Model for investigating cathode dual-population microfluidic microbial fuel cells

Microfluidic microbial fuel cells (MMFC) are one of the most promising power sources. However, due to the lack of clarity in the internal operating mechanism, the output performance is suboptimal. Thus, a comprehensive two-dimensional cathode dual-population model is developed to gain deeper insights into internal workings. Based on verifying the accuracy of the model, the influence of temperature, ionic strength, and spacing of electrode on the performance and microbial growth of MMFC are explored. The finding reveal a nonlinear trend in the performance of MMFC at temperatures of 293.15 K and 313.15 K. Furthermore, the impact of electrode spacing and ionic strength on the performance of MMFC is examined, thereby emphasizing the applicability in experimental research and numerical simulation. This study provided insights into the operating mechanism of dual-population microbial microfluidic fuel cells.