Abstract :
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a novel bio-electrochemical
system that can use various organic substances
as energy source. Computational models of MFC are needed
for prediction and optimization of the MFC performance.
A comprehensive computational modeling of a
membraneless single-chamber MFC, in which bacteria
consumed molasses as a substrate, is reported here. The
simulated cathode had a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene,
which allowed oxygen molecules to diffuse through to take
part in the reduction reaction. The substrate molecules
diffused through the biofilm, which deposited on the anode
surface, and were oxidized by the bacteria localized within
the film. The simulation program accepted inputs such as
the initial amount of molasses, thickness of the biofilm
layer, and dimensions of the MFC chamber. Some outputs
of the program include concentration profiles of molasses
and oxygen as functions of time and location, and the opencircuit
voltage of the MFC as a function of time. As the
cathode thickness decreased or the biofilm increased, the
voltage increased. To obtain a higher voltage, increasing
the biofilm thickness was more effective than decreasing
the cathode thickness when the initial COD levels were
[5,000 mg/L.
