity from using waste water thereby producing electricity. The present paper presents the use of MFC in converting the waste water into electricity using a PVA membrane and graphite electrodes assembled in a lab made single MFC stack. The highest voltage obtained as 452 mV in open circuit condition which got stabilized after working for 8hrs of operation and the membrane lasted for more than 10 days of operation. The maximum current density produced was 1400mA/sqm and the ion exchange capacity was found to be 1.2meq/gm. FTIR, contact angle, TGA and SEM analysis of the membrane was also done.

Carlo Santoro, Cristina Flores-Cadengo, Francesca Soavi et al.

Scientific Reports • 2018

Abstract In this work, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) stack containing 28 ceramic MFCs was tested in both standard and supercapacitive modes. The MFCs consisted of carbon veil anodes wrapped around the ceramic separator and air-breathing cathodes based on activated carbon catalyst pressed on a stainless steel mesh. The anodes and cathodes were connected in parallel. The electrolytes utilized had different solution conductivities ranging from 2.0 mScm −1 to 40.1 mScm −1 , simulating diverse wastewaters. Polarization curves of MFCs showed a general enhancement in performance with the increase of the electrolyte solution conductivity. The maximum stationary power density was 3.2 mW (3.2 Wm −3 ) at 2.0 mScm −1 that increased to 10.6 mW (10.6 Wm −3 ) at the highest solution conductivity (40.1 mScm −1 ). For the first time, MFCs stack with 1 L operating volume was also tested in supercapacitive mode, where full galvanostatic discharges are presented. Also in the latter case, performance once again improved with the increase in solution conductivity. Particularly, the increase in solution conductivity decreased dramatically the ohmic resistance and therefore the time for complete discharge was elongated, with a resultant increase in power. Maximum power achieved varied between 7.6 mW (7.6 Wm −3 ) at 2.0 mScm −1 and 27.4 mW (27.4 Wm −3 ) at 40.1 mScm −1 .

Oluwatosin Obata, Xavier Alexis Walter, John Greenman et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2018

Microbial fuel cell technology harnesses the potential of some naturally occurring bacteria for electricity generation. To initiate the operation of microbial fuel cells, inoculation with different types of bacterial community, including those found in activated sludge, are employed. There are however, health hazards associated with the use of digested activated sludge and this of course depends on where the sample has been sourced from. Organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enteric viruses have been reported in activated sludge, which can have practical difficulties when working with such samples. Therefore, the development of an efficient electroactive bacterial community, capable of producing optimum power output without the need for sludge inoculation, would eliminate any potential risks. In the current study, we developed an efficient electroactive bacterial community within a ceramic based MFC system, using only fresh urine as the inoculum. Efficient biofilm development was achieved by stepwise adjustment of the external resistance, following 48 hours of open circuit operation. This resulted in a uniform bacterial community with power output levels >50% higher than those inoculated (as per standard practice) with activated sludge. The results showed that power generation begins within 2 days of experimental set-up, compared to at least 5 days in sludge inoculated systems, thus significantly reducing start up time. Incidentally, the development of the bacterial community occurs irrespective of the freshness or age of the urine feed. Given the difficulty in moving suitable activated sludge across countries/borders and that practical application of MFCs technology is more likely to occur in remote rural locations, it is possible that suitable activated sludge might not be available for inoculation locally. Therefore, deployment of MFC systems capable of producing optimum power without the need for sludge-inoculation would be beneficial to their widespread global application. This is the first report of an in situ development of an electroactive bacterial community in urine-fed MFC systems that outperform those initially inoculated with activated sludge. Keywords: In situ bacterial community development, Microbial fuel cell, Fresh urine, Electrogenic bacterial community.

Zaini Abdul Halim, Nor Raihana Abu Sepian, Khairiah Abd Karim

Materials Science Forum • 2017

This study is conducted to determine the potential of palm oil mill effluent (POME) as medium for growing sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) in anaerobic condition for microbial fuel cell application. In this study, effect of different percentage (20-70%) of POME was investigated on the growing cell of SRB. The bacterium was propagated in 400 ml Schott bottle at 35°C, pH 7.8 purged with nitrogen gas. The optical density during the growth of SRB was measured using UV-Vis Spectrophotometer at 600nm wavelength and the weight of dry cell was calculated to determine the specific growth rate. The highest specific growth rate (0.0636/hr) of SRB was achieved using 20% of POME compared to the media without POME (0.0464/hr). The increment is around 37%. The output voltage with 20% of POME is 0.23V which is 55.5% improvement compared to the medium without POME, thus proved that POME has the potential as growth medium for SRB in anaerobic condition for microbial fuel cell application. Booster circuit is possible to be used to boost the output voltage of the MFC until 3V which is more useful for electronic applications.

Cynthia K. Akaluka, Justinah C. Orji, Wesley Braide et al.

International Letters of Natural Sciences • 2016

The capacity of Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to produce voltage and concurrently treat abattoir waste water was investigated in MFCs that used 0.1M potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6] as catholytes. Physicochemical, electrochemical and Microbiological properties of the MFCs were monitored. The open circuit voltage (OCV) readings were taken at 3 hours interval and maximum OCV of 965mV was recorded. Also, The physicochemical characteristics of the MFCs revealed that the pH decreased by 0.2 after treatment; Chemical Oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, ammonia, and total nitrogen reduced by 88.4%, 65.56%, 43.88%, 60% and 60% respectively. However, Phosphate increased by 54%. The bacterial isolates from the raw abattoir wastewater were Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus while Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli were isolated from the biofilms on the anode. Microbial fuel cells therefore have capacities for simultaneous waste water treatment and electricity generation.

K. Saravanakumar, R. Rajeswari

Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience • 2019

Summary Renewable energy sources are useful for sustainable monitoring, but still very limited today due to various implementation constraints. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are considered a promising renewable power source for remote monitoring applications. They are used as wireless temperature sensors and biosensors due to their ability in powering environmental sensors. MFCs can provide ultralow and dynamic power, and hence, energy improvement is crucial for self‐powered biosensors. Cloud computing–based IoT framework is proposed for environment monitoring using MFC‐based biosensors. This paper presents the electric energy harvesting from Oryza Sativa plants with bacteria as the catalyst. It adopts the technology of MFC in the plants to extract the maximum energy. An effective power management with IoT cloud framework is presented in this work to independently operate multiple MFCs to generate maximum power. Independently operated MFCs with electrically isolated electrodes have been utilized in the design of a suitable power management system. Cloud computing is utilized in this work to process the data generated in continuous monitoring of environment. Experimental results show that the proposed framework can achieve sustainable power for sensor nodes and achieves maximum performance in environment monitoring using cloud‐based IoT platform.

Matheus Henrique Alcântara de Lima Cardozo, Isabel Cristina Braga Rodrigues, Demian Patrick Fabiano et al.

Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental • 2024

Objective: This work aimed to employ fuzzy logic combined with the design of experiments technique to statistically evaluate how the microbial fuel cells operating parameters influence their performance. Theoretical Framework: Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are a technology of interest in the current scenario as they allow simultaneously promoting the biotreatment of waste and the bio generation of electrical energy. Methodology: Through a bibliographical search based on publications on Google Scholar platform over the last 10 years, it was noticed that anode area, external electrical resistance and reactor volume are the most reported input parameters in MFC research and current density and power density are the output parameters most frequently portrayed in these studies, which is why these variables were selected for statistical investigation. Results and Discussion: The results showed that, for both outputs studied, reactor volume and anode area showed a positive effect, while the external electrical resistance showed a negative effect. It was also possible to develop mathematical models that indicated the relationship between the input and output variables studied, with statistical significance for power density model (R2 = 86%). Originality: Applying computational simulations and subsequent design of experiments to obtain results in accordance with those obtained experimentally in the laboratory.

Li Wang, Jiafeng Fu, Wenlei Wang et al.

E3S Web of Conferences • 2020

This work explores the effect of the ammonia concentration on the wetland synthesis of microbial fuel cell (MFC) and on the production and the efficiency of sewage purification. Four ammonia concentrations from 1 to 30 mg/L have been selected. Under the fixed condition of a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 200 mg/L, a constructed wetland microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) could be built. The results show that by selecting the optimum ammonia concentration the production of the CW-MFC could be promoted; a higher ammonia concentration (>20 mg/L) is found to inhibit the production activity of CW-MFC. In the optimum conditions, Cathode and anode thickness is 10 cm, the ammonia concentration is 10 mg/L, the COD concentration of 200 mg/L, the maximum power density of the battery is 13.6 W/m 3 , the corresponding current density is 148.6 A/m 3 and the battery internal resistance is 270 Ω. At the ammonia nitrogen concentration of 10 mg/L, the removal rates of ammonia nitrogen and COD were up to 89.7% and 98.47% respectively. As the ammonia nitrogen concentration increased to 30 mg/L, the ammonia nitrogen and COD removal rates decreased to 74.6% and 90.69% respectively. That is, when the ammonia nitrogen concentration is 10 mg/L, CW-MFC can exhibit the best performance.

Ganesan V. Murugesu, Saiful Nizam Khalid, Hussain Shareef et al.

Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • 2025

This paper presents the correlation between open circuit voltage (OCV) and pH, temperature, and total dissolved solids (TDS) of an air cathode single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) using artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. Previous works used terminal voltages as output parameters to determine the correlation between MFCs' input and output parameters. However, OCV is the most important measurement that can determine the validity of the MFC. Thus, various tests were conducted to analyze the correlation between OCV and input parameters using ANN and SVM algorithms. Both techniques show a strong correlation between OCV and input parameters with the highest R2 values. The highest OCV value obtained from the experiment is 1.179 V at pH 5.26, temperature 299K, and TDS 3,124 ppm. Furthermore, an ANN model was developed to predict the OCV value based on pH, temperature, and TDS value.

Chaijak Pimprapa, Sinkan Purimprach, Wetchapan Patcharida

Jurnal Teknologi • 2022

Palm oil milled effluent (POME) is one of the most environmental concerned industrial wastewater owing to its complex structure. Melanoidin is a highly stable content in POME that caused the dark color. In this study, the Galactomyces sp. rich consortium TM11 with high laccase activity was used to remove a contaminated melanoidin from raw POME. Besides, the single chamber ceramic microbial fuel cell (sCMFC) was developed to eliminate melanoidin and simultaneously generate electrical power. The results indicated that the maximal current density and power density of 215.56±5.09 mA/m2 and 139.44±6.56 mW/m2 were reached. Whereas the melanoidin removal of 83.50±2.93% was obtained. This study was the first reported of using laccase producing yeast comsortium to remove melanoidin and generate electrical power.

Yulia Plekhanova, Sergey Tarasov, Vladimir Kolesov et al.

Preprints.org • 2018

The anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) was formed on a graphite electrode and immobilized Gluconobacter oxydans VKM-1280 bacterial cells. Immobilization was performed in chitosan, poly(vinyl alcohol) or N-vinylpyrrolidone-modified poly(vinyl alcohol). Ethanol was used as substrate. The anode was modified using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The aim of the modification was to create a conductive network between cell lipid membranes, containing exposed PQQ-dependent alcoholdehydrogenases, and the electrode to facilitate electron transfer in the system. The bioelectrochemical characteristics of modified anodes at various cell/polymer ratios were assessed via current density, power density, polarization curves and impedance spectres. MFCs based on chitosan at a matrix/cell volume ratio of 5:1 produced maximal power characteristics of the system (8.3 μW/cm2) at a minimal resistance (1111 Ohm cm2). Modification of the anode by multiwalled carbon nanotubes led to a slight decrease of internal resistance (down to 1078 Ohm cm2) and to an increase of generated power density up to 10.6 μW/cm2. We explored the possibility of accumulating electric energy from an MFC on a 6,800-μF capacitor via a boost converter. Generated voltage was increased from 0.3 V up to 3.2 V. Accumulated energy was used to power a Clark-type biosensor and a bluetooth transmitter with three sensors, a miniature electric motor and a light-emitting diode.

Yuhong Zhou, Guowang Zhou, Lu Yin et al.

ChemElectroChem • 2016

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a new opportunity to produce sustainable energy from the treatment of the organic matter in wastewater. However, the power density of MFCs for large‐scale application is limited by the performance of anode, with one of the major factors being low bacterial adhesion capacity. In this work, a novel macroporous sugarcane carbon (SC) is prepared by a direct carbonization process, and is used as anode material in a packed MFC. A maximum power density of 59.94±2.81 W m −3 is achieved in an MFC equipped with the SC anode, which is 2.62 times higher than that of the granular activated carbon (GAC) anode. A microbial analysis shows that the SC anode has a higher amount of biomass and the abundance of Geobacter is 6.6 times higher than that of the GAC anode, which indicates that the SC anode has higher biocompatibility. Further studies show that the macroporous structure, high surface roughness, large surface hydrophobicity and low absolute value of zeta potential favor bacterial adhesion to the SC anode surface. Therefore, this study provides an excellent anode material for high‐performance MFCs, and reveals the impact of physicochemical properties on power generation.

Ilmi Wahyuni, Heri Heriyono, Aisyah Aisyah et al.

ALCHEMY • 2022

Sugarcane molasses have been reported as potential biomass to produce electricity from its metabolic processes through the microbial fuel cell (MFC) system. However, it is important to improve electrical generation by using both appropriate and readily available substrates and microorganisms. This study aimed to determine the current and potential difference as well as the power density generated from the metabolic process of the molasses substrate. A dual-chamber of MFC was arranged in series to generate electrical current. The anode chamber contained a mixture of molasses substrate, potassium phosphate buffer pH 7, and Pseudomonas sp. The cathode chamber contained 0.2 M KMnO4 electrolyte solution. Measurement of current and potential differences was conducted every 4 hours for 36 hours. The results showed that the maximum current, potential difference, and power density were 1656 mV, 1582 µA, and 1794.37 mW/m2, respectively.Keywords: dual chamber, microbial fuel cell, molasses, Pseudomonas sp. Molase telah banyak dilaporkan sebagai salah satu sumber energi listrik yang potensial dengan menggunakan sistem microbial fuel cell (MFC). Namun demikian, produksi energi listriknya perlu ditingkatkan dengan menggunakan substrat dan mikroorganisme yang tepat dan mudah diperoleh. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui arus dan beda potensial serta nilai kerapatan daya yang dihasilkan dari proses metabolisme substrat molase menggunakan bakteri Pseudomonas sp. Penelitian ini menggunakan sistem MFC kompartemen ganda sebanyak dua sel yang dirangkai seri. Ruang anoda berisi campuran substrat molase, buffer kalium fosfat pH 7 dan bakteri Pseudomonas sp. Adapun ruang katoda berisi larutan elektrolit KMnO4 0,2 M. Pengukuran arus dan beda potensial dilakukan setiap 4 jam selama 36 jam. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang dilakukan didapatkan nilai arus, beda potensial maksimum dan kerapatan daya masing-masing sebesar 1656 mV, 1582 µA dan 1794,37 mW/m2.Kata kunci: dua sel, microbial fuel cell, molase, Pseudomonas sp

Sébastien Votat, Maxime Pontié, Emmanuel Jaspard et al.

Energies • 2024

In the present study, CV dye, known as a recalcitrant dye, was tested for bioremediation via Trichoderma harzianum in a dual-chambered MFC for the first time. Two types of carbon clothes, KIP and CSV from the Dacarb company (France), were tested as electrodes and supported for fungi growth. We first observed that 52% and 55% of the CV were removed by the MFC using KIP and CSV anodes, respectively. The incomplete removal of VC was explained by the relative toxicity of VC to T. harzianum and correlated with IC50 determined as 0.97 ± 0.28 mg L−1 at 25 °C. Furthermore, the MFC working with the KIP electrode was more efficient with a higher maximum power density of 1096 mW m−3 and was only 14.1 mW m−3 for CSV. The MFC experiments conducted on KIP without the T. harzianum biofilm exhibited significantly lower potential and power density values, which proves the electrocatalytic effect of this fungus. These results provide new insight into the development of an effective MFC system capable of direct energy generation and, at the same time, promoting the bioremediation of the persistent CV pollutant.

Tomasz Bednarek

E3S Web of Conferences • 2021

The performance of the PEM fuel cell directly depends on the partial pressure of provided reactants, namely hydrogen and oxygen. Since reactants are consumed in the fuel cell reaction, partial pressure of reactants decreases in the direction of reactants flow. This well-known mechanism makes the performance of the fuel cell dependent on the stoichiometry ratios of input reactants. The JRC ZERO∇CELL, a single cell PEM fuel cell testing setup, is developed to provide as much as possible uniform operating conditions at the 10cm 2 active area specimen, hence giving uniform current density across the active area of the cell. To investigate what is the real gradient of current density across the active area for the JRC ZERO∇CELL at various reactant stoichiometry ratios, segmented bi-polar plates and current collectors are developed. This study presents experimental investigation of the current density distribution across the active area of the JRC ZERO∇CELL setup at range of reactant stoichiometry ratios from λ = 2 up to λ = 15. Current density gradients are considered along the gas flow as well as in the transverse direction. The experimental results show that the current density gradient across the active area, although dependant on the reactants stoichiometry ratios, is relatively small as compared with a wide range of investigated stoichiometry ratios.

Fatemeh Bagherighajari, Abbas Moradi Bilondi, Mohammadmahdi Abdollahzadehsangroudi et al.

Fuel Cells • 2023

Abstract Flow field design is crucial for achieving higher performance in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This study uses a two‐phase, multi‐component, and three‐dimensional model to simulate the performance of PEMFCs that use interdigitated flow field design with intermediate blocks on the cathode side. A detailed parametric study is presented to investigate the effects of various geometric and operational parameters. Of the parameters studied, inlet mass flow rate, relative humidity, and rib width had the greatest impact on cell performance. The results show that increasing the cathode stoichiometric ratio resulted in higher fuel cell performance for blocked interdigitated designs compared to parallel designs. In addition, using cathode channels with higher height values resulted in lower PEMFC performance for all flow fields. Higher values of rib/channel width ratio resulted in lower cell performance due to liquid water accumulation in the rib regions. However, at higher rib/channel width ratios, the positive effect of using interdigitated flow designs was more pronounced. Moreover, at a low relative humidity of RH = 25%, a 10.4% higher performance was obtained for the interdigitated type II compared to cases with RH = 100%, due to more effective over‐rib convection and higher water removal.

Sooyoun Yu, Qi Chen, Wilfred Chen et al.

ECS Meeting Abstracts • 2019

Even though enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are considered as a promising green alternative method of power generation, much of their research has been limited to the use of a single enzyme as biocatalyst, leading to incomplete oxidation as well as limited range of simple fuels. In this work, enzymatic fuel cell utilizing multienzyme cascade system immobilized on DNA scaffold as anodic biocatalyst as well as high-surface area, electrically conductive carbonaceous nanofibers (CNFs) as electrodes was built for the first time to accommodate a complex molecule such as cellulose as fuel. Three cellulases and cellulose-binding domain (CBD) were expressed in E.Coli, purified using elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and then conjugated with DNA linker using a fusion partner called HaloTag. All four enzymes and commercial glucose oxidase (GOx) were site-specifically immobilized on customized DNA template via hybridization for efficient cellulose hydrolysis and subsequent glucose oxidation. Varied number of enzymes were combined on the DNA scaffold and resulting reaction rate was compared to the same number of enzymes freely suspended in solution. Successful immobilization of enzymes on the DNA template increased the reaction rate up to 10-fold compared to when they were in solution, confirming the synergistic effect of the multiple enzymes immobilized on a scaffold. Investigation of temperature and pH effect revealed imitating the enzymes’ typical habitat (i.e. 37 o C and pH5) further increased the reaction rate of the multienzyme system. Carbonaceous nanofibers (CNFs) were used as the electrodes for both anode and cathode, which were first produced as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers via electrospinning method. Three sets of design of experiments (DOEs) were used to systematically vary the solution, electrospinning, and environmental conditions. Analyses of the effect of the conditions on nanofiber diameter and bead density allowed for minimization of PAN nanofiber diameter down to 38 ± 7 nm with negligible bead density. PAN nanofibers were then converted to CNFs via a two-step heat treatment, and their resulting molecular structure confirmed by FT-IR and XRD was graphitic. Electrical conductivity characterized by 4-point probe measurement supported that CNFs were suitable for electrode applications, ranging from 1.2 to 7.4 S/cm. Electrochemical characterization of CNF mat electrode functionalized with GOx exhibited direct electron transfer from GOx cofactor to the CNF mat electrode at E=-0.63 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Anodic performance of CNF mat electrode functionalized with multienzyme system was electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Finally, cellulolytic enzymatic fuel cell was assembled with the multienzymatic CNF anode and CNF cathode, which was functionalized with bilirubin oxidase for oxygen reduction. Figure 1. Schematic representation of the cellulolytic enzymatic fuel cell with multienzyme cascade on DNA scaffold immobilized on carbonaceous nanofiber mat electrode. Components not drawn to scale. Figure 1

Muhammet OZDOGAN

Journal of Thermal Engineering • 2018

In this study, the effects of the working pressure and temperature on the performance of the PEM fuel cell were investigated numerically. Non-isothermal, steady-state and single-phase model was used to examine the behaviour of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells in the three-dimensional condition. The three-dimensional single-cell model has been developed within FLUENT 6.3 software by utilizing the PEMFC module. The results of polarization (voltage) variation curves and current density distribution were given and compared with each other. According to the results obtained, by keeping humidification and cell temperatures in equilibrium, the performance of the cell improves with the increasing cell temperature. In addition, the current density of the cell increases with the increasing operating pressure.

Miguel Ángel López Zavala, Iris Cassandra Cámara Gutiérrez

Fermentation • 2023

In this study, the effects of an external resistance, new electrode material, and non-conventional catholyte on the energy generation and performance of a dual-chamber MFC were evaluated. Ten different resistances (15 Ω–220 kΩ), hydrophilically-treated graphene and graphite electrodes, and a 0.1 M HCl solution as a catholyte were assessed. The results showed that greater energy generation and power density were achieved at an external resistance of 2 kΩ and internal resistance between 2 and 5 kΩ on average; meanwhile, the greatest coulombic efficiency was obtained at the lowest external resistance evaluated (15 Ω). Therefore, it is recommended to operate the MFCs at the external resistance between 2 and 5 kΩ to ensure the maximum power generation of the dual chamber MFCs. Regarding the two electrode materials evaluated as an anode and cathode, hydrophilically-treated graphene was found to be a much better material to enhance the energy production and performance of the MFC system; therefore, its use is suggested in experimental and practical applications. On the other hand, the use of HCl as a catholyte enhanced the performance of MFC (constant and steady potential and greater coulombic efficiency) in most cases.