Performance Investigation of A Sewage Sludge-Based Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cell (TMFC)

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) as a substitute for generating electricity and managing waste has gained popularity. MFCs are viewed as a potential alternative for conventional power sources because they harness the power of microbes to convert the chemical energy in organic matter into electricity. This study focused on performance of a terrestrial microbial fuel cell (TMFC) that utilized easily obtainable ingredients from local markets and sewage sludge. The designed system has an anode, cathode, cathodic chamber, proton exchange system, and electrode catalyst. The process starts with assembling the unit and collecting wastes for preparing the substrate. After that, the respective solution is prepared for the anode and cathode chambers. Finally, electrodes are connected, and the voltage is measured after a specific time. Modifying the catalyst recorded the maximum voltage as 1168 mV, and the highest power generation amount was calculated as 143.1 mW/m
²
. Microbial electricity generation using MFCs could emerge as an effective form of bioenergy in the coming years, during which abundant organic waste can be reduced and valorized.