Supplementary Information

Application of maximum power point tracking to increase the power

production and treatment efficiency of a continuously operated

flat-plate microbial fuel cell

Young Eun Song[a], Hitesh C. Boghani[b], Hong Suck Kim[c], Byung Goon Kim[c],

Taeho Lee[d], Byong-Hun Jeon[e], Giuliano C. Premier[b], Jung Rae Kim[a]*

[a]School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-Dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 46241, Korea

[b]Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC), Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, RCT, CF37 1DL, UK

[c]The MFC Research and Business Development (R&BD) Center, K-water Institute, Jeonmin-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34045, Korea

[d]Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Korea[e]Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763,

Korea

Fig. S1. Configuration of MPPT control system, (a) Equipment for continuously fed flat-plate microbial fuel cell (FPM) with MPPT, (b) schematic diagram of flat-plate microbial fuel cell (FPM); C: Cathode, S: separator, A: Anode, (c) Internal circuit board and DAQ system box for MPPT control

Fig. S2. Effect of organic loading rate on cyclic voltammetry while under MPPT operation (with OLR of 0.13, 0.25, 0.63, 1.25 and 2.38 gL-1h-1, respectively). (a) MPPT, (b) FLR (100 Ω)

Fig. S3. Comparison of the acetate consumption and removal efficiency according to the different HRTs on the MPPT and FLR operations.

Fig. S4. Effect of progressively lowered influent acetate concentration under MPPT operation (30℃, pH7, 10mM acetate (initial), 20 min HRT, 5 min sampling interval), (a) voltage and power change with MPPT, (b) acetate concentration and external load change under MPPT control.