Multiple Block-Shaped Vertical Cathodes for Scale-Up of Floating Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a renewable energy source that utilizes the biological activities of microorganisms and is an effective technology for creating a sustainable society. However, MFCs have not yet been put to practical use. Floating microbial fuel cells (FMFC) with block-shaped electrodes are expected to be practical due to their high stability, high air cathode performance, and ease of fabrication and installation. However, the practical application requires scale-up. In this study, we developed an FMFC with multiple block-shaped electrodes. The relationship between the number of anodes and cathodes and the output power of the FMFC was also investigated. It was found that increasing the number of either anodes or cathodes did not change the output power of the FMFC. Therefore, we fabricated an FMFC with both anodes and cathodes equal to four, resulting in a maximum power of 467 μW, which is 4.2 times higher than that of a single-electrode FMFC.