Performance of Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Microbial Fuel Cell with Different Porous Anodes

Anode materials were used to construct the microbial fuel cell (MFCs), and the characteristics of the anodes are important for successful applied performance of MFCs. Using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) method, the experiments showed that 5 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were optimal for the PANI/MWNT film anodes prepared using 24 polymerization cycles. The maximum output voltage of the PANI/MWNT film anodes reached 967.7 mV with a power density of 286.63 mW·m^-2. Stable output voltages of 860 mV, 850 mV, and 870 mV were achieved when the anaerobic fluidized bed microbial fuel cell (AFBMFC) anodes consisted of carbon cloth with carbon black on one side, copper foam and carbon brushes, respectively. Pretreatment of anodes before starting the AFBMFC by immersion in the stirred bacterial fluid can significantly shorten AFBMFC startup time. After continuously running the AFBMFC, the anode surfaces generate active microbial catalytic material.