A Novel Submersible Microbial Fuel Cell with Bubble-retaining Cover for Long-term Power Generation

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
Email: re0178ke@ed.ritsumei.ac.jp (T.Y.); n-trang@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp (T.N.); taguchi@se.ritsumei.ac.jp (K.T.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received February 13, 2026; accepted April 31, 2026; published August 27, 2026

Abstract—This study proposes a novel Flooded Microbial Fuel Cell (FMFC). Conventional Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) require the cathode to be exposed to air, which limits their installation to locations near the water surface. Flooded MFCs suffer from oxygen supply deficiencies and biofouling, leading to rapid performance degradation. Therefore, this study employs a cobalt-copper conductive material with bactericidal properties for the cathode. Additionally, an umbrella-shaped cover that traps bubbles is mounted over the cathode, creating a structure that maintains oxygen supply even underwater. As a result, the covered configuration showed significantly improved power generation sustainability compared to the uncovered configuration. Notably, when using cobalt material, stable power generation lasting over three months was confirmed. This FMFC can be installed in deep environments not in contact with the water surface, such as aeration tanks in water purification plants or rivers, where oxygen bubbles are abundant in the liquid. It achieves both long-term power generation sustainability and installation flexibility.

Keywords—flooded MFCs, cobalt, copper, power generation sustainability, umbrella-shaped cover, biofouling prevention, aeration tank application

Cite: Tomoya Yabuzaki, Trang Nakamoto, and Kozo Taguchi, "A Novel Submersible Microbial Fuel Cell with Bubble-retaining Cover for Long-term Power Generation," International Journal of Sustainability in Energy and Environment, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 49-53, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited ( CC-BY-4.0).