Microbial conversion of biomass: a review of microbial fuel cells

The cleaner generation of energy is a vital concept if we are to ensure the survival of our current lifestyle past the depletion of the Earth’s fossil fuel supply. The study described in this chapter investigates the alternative energy producing method of microbial conversion of biomass to produce electrical energy. Currently techniques are being explored to minimise the cost of building and running cells in which microbial conversion takes place. There are several areas where improvements may be made including the physical design of the cell, the catalyst used in the cathode chamber, the membrane material and the ideal lowcost substrate. The study presented in this chapter provides a review of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), and discusses the design and construction of MFCs and presents the results of tests carried out with a number of constructed cells