Output Power Improvement of Rumen Bacteria Microbial Fuel Cells Using NI-Plated Conductive Foam

Power generation in rumen bacterial microbial fuel cells (MFCs) operated under anaerobic conditions was enhanced to over 10 mW/m<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> by employing a Ni-plated conductive foam electrode. Rumen bacterial MFCs have attracted considerable attention as potential power sources for rumen sensors, which can remain within the cow's rumen for several months or years. This study evaluated various anode electrode materials for rumen bacterial MFCs under anaerobic conditions and identified Ni as a suitable anode material. Moreover, the use of Ni-plated conductive foams, which provide a porous structure that facilitates bacterial adhesion, led to significant improvements in power generation.