Microbial Fuel Cell as a Future Energy Source: A Review of Its Development, Design, Power Generation, and Voltage Reversal Control Mechanism

Abstract

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising technology that uses microorganisms to generate electrical energy from chemical energy. However, ultra-low-power production and high-cost material became significant drawbacks in MFC development. Therefore, various methods are proposed by researchers to increase the output power of MFC. Among them, stacking up multiple cells in a series is suggested as one of the most promising methods to generate high power in MFC. However, the voltage reversal (VR) becomes an issue that limits electrical power generation in the stacked MFC. Thus, this study investigates and discusses the actual cause of the voltage reversal phenomenon in series stacked MFC from the perspective of electron and proton transfer mechanisms. This paper also discusses electronic control methods used to eliminate VR and the challenges in MFC development. Furthermore, this review also explains the brief evolution of MFC development stages and the factor influencing the performance of the MFC.