Effects of Anode and Cathode Area on Organic Compounds Removal and Power Generation in Membraneless Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)

摘要

This study focused on the effects of anode and cathode area on power generation and wastewater treatment in membraneless air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs). The results showed that the power generation of the SCMFCs did not vary with anode area, while the power generation slightly increased with cathode area. Specifically, the power generation increased 10-16% (from 230-236 μW to 265-276 μW) when the cathode area increased from 1.25 to 10 cm~2. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) degradation efficiency increased slightly (10-15%) with anode area, and substantially (more than 50%) with cathode area. The increase in cathode area led to a higher power generation and higher wastewater treatment efficiency in MFCs.