Abstract:

The performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is influenced by the anode biofilm with electrochemical activity, while the formation of anode biofilm greatly depends on the anode surface characteristics. To investigate how the two main characteristics of anode surface, surface area and double-layered capacitance, influence MFC performance, three kinds of activated carbon materials were used to make anodes with different double-layered capacitance values. The startup and operation performance of MFCs with those anodes were evaluated in the single-chamber air-cathode MFCs. When anode double-layered capacitance increased from 0.0012 F to 22.72 F, MFC starting up time decreased by 68% and maximal power density of MFC increased by 16.8 times to 546.1 mW·m^-2. The images of scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated that the biofilm formed on the anode with large capacitance was approximately one time thicker than that on the anode with small capacitance. Anode performance was directly influenced by anode double-layered capacitance other than anode surface area.

Key words: anode, double-layered capacitance, biofilm, power generation, microbial fuel cell

摘要：

采用3种活性炭粉制备具有不同电容的阳极,研究了双电层电容阳极对单室空气阴极微生物燃料电池启动、运行、性能、阳极生物膜附着的影响。结果表明:当电极表面积相近的情况下,阳极双电层电容从0.0012 F增加到22.72 F时,微生物燃料电池启动时间缩短了68.0%,电池的最大功率密度增加了16.8倍,达到546.1 mW·m^-2。扫描电子显微镜的结果表明高电容的阳极表面附着的微生物量比低电容电极的高1倍。 因此,微生物燃料电池性能受阳极双电层电容的影响,而与阳极表面积的相关性小。

关键词: 阳极, 双电层电容, 生物膜, 产电功率, 微生物燃料电池