Improvement of Microbial Fuel Cells Using a Mechanical Approach

There is increasing interest in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) because the manufacturing costs to produce them can be reduced more readily than other fuel cells through the use of a microbe as a catalyst and a familiar organism as fuel. Although MFCs are expected to be used in a range of applications, from large-scale sewage plants to portable power sources, the performance of these cells is worse than that of other fuel cells. Therefore, the aim of this study is to resolve some of the mechanical challenges associated with MFCs. During the fabrication of a prototype MFC, we determined that the poor performance of MFCs is partly due to substantial diffusion polarization across the anode, and we improved cell performance by stirring the anode tank. Moreover, we determined that the concentration of the mediator also influences cell performance. The findings of this study show that it is possible to improve the performance of MFCs using a mechanical approach.