Design of microbial fuel cells for practical application: a review and analysis of scale-up studies

There has been substantial progress towards scale-up and practical application of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology in the last decade. Studies regarding this progress have been reported ranging from 1 to 1000 l, consisting of short-term laboratory-scale experiments, to long-term in situ pilot-scale investigations. Despite this fact, a successful demonstration has yet to be shown. This suggests that advances made at the milliliter-scale have not been translated, or are not transferrable, to larger scales, implying a lack of understanding on how to progress from the milliliter-scale to larger scales. This review compiles 18 separate studies, the majority of scale-up efforts (liter-scale and greater) to date, thoroughly reviewing and analyzing aspects of design in relation to performance and the potential for success. Key factors affecting the MFC performance are highlighted. A future perspective on scaling-up MFCs for practical wastewater treatment is also provided.