Effect of nanowire conductive transfer on the performance of batch‐microbial fuel cells

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology that uses microorganisms to simultaneously generate bioelectricity while treating wastewater. To further improve the performance of the MFC, it is essential to understand and evaluate the electron transfer mechanism. However, redesigning the electron transfer mechanism of MFCs through an experimental approach is costly and time-consuming. Hence, in this study, a numerical modeling approach is implemented through the Nernst-Monod kinetic equation, which is validated by experimental results. A nanowire conductive transferring pathway is considered between the microorganisms and anode electrodes of a batch-type MFC. Moreover, two types of bacteria are utilized such as the Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Shewanella putrefacient with substrate concentrations of 0.5 M sodium lactate. The results have shown that the limiting current density of the MFC from the computational model is 1514 mA m À2 . On the other