Optimization of Cathode-to-Anode Surface Area Ratios in 3D-Printed Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell Assemblies

Plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a bioelectrochemical system developed to generate energy from plant bacteria through photosynthesis without disrupting the soil and plants. In this study, a new design of the PMFC model was introduced using 3D printing technology. Its electricity generation potential was observed using C. comosum as a sample plant for the PMFC set-up. Nine different systems of PMFC stake design with varying numbers and lengths of cathode were examined to determine the optimum surface area ratio of the cathode to the anode and its effect on the power generation of the PMFC design. System 7, with the highest cathode-to-anode surface area ratio, generates the highest power and power density of 0.2879 μW and 22.79 μW/ m<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>, respectively. It was found that a ratio of approximately 2.829:1 gives the highest average daily power density. Overall, the result of this study shows that the surface area ratio has been found to affect the performance of the PMFC stake design greatly and, with accurate design and material, can serve as an alternative renewable energy source.