Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

There is global crisis due to fuel depletion and environmental pollution. The dependency on fossils for fuels is unsustainable due to its finite nature, so researchers are studying alternative sources of energy that are renewable in nature. A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is the device used to generate energy by converting chemical energy into electrical energy by the series of catalytic reactions of anaerobic microorganisms. Recently MFC are in the developing phase due to the use of biodegradable substances for fuel. Not only does it produce electricity but it has many other applications as well like wastewater treatment, biohydrogen production and biosensors. It is based on various parameters and has several configurations for the higher energy output. This review studies about MFCs history, working, types, components, designs, factors affecting the MFCs, applications and its future scope.