Extending EV Range with Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

OpenAIRE

Steckmann, Kai

2009-01-01

Electric cars are the vehicles of the future, and there is a proven hybrid system for extending their mileage. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) provide safe, lightweight, onboard battery charging that can free car owners from worry about running out of power. The hybrid system includes a DMFC fuel cell, fuel cell cartridge and electric vehicle batteries. The fuel cell operates almost silently with virtually no exhaust, it is immune to extreme weather and the convenient fuel cartridges featu...

Silicon Based Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jackie Vincent

The purpose of this project has been to investigate and fabricate small scale Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (μDMFC). They are investigated as a possible alternative for Zinc-air batteries in small size consumer devices such as hearing aids. In such devices the conventional rechargeable batteries...... such as lithium-ion batteries have insufficiently low energy density. Methanol is a promising fuel for such devices due to the high energy density and ease of refueling compared to charging batteries, making μDMFC a suitable replacement energy source. In this Ph.D. dissertation, silicon micro fabrication...... techniques where utilized to build μDMFCs with the purpose of engineering the structures, both on the micro and nano scales in order to realize a high level of control over the membrane and catalyst components. The work presents four different monolithic fuel cell designs. The primary design is based...

Improved Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Stack

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Mahlon S.; Ramsey, John C.

2005-03-08

A stack of direct methanol fuel cells exhibiting a circular footprint. A cathode and anode manifold, tie-bolt penetrations and tie-bolts are located within the circular footprint. Each fuel cell uses two graphite-based plates. One plate includes a cathode active area that is defined by serpentine channels connecting the inlet and outlet cathode manifold. The other plate includes an anode active area defined by serpentine channels connecting the inlet and outlet of the anode manifold, where the serpentine channels of the anode are orthogonal to the serpentine channels of the cathode. Located between the two plates is the fuel cell active region.

Long Term Performance Study of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Fed with Alcohol Blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleuterio Mora

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The use of alcohol blends in direct alcohol fuel cells may be a more environmentally friendly and less toxic alternative to the use of methanol alone in direct methanol fuel cells. This paper assesses the behaviour of a direct methanol fuel cell fed with aqueous methanol, aqueous ethanol and aqueous methanol/ethanol blends in a long term experimental study followed by modelling of polarization curves. Fuel cell performance is seen to decrease as the ethanol content rises, and subsequent operation with aqueous methanol only partly reverts this loss of performance. It seems that the difference in the oxidation rate of these alcohols may not be the only factor affecting fuel cell performance.

High performance direct methanol fuel cell with thin electrolyte membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Nianfang

2017-06-01

A high performance direct methanol fuel cell is achieved with thin electrolyte membrane. 320 mW cm-2 of peak power density and over 260 mW cm-2 at 0.4 V are obtained when working at 90 °C with normal pressure air supply. It is revealed that the increased anode half-cell performance with temperature contributes primarily to the enhanced performance at elevated temperature. From the comparison of iR-compensated cathode potential of methanol/air with that of H2/air fuel cell, the impact of methanol crossover on cathode performance decreases with current density and becomes negligible at high current density. Current density is found to influence fuel efficiency and methanol crossover significantly from the measurement of fuel efficiency at different current density. At high current density, high fuel efficiency can be achieved even at high temperature, indicating decreased methanol crossover.

Integrated anode structure for passive direct methanol fuel cells with neat methanol operation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huijuan; Zhang, Haifeng; Chen, Peng; Guo, Jing; Yuan, Ting; Zheng, Junwei; Yang, Hui

2014-02-01

A microporous titanium plate based integrated anode structure (Ti-IAS) suitable for passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) fueled with neat methanol is reported. This anode structure incorporates a porous titanium plate as a methanol mass transfer barrier and current collector, pervaporation film for passively vaporizing methanol, vaporous methanol cavity for evenly distributing fuel, and channels for carbon dioxide venting. With the effective control of methanol delivery rate, the Ti-IAS based DMFC allows the direct use of neat methanol as the fuel source. In the meantime, the required water for methanol-oxidation reaction at the anode can also be fully recovered from the cathode with the help of the highly hydrophobic microporous layer in the cathode. DMFCs incorporating this new anode structure exhibit a power density as high as 40 mW cm-2 and a high volumetric energy density of 489 Wh L-1 operating with neat methanol and at 25 °C. Importantly, no obvious performance degradation of the passive DMFC system is observed after more than 90 h of continuous operation. The experimental results reveal that the compact DMFC based on the Ti-IAS exhibits a substantial potential as power sources for portable applications.

Improved Flow-Field Structures for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gurau, Bogdan [Nuvant Systems Inc., Crown Point, IN (United States)

2013-05-31

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is ideal if high energy-density liquid fuels are required. Liquid fuels have advantages over compressed hydrogen including higher energy density and ease of handling. Although state-of-the-art DMFCs exhibit manageable degradation rates, excessive fuel crossover diminishes system energy and power density. Although use of dilute methanol mitigates crossover, the concomitant lowering of the gross fuel energy density (GFED) demands a complex balance-of-plant (BOP) that includes higher flow rates, external exhaust recirculation, etc. An alternative approach is redesign of the fuel delivery system to accommodate concentrated methanol. NuVant Systems Inc. (NuVant) will maximize the GFED by design and assembly of a DMFC that uses near neat methanol. The approach is to tune the diffusion of highly concentrated methanol (to the anode catalytic layer) to the back-diffusion of water formed at the cathode (i.e. in situ generation of dilute methanol at the anode layer). Crossover will be minimized without compromising the GFED by innovative integration of the anode flow-field and the diffusion layer. The integrated flow-field-diffusion-layers (IFDLs) will widen the current and potential DMFC operating ranges and enable the use of cathodes optimized for hydrogen-air fuel cells.

Performance of PEM Liquid-Feed Direct Methanol-Air Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, S. R.

1995-01-01

A direct methanol-air fuel cell operating at near atmospheric pressure, low-flow rate air, and at temperatures close to 60oC would tremendously enlarge the scope of potential applications. While earlier studies have reported performance with oxygen, the present study focuses on characterizing the performance of a PEM liquid feed direct methanol-air cell consisting of components developed in house. These cells employ Pt-Ru catalyst in the anode, Pt at the cathode and Nafion 117 as the PEM. The effect of pressure, flow rate of air and temperature on cell performance has been studied. With air, the performance level is as high as 0.437 V at 300 mA/cm2 (90oC, 20 psig, and excess air flow) has been attained. Even more significant is the performance level at 60oC, 1 atm and low flow rates of air (3-5 times stoichiometric), which is 0.4 V at 150 mA/cm2. Individual electrode potentials for the methanol and air electrode have been separated and analyzed. Fuel crossover rates and the impact of fuel crossover on the performance of the air electrode have also been measured. The study identifies issues specific to the methanol-air fuel cell and provides a basis for improvement strategies.

Recent progresses in materials for the direct methanol fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamy, C; Leger, J M [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 86 - Poitiers (France)

1998-12-31

Research programs are being conducted worldwide to develop a clean, zero emissions electric vehicle. However, even with the most advanced batteries, such as nickel/metal hydride, or lithium ion batteries, the driving range is limited and the recharging time is long. Only fuel cells which can convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy can compete with internal combustion engines. This paper reviewed the recent progress made in the development of a direct methanol fuel cell using the concept developed for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). It was noted that the electrode materials, at the methanol anode and oxygen cathode need to be improved by using multifunctional electrocatalysts. The development of new temperature resistant proton exchange membranes with good ionic conductivity and low methanol cross-over, which resulted from the need to increase operating temperatures above 100 degrees C was also reviewed. 35 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

Autonomous Voltage Oscillations in a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, Jéssica A.; Peña Arias, Ivonne K.; Hanke-Rauschenbach, Richard; Vidakovic-Koch, Tanja; Varela, Hamilton; Sundmacher, Kai

2016-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells fed with H_2/CO mixtures at the anode have a considerably lower performance than fuel cells fed with pure hydrogen. However, when operated in an autonomous oscillatory regime, the overall voltage loss decreases due to a self-cleaning mechanism. Another molecule, also widely used as feed in the fuel cell and susceptible to kinetic instabilities, is methanol. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on autonomous voltage oscillations in the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The purpose of this work was to explore if such instabilities also occur in the DMFC system. Initially, half-cell experiments with a gas diffusion electrode were performed. Then, a DMFC was operated under current control and studied by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The half-cell measurements revealed that the induction period for oscillations depends on the mass transfer conditions, where on stagnant electrode the induction time was shorter than in the case of forced convection. The DMFC showed also autonomous voltage oscillations above a certain threshold current. The results obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy give evidence of a negative differential resistance in the fuel cell, hitherto not described in the literature, which can be related to the appearance of oscillations during galvanostatic methanol electro-oxidation. These results open the possibility to evaluate the performance of low-temperature fuel cells fed with carbon-containing fuels under oscillatory operating conditions.

Development of methanol evaporation plate to reduce methanol crossover in a direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruiming

This research focuses on methanol crossover reduction in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) through separating the methanol vapor from its liquid phase and feeding the vapor passively at low temperature range. Membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) were fabricated by using commercial available membrane with different thickness at different anode catalyst loading levels, and tested under the operating conditions below 100°C in cell temperature and cathode exit open to ambient pressure. Liquid methanol transport from the anode through the membrane into cathode ("methanol crossover") is identified as one of the major efficiency losses in a DMFC. It is known that the methanol crossover rate in the vapor phase is much lower than in liquid phase. Vapor feed can be achieved by heating the liquid methanol to elevated temperatures (>100°C), but other issues limit the performance of the cell when operating above 100°C. High temperature membranes and much more active cathode catalyst structures are required, and a complex temperature control system must be employed. However, methanol vapor feed can also occur at a lower temperature range (evaporation through a porous body. The methanol crossover with this vapor feed mode is lower compared with the direct liquid methanol feed. A new method of using a methanol evaporation plate (MEP) to separate the vapor from its liquid phase to reduce the liquid methanol crossover at low temperature range is developed. A MEP plays the roles of liquid/vapor methanol phase separation and evaporation in a DMFC. The goal of this study is to develop a MEP with the proper properties to achieve high methanol phase separation efficiency and fast methanol evaporation rate over a wide range of temperature, i.e., from room temperature up to near boiling temperature (100°C). MEP materials were selected and characterized. MEPs made from three different types were tested extensively with different MEA and porous back layer configurations. The benefits of

On direct and indirect methanol fuel cells for transportation applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gottesfield, S.

1996-04-01

Research on direct oxidation methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is discussed. Systems considered for transportation applications are addressed. The use of platinum/ruthenium anode electrocatalysts and platinum cathode electrocatalysts in polymer electrolyte DMFCs has resulted in significant performance enhancements.

Characterization of polymer blends PES/SPSf and PES/SPEEK for direct methanol fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Manea, G.C.; Mulder, M.H.V.

2002-01-01

Existing polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) applied for hydrogen fuel cells are frequently not suitable for direct methanol fuel cells due to the high methanol permeability. Therefore, new materials are required and in order to avoid laborious fuel cell experiments with a so-called

Compact Fuel-Cell System Would Consume Neat Methanol

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Sekharipuram; Kindler, Andrew; Valdez, Thomas

2007-01-01

In a proposed direct methanol fuel-cell electric-power-generating system, the fuel cells would consume neat methanol, in contradistinction to the dilute aqueous methanol solutions consumed in prior direct methanol fuel-cell systems. The design concept of the proposed fuel-cell system takes advantage of (1) electro-osmotic drag and diffusion processes to manage the flows of hydrogen and water between the anode and the cathode and (2) evaporative cooling for regulating temperature. The design concept provides for supplying enough water to the anodes to enable the use of neat methanol while ensuring conservation of water for the whole fuel-cell system.

Optimisation of polypyrrole/Nafion composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Jun; Sattler, Rita R.; Garsuch, Arnd; Yepez, Omar; Pickup, Peter G.

2006-01-01

Acidic and neutral Nafion[reg] 115 perfluorosulphonate membranes have been modified by in situ polymerization of pyrrole using Fe(III) and H 2 O 2 as oxidizing agents, in order to decrease methanol crossover in direct methanol fuel cells. Improved selectivities for proton over methanol transport and improved fuel cell performances were only obtained with membranes that were modified while in the acid form. Use of Fe(III) as the oxidizing agent can produce a large decrease in methanol crossover, but causes polypyrrole deposition on the surface of the membrane. This increases the resistance of the membrane, and leads to poor fuel cell performances due to poor bonding with the electrodes. Surface polypyrrole deposition can be minimized, and surface polypyrrole can be removed, by using H 2 O 2 . The use of Nafion in its tetrabutylammonium form leads to very low methanol permeabilities, and appears to offer potential for manipulating the location of polypyrrole within the Nafion structure

Towards neat methanol operation of direct methanol fuel cells: a novel self-assembled proton exchange membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Cai, Weiwei; Ma, Liying; Zhang, Yunfeng; Chen, Zhangxian; Cheng, Hansong

2015-04-18

We report here a novel proton exchange membrane with remarkably high methanol-permeation resistivity and excellent proton conductivity enabled by carefully designed self-assembled ionic conductive channels. A direct methanol fuel cell utilizing the membrane performs well with a 20 M methanol solution, very close to the concentration of neat methanol.

Low-Pt-Content Anode Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Sekharipuram; Whitacre, Jay

2008-01-01

Combinatorial experiments have led to the discovery that a nanophase alloy of Pt, Ru, Ni, and Zr is effective as an anode catalyst material for direct methanol fuel cells. This discovery has practical significance in that the electronic current densities achievable by use of this alloy are comparable or larger than those obtained by use of prior Pt/Ru catalyst alloys containing greater amounts of Pt. Heretofore, the high cost of Pt has impeded the commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells. By making it possible to obtain a given level of performance at reduced Pt content (and, hence, lower cost), the discovery may lead to reduction of the economic impediment to commercialization.

Methanol Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Voecks, G. E.

1985-01-01

In proposed fuel-cell system, methanol converted to hydrogen in two places. External fuel processor converts only part of methanol. Remaining methanol converted in fuel cell itself, in reaction at anode. As result, size of fuel processor reduced, system efficiency increased, and cost lowered.

A selective electrocatalyst-based direct methanol fuel cell operated at high concentrations of methanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2017-06-01

Owing to the serious crossover of methanol from the anode to the cathode through the polymer electrolyte membrane, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) usually use dilute methanol solutions as fuel. However, the use of high-concentration methanol is highly demanded to improve the energy density of a DMFC system. Instead of the conventional strategies (for example, improving the fuel-feed system, membrane development, modification of electrode, and water management), we demonstrate the use of selective electrocatalysts to run a DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. In particular, at an operating temperature of 80°C, the as-fabricated DMFC with core-shell-shell Au@Ag 2 S@Pt nanocomposites at the anode and core-shell Au@Pd nanoparticles at the cathode produces a maximum power density of 89.7 mW cm -2 at a methanol feed concentration of 10 M and maintains good performance at a methanol concentration of up to 15 M. The high selectivity of the electrocatalysts achieved through structural construction accounts for the successful operation of the DMFC at high concentrations of methanol.

A selective electrocatalyst–based direct methanol fuel cell operated at high concentrations of methanol

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2017-01-01

Owing to the serious crossover of methanol from the anode to the cathode through the polymer electrolyte membrane, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) usually use dilute methanol solutions as fuel. However, the use of high-concentration methanol is highly demanded to improve the energy density of a DMFC system. Instead of the conventional strategies (for example, improving the fuel-feed system, membrane development, modification of electrode, and water management), we demonstrate the use of selective electrocatalysts to run a DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. In particular, at an operating temperature of 80°C, the as-fabricated DMFC with core-shell-shell Au@Ag2S@Pt nanocomposites at the anode and core-shell Au@Pd nanoparticles at the cathode produces a maximum power density of 89.7 mW cm−2 at a methanol feed concentration of 10 M and maintains good performance at a methanol concentration of up to 15 M. The high selectivity of the electrocatalysts achieved through structural construction accounts for the successful operation of the DMFC at high concentrations of methanol. PMID:28695199

Direct methanol feed fuel cell and system

Science.gov (United States)

Surampudi, Subbarao (Inventor); Frank, Harvey A. (Inventor); Narayanan, Sekharipuram R. (Inventor); Chun, William (Inventor); Jeffries-Nakamura, Barbara (Inventor); Kindler, Andrew (Inventor); Halpert, Gerald (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Improvements to non acid methanol fuel cells include new formulations for materials. The platinum and ruthenium are more exactly mixed together. Different materials are substituted for these materials. The backing material for the fuel cell electrode is specially treated to improve its characteristics. A special sputtered electrode is formed which is extremely porous. The fuel cell system also comprises a fuel supplying part including a meter which meters an amount of fuel which is used by the fuel cell, and controls the supply of fuel based on said metering.

Effects of dimethyl ether on the performance characteristics of a direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Sang Hern; Lee, Chang Sik

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Activation loss is significantly reduced in fuel cell with DME-methanol. • DME crossover through the membrane reduces. • The open circuit voltage of DME-methanol the fuel cell increases. • The overall efficiency of the mixed fuel cell is higher than that of DMFC. - Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dimethyl ether (DME) on the performance characteristics of a direct methanol fuel cell. Impedance and crossover experiments were performed in order to investigate the performance losses such as ohmic loss, activation loss and crossover loss accurately. The DME was pressurized to 5 bar to supply with liquid phase was and blended with an aqueous methanol solution. In this experiment, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was composed of Nafion 115, anode catalyst loaded Pt–Ru and cathode catalyst loaded Pt-Black. Experimental results showed that fuel cells with DME-methanol enhanced performance when compared to fuel cells with methanol only. Such performance enhancement was due to a decrease in activation losses by DME oxidation reactions. As the DME crossover through the membrane was reduced, the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the fuel cell increased. Other output characteristics are also discussed

Nafion®/H-ZSM-5 composite membranes with superior performance for direct methanol fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yildirim, M.H.; Curos, Anna Roca; Motuzas, Julius; Motuzas, J.; Julbe, Anne; Stamatialis, Dimitrios; Wessling, Matthias

2009-01-01

Solution cast composite direct methanol fuel cell membranes (DEZ) based on DE2020 Nafion® dispersion and in-house prepared H-ZSM-5 zeolites with different Si/Al ratios were prepared and thoroughly characterized for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. All composite membranes have indeed

The Pore Structure of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Peter Brilner

2005-01-01

The pore structure and morphology of direct methanol fuel cell electrodes are characterized using mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that the pore size distributions of printed primer and catalyst layers are largely dictated by the powders used to make...

Effect of pervaporation plate thickness on the rate of methanol evaporation in a passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Fauzi, N. F. I.; Hasran, U. A.; Kamarudin, S. K.

2015-09-01

In a passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), methanol vapor is typically obtained using a pervaporation plate in a process by which liquid methanol contained in the fuel reservoir undergoes a phase change to vapor in the anodic vapor chamber. This work investigates the effect of pervaporation plate thickness on the rate of methanol evaporation using a three-dimensional simulation model developed by varying the plate thickness. A. The rate of methanol evaporation was measured using Darcy's law. The rate of methanol evaporation was found to be inversely proportional to the plate thickness, where the decrease in thickness inevitably lowers the resistance along the plate and consequently increases the methanol transport through the plate. This shows that the plate thickness has a significant influence on the rate of methanol evaporation and thereby plays an important role in improving the performance of the passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell.

Novel Materials for High Efficiency Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carson, Stephen [Arkema Inc.; Mountz, David [Arkema Inc.; He, Wensheng [Arkema Inc.; Zhang, Tao [Arkema Inc.

2013-12-31

Direct methanol fuel cell membranes were developed using blends of different polyelectrolytes with PVDF. The membranes showed complex relationships between polyelectrolyte chemistry, morphology, and processing. Although the PVDF grade was found to have little effect on the membrane permselectivity, it does impact membrane conductivity and methanol permeation values. Other factors, such as varying the polyelectrolyte polarity, using varying crosslinking agents, and adjusting the equivalent weight of the membranes impacted methanol permeation, permselectivity, and areal resistance. We now understand, within the scope of the project work completed, how these inter-related performance properties can be tailored to achieve a balance of performance.

Micropump Fuel Mix Control for Novel Miniature Direct Methanol Fuel Cells, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Energies and Power Densities of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs) are limited by the size and weight associated with the liquid pump, which must circulate the...

Relating Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Performance to Measurements in a Liquid Half Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christoffer Mølleskov; Tynelius, Oskar; Lund-Olesen, Torsten

2015-01-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) could act as a replacement for batteries in low power electronics. For instance, micro—DMFC’s could be used to power hearing instruments[1]. The power output of a DMFC is limited by the sluggish kinetics of both the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) on the anode ...... Cells Bull. 2012 (2012) 12–16. doi:10.1016/S1464-2859(12)70367-X....

Effect of pervaporation plate thickness on the rate of methanol evaporation in a passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauzi, N F I; Hasran, U A; Kamarudin, S K

2015-01-01

In a passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), methanol vapor is typically obtained using a pervaporation plate in a process by which liquid methanol contained in the fuel reservoir undergoes a phase change to vapor in the anodic vapor chamber. This work investigates the effect of pervaporation plate thickness on the rate of methanol evaporation using a three-dimensional simulation model developed by varying the plate thickness. A. The rate of methanol evaporation was measured using Darcy's law. The rate of methanol evaporation was found to be inversely proportional to the plate thickness, where the decrease in thickness inevitably lowers the resistance along the plate and consequently increases the methanol transport through the plate. This shows that the plate thickness has a significant influence on the rate of methanol evaporation and thereby plays an important role in improving the performance of the passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell. (paper)

A microfluidic-structured flow field for passive direct methanol fuel cells operating with highly concentrated fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Q X; Zhao, T S; Chen, R; Yang, W W

2010-01-01

Conventional direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have to operate with excessively diluted methanol solutions to limit methanol crossover and its detrimental consequences. Operation with such diluted methanol solutions not only results in a significant penalty in the specific energy of the power pack, limiting the runtime of this type of fuel cell, but also lowers the cell performance and operating stability. In this paper, a microfluidic-structured anode flow field for passive DMFCs with neither liquid pumps nor gas compressors/blowers is developed. This flow field consists of plural micro flow passages. Taking advantage of the liquid methanol and gas CO 2 two-phase counter flow, the unique fluidic structure enables the formation of a liquid–gas meniscus in each flow passage. The evaporation from the small meniscus in each flow passage can lead to an extremely large interfacial mass-transfer resistance, creating a bottleneck of methanol delivery to the anode CL. The fuel cell tests show that the innovative flow field allows passive DMFCs to achieve good cell performance with a methanol concentration as high as 18.0 M, increasing the specific energy of the DMFC system by about five times compared with conventional designs.

Three-dimensional anode engineering for the direct methanol fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, A.; Oloman, C.W.; Gyenge, E.L. [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2009-09-05

Catalyzed graphite felt three-dimensional anodes were investigated in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) operated with sulfuric acid supporting electrolyte. With a conventional serpentine channel flow field the preferred anode thickness was 100 {mu}m, while a novel flow-by anode showed the best performance with a thickness of 200-300 {mu}m. The effects of altering the methanol concentration, anolyte flow rate and operating temperature on the fuel cell superficial power density were studied by full (2{sup 3} + 1) factorial experiments on a cell with anode area of 5 cm{sup 2} and excess oxidant O{sub 2} at 200 kPa(abs). For operation in the flow-by mode with 2 M methanol at 2 cm{sup 3} min{sup -1} and 353 K the peak power density was 2380 W m{sup -2} with a PtRuMo anode catalyst, while a PtRu catalyst yielded 2240 W m{sup -2} under the same conditions. (author)

Three-dimensional anode engineering for the direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, A.; Oloman, C. W.; Gyenge, E. L.

Catalyzed graphite felt three-dimensional anodes were investigated in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) operated with sulfuric acid supporting electrolyte. With a conventional serpentine channel flow field the preferred anode thickness was 100 μm, while a novel flow-by anode showed the best performance with a thickness of 200-300 μm. The effects of altering the methanol concentration, anolyte flow rate and operating temperature on the fuel cell superficial power density were studied by full (2 3 + 1) factorial experiments on a cell with anode area of 5 cm 2 and excess oxidant O 2 at 200 kPa(abs). For operation in the flow-by mode with 2 M methanol at 2 cm 3 min -1 and 353 K the peak power density was 2380 W m -2 with a PtRuMo anode catalyst, while a PtRu catalyst yielded 2240 W m -2 under the same conditions.

Characterization of an anionic-exchange membranes for direct methanol alkaline fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abuin, Graciela C. [Centro de Procesos Superficiales, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Industrial (INTI), Av. Gral. Paz 5445, B1650KNA, San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Nonjola, Patrick; Mathe, Mkhulu K. [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Material Science and Manufacturing, PO Box 395, Brumeria, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Franceschini, Esteban A.; Izraelevitch, Federico H.; Corti, Horacio R. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA), Av. Gral. Paz 1499, B1650KNA, San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2010-06-15

Ammonium quaternized polymers such as poly (arylene ether sulfones) are being developed and studied as candidates of ionomeric materials for application in alkaline fuel cells, due to their low cost and promising electrochemical properties. In this work, a quaternary ammonium polymer was synthesized by chloromethylation of a commercial polysulfone followed by amination process. Quaternized polysulfone membrane properties such us water and water-methanol uptake, electrical conductivity and Young's modulus were evaluated and compared to Nafion 117, commonly employed in direct methanol fuel cells. The anionic polysulfone membrane sorbs more water than Nafion all over the whole range of water activities, but it uptakes much less methanol as compared to Nafion. The specific conductivity of the fully hydrated polysulfone membrane equilibrated with KOH solutions at ambient temperature increases with the KOH concentration, reaching a maximum of 0.083 S cm{sup -1} for 2 M KOH, slightly less conductive than Nafion 117. The elastic modulus of the polysulfone membranes inmersed in water is similar to that reported for Nafion membranes under the same conditions. We concluded that quaternized polysulfone membrane are good candidates as electrolytes in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells. (author)

Reactivity descriptors for direct methanol fuel cell anode catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferrin, Peter; Nilekar, Anand Udaykumar; Greeley, Jeff

2008-01-01

oxidation to CO2 are investigated: an indirect mechanism that goes through a CO intermediate and a direct mechanism where methanol is oxidized to CO2 without the formation of a CO intermediate. For the direct mechanism, we find that, because of CO poisoning, only a small current will result on all non......We have investigated the anode reaction in direct methanol fuel cells using a database of adsorption free energies for 16 intermediates on 12 close-packed transition metal surfaces calculated with periodic, self-consistent, density functional theory (DFT-GGA). This database, combined with a simple...... electrokinetic model of the methanol electrooxidation reaction, yields mechanistic insights that are consistent with previous experimental and theoretical studies on Pt, and extends these insights to a broad spectrum of other transition metals. In addition, by using linear scaling relations between...

A quasi-direct methanol fuel cell system based on blend polymer membrane electrolytes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Qingfeng; Hjuler, Hans Aage; Hasiotis, C.

2002-01-01

, compared to less than 100 ppm CO for the Nafion-based technology at 80degrees C. The high CO tolerance makes it possible to use the reformed hydrogen directly from a simple methanol reformer without further CO removal. That both the fuel cell and the methanol reformer operate at temperatures around 200......On the basis of blend polymer electrolytes of polybenzimidazole and sulfonated polysulfone, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell was developed with an operational temperature up to 200degrees C. Due to the high operational temperature, the fuel cell can tolerate 1.0-3.0 vol % CO in the fuel...

A small mono-polar direct methanol fuel cell stack with passive operation

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Y. H.; Zhao, T. S.; Chen, R.; Xu, C.

A passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) stack that consists of six unit cells was designed, fabricated, and tested. The stack was tested with different methanol concentrations under ambient conditions. It was found that the stack performance increased when the methanol concentration inside the fuel tank was increased from 2.0 to 6.0 M. The improved performance is primarily due to the increased cell temperature as a result of the exothermic reaction between the permeated methanol and oxygen on the cathode. Moreover, the increased cell temperature enhanced the water evaporation rate on the air-breathing cathode, which significantly reduced water flooding on the cathode and further improved the stack performance. This passive DMFC stack, providing 350 mW at 1.8 V, was successfully applied to power a seagull display kit. The seagull display kit can continuously run for about 4 h on a single charge of 25 cm 3 4.0-M methanol solution.

Development and characterisation of a portable direct methanol fuel cell stack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oedegaard, A.

2005-11-21

This thesis deals with the development and characterisation of a portable direct methanol fuel cell stack. In addition, calculations of the transport of methanol and water in the membrane are compared with experimentally determined values. It also includes investigations of the behaviour of single-cells and some of its components, as the anode gas diffusion layer and the anode flow-field. For the addition of methanol to the anode feed loop, a passive concept based on a permeable tube was developed and verified by both experiments and simulations. (orig.)

A gradient activation method for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Guicheng; Yang, Zhaoyi; Halim, Martin; Li, Xinyang; Wang, Manxiang; Kim, Ji Young; Mei, Qiwen; Wang, Xindong; Lee, Joong Kee

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A gradient activation method was reported firstly for direct methanol fuel cells. • The activity recovery of Pt-based catalyst was introduced into the novel activation process. • The new activation method led to prominent enhancement of DMFC performance. • DMFC performance was improved with the novel activation step by step within 7.5 h. - Abstract: To realize gradient activation effect and recover catalytic activity of catalyst in a short time, a gradient activation method has firstly been proposed for enhancing discharge performance and perfecting activation mechanism of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). This method includes four steps, i.e. proton activation, activity recovery activation, H_2-O_2 mode activation and forced discharging activation. The results prove that the proposed method has gradually realized replenishment of water and protons, recovery of catalytic activity of catalyst, establishment of transfer channels for electrons, protons, and oxygen, and optimization of anode catalyst layer for methanol transfer in turn. Along with the novel activation process going on, the DMFC discharge performance has been improved, step by step, to more than 1.9 times higher than that of the original one within 7.5 h. This method provides a practicable activation way for the real application of single DMFCs and stacks.

Performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed methanol/ethanol solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wongyao, N. [The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Therdthianwong, A., E-mail: apichai.the@kmutt.ac.t [Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research and Engineering Center, Clean Energy System Group, PDTI, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Therdthianwong, S. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, 126 Pracha-Uthit Rd., Bang Mod, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand)

2011-07-15

Research highlights: {yields} We examined the performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol. {yields} PtRu-PtSn/C and PtRu/C as catalysts for mixed alcohol electrooxidation reaction. {yields} Misplace adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C caused the cell performance drop. {yields} PtRu/C showed higher performance than PtRu-PtSn/C for mixed alcohol fuel. -- Abstract: In combining the advantages of both methanol and ethanol, direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol solutions (1 M methanol and 1 M ethanol in varying volume ratios) were tested for performance. Employing a PtRu-PtSn/C catalyst as anode, cell performance was found to diminish rapidly even at 2.5% by volume ethanol mixture. Further increase of ethanol exceeded 10%, the cell performance gradually decreased and finally approached that of direct ethanol fuel cells. The causes of the decrease in the cell performance were the slow electro-oxidation of ethanol and the misplaced adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C. By comparing the PtRu-PtSn/C cell with the PtRu/C cell operated with mixed alcohol solutions, the cell using PtRu/C as an anode catalyst provided higher power density since more PtRu/C surface was available for methanol oxidation reaction and less ohmic resistance of PtRu/C than that of PtRu-PtSn/C. In order to reach optimization of DAFC performance fed with mixed alcohol, the electrocatalyst used for the anode must selectively adsorb an alcohol, especially ethanol.

Performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed methanol/ethanol solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wongyao, N.; Therdthianwong, A.; Therdthianwong, S.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We examined the performance of direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol. → PtRu-PtSn/C and PtRu/C as catalysts for mixed alcohol electrooxidation reaction. → Misplace adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C caused the cell performance drop. → PtRu/C showed higher performance than PtRu-PtSn/C for mixed alcohol fuel. -- Abstract: In combining the advantages of both methanol and ethanol, direct alcohol fuel cells fed with mixed alcohol solutions (1 M methanol and 1 M ethanol in varying volume ratios) were tested for performance. Employing a PtRu-PtSn/C catalyst as anode, cell performance was found to diminish rapidly even at 2.5% by volume ethanol mixture. Further increase of ethanol exceeded 10%, the cell performance gradually decreased and finally approached that of direct ethanol fuel cells. The causes of the decrease in the cell performance were the slow electro-oxidation of ethanol and the misplaced adsorption of ethanol on PtRu/C. By comparing the PtRu-PtSn/C cell with the PtRu/C cell operated with mixed alcohol solutions, the cell using PtRu/C as an anode catalyst provided higher power density since more PtRu/C surface was available for methanol oxidation reaction and less ohmic resistance of PtRu/C than that of PtRu-PtSn/C. In order to reach optimization of DAFC performance fed with mixed alcohol, the electrocatalyst used for the anode must selectively adsorb an alcohol, especially ethanol.

Combinatorial approach toward high-throughput analysis of direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Rongzhong; Rong, Charles; Chu, Deryn

2005-01-01

A 40-member array of direct methanol fuel cells (with stationary fuel and convective air supplies) was generated by electrically connecting the fuel cells in series. High-throughput analysis of these fuel cells was realized by fast screening of voltages between the two terminals of a fuel cell at constant current discharge. A large number of voltage-current curves (200) were obtained by screening the voltages through multiple small-current steps. Gaussian distribution was used to statistically analyze the large number of experimental data. The standard deviation (sigma) of voltages of these fuel cells increased linearly with discharge current. The voltage-current curves at various fuel concentrations were simulated with an empirical equation of voltage versus current and a linear equation of sigma versus current. The simulated voltage-current curves fitted the experimental data well. With increasing methanol concentration from 0.5 to 4.0 M, the Tafel slope of the voltage-current curves (at sigma=0.0), changed from 28 to 91 mV.dec-1, the cell resistance from 2.91 to 0.18 Omega, and the power output from 3 to 18 mW.cm-2.

Passive direct methanol fuel cells for portable electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achmad, F.; Kamarudin, S.K.; Daud, W.R.W.; Majlan, E.H.

2011-01-01

Due to the increasing demand for electricity, clean, renewable energy resources must be developed. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for portable electronic devices. The power output of six dual DMFCs connected in series with an active area of 4 cm 2 was approximately 600 mW, and the power density of the DMFCs was 25 mW cm -2 . The DMFCs were evaluated as a power source for mobile phone chargers and media players. The results indicated that the open circuit voltage of the DMFC was between 6.0 V and 6.5 V, and the voltage under operating conditions was 4.0 V. The fuel cell was tested on a variety of cell phone chargers, media players and PDAs. The cost of energy consumption by the proposed DMFC was estimated to be USD 20 W -1 , and the cost of methanol is USD 4 kW h. Alternatively, the local conventional electricity tariff is USD 2 kW h. However, for the large-scale production of electronic devices, the cost of methanol will be significantly lower. Moreover, the electricity tariff is expected to increase due to the constraints of fossil fuel resources and pollution. As a result, DMFCs will become competitive with conventional power sources.

Design of an optimal micro direct methanol fuel cell for portable applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, M.M.; Kamarudin, S.K.; Daud, W.R.W

2010-01-01

The main constraint for the commercialization of micro Direct Methanol Fuel cell (μDMFC) for small power generation is the performance of the fuel cell. In this study, a high-power μDMFC with a power output of 14.10 mW on an active area of 4 cm 2 and catalyst loading of 0.5 mg cm -2 cathode was successfully developed. The optimal parameters for methanol concentration and catalyst loading were determined. Besides that, testing of performance, long term and open circuit voltage (OCV) was also performed. (author)

Recovery Act: Advanced Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Mobile Computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fletcher, James H. [University of North Florida; Cox, Philip [University of North Florida; Harrington, William J [University of North Florida; Campbell, Joseph L [University of North Florida

2013-09-03

ABSTRACT Project Title: Recovery Act: Advanced Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Mobile Computing PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of the project was to advance portable fuel cell system technology towards the commercial targets of power density, energy density and lifetime. These targets were laid out in the DOE’s R&D roadmap to develop an advanced direct methanol fuel cell power supply that meets commercial entry requirements. Such a power supply will enable mobile computers to operate non-stop, unplugged from the wall power outlet, by using the high energy density of methanol fuel contained in a replaceable fuel cartridge. Specifically this project focused on balance-of-plant component integration and miniaturization, as well as extensive component, subassembly and integrated system durability and validation testing. This design has resulted in a pre-production power supply design and a prototype that meet the rigorous demands of consumer electronic applications. PROJECT TASKS The proposed work plan was designed to meet the project objectives, which corresponded directly with the objectives outlined in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: To engineer the fuel cell balance-of-plant and packaging to meet the needs of consumer electronic systems, specifically at power levels required for mobile computing. UNF used existing balance-of-plant component technologies developed under its current US Army CERDEC project, as well as a previous DOE project completed by PolyFuel, to further refine them to both miniaturize and integrate their functionality to increase the system power density and energy density. Benefits of UNF’s novel passive water recycling MEA (membrane electrode assembly) and the simplified system architecture it enabled formed the foundation of the design approach. The package design was hardened to address orientation independence, shock, vibration, and environmental requirements. Fuel cartridge and fuel subsystems were improved to ensure effective fuel

Experimental investigation two phase flow in direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mat, M. D.; Kaplan, Y.; Celik, S.; Oeztural, A.

2007-01-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) have received many attentions specifically for portable electronic applications since it utilize methanol which is in liquid form in atmospheric condition and high energy density of the methanol. Thus it eliminates the storage problem of hydrogen. It also eliminates humidification requirement of polymeric membrane which is a problem in PEM fuel cells. Some electronic companies introduced DMFC prototypes for portable electronic applications. Presence of carbon dioxide gases due to electrochemical reactions in anode makes the problem a two phase problem. A two phase flow may occur at cathode specifically at high current densities due to the excess water. Presence of gas phase in anode region and liquid phase in cathode region prevents diffusion of fuel and oxygen to the reaction sites thus reduces the performance of the system. Uncontrolled pressure buildup in anode region increases methanol crossover through membrane and adversely effect the performance. Two phase flow in both anode and cathode region is very effective in the performance of DMYC system and a detailed understanding of two phase flow for high performance DMFC systems. Although there are many theoretical and experimental studies available on the DMFC systems in the literature, only few studies consider problem as a two-phase flow problem. In this study, an experimental set up is developed and species distributions on system are measured with a gas chromatograph. System performance characteristics (V-I curves) is measured depending on the process parameters (temperature, fuel ad oxidant flow rates, methanol concentration etc)

Increasing Fuel Efficiency of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Systems with Feedforward Control of the Operating Concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngseung Na

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the R&D on fuel cells for portable applications concentrates on increasing efficiencies and energy densities to compete with other energy storage devices, especially batteries. To improve the efficiency of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC systems, several modifications to system layouts and operating strategies are considered in this paper, rather than modifications to the fuel cell itself. Two modified DMFC systems are presented, one with an additional inline mixer and a further modification of it with a separate tank to recover condensed water. The set point for methanol concentration control in the solution is determined by fuel efficiency and varies with the current and other process variables. Feedforward concentration control enables variable concentration for dynamic loads. Simulation results were validated experimentally with fuel cell systems.

Study of catalysis for solid oxide fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xirong

Fuel cells offer the enticing promise of cleaner electricity with lower environmental impact than traditional energy conversion technologies. Driven by the interest in power sources for portable electronics, and distributed generation and automotive propulsion markets, active development efforts in the technologies of both solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) devices have achieved significant progress. However, current catalysts for fuel cells are either of low catalytic activity or extremely expensive, presenting a key barrier toward the widespread commercialization of fuel cell devices. In this thesis work, atomic layer deposition (ALD), a novel thin film deposition technique, was employed to apply catalytic Pt to SOFC, and investigate both Pt skin catalysts and Pt-Ru catalysts for methanol oxidation, a very important reaction for DMFC, to increase the activity and utilization levels of the catalysts while simultaneously reducing the catalyst loading. For SOFCs, we explored the use of ALD for the fabrication of electrode components, including an ultra-thin Pt film for use as the electrocatalyst, and a Pt mesh structure for a current collector for SOFCs, aiming for precise control over the catalyst loading and catalyst geometry, and enhancement in the current collect efficiency. We choose Pt since it has high chemical stability and excellent catalytic activity for the O2 reduction reaction and the H2 oxidation reaction even at low operating temperatures. Working SOFC fuel cells were fabricated with ALD-deposited Pt thin films as an electrode/catalyst layer. The measured fuel cell performance reveals that comparable peak power densities were achieved for ALD-deposited Pt anodes with only one-fifth of the Pt loading relative to a DC-sputtered counterpart. In addition to the continuous electrocatalyst layer, a micro-patterned Pt structure was developed via the technique of area selective ALD. By coating yttria-stabilized zirconia, a

Update on status of direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reeve, R.W.

2002-07-01

This report reviews the progress in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology since 1995 and examines the opportunities for this technology in various market sectors. The report is divided into two parts. Part A describes the state-of-the-art of DMFC technology, developments in electrocatalysis relevant to DMFCs, single cell and stack performance, and polymer electrolyte membranes. Part B discusses the viability of current DMFCs for portable and automotive applications, and examines some niche markets, eg for remote power applications. Market opportunities, technical issues, applications and competing technologies are summarised. The report draws attention to the outstanding technical issues and recommends further development in a number of areas (eg inexpensive membranes with lower rates of methanol crossover, membranes with lower rates of water permeation, improved power density and methods to ensure solutions do not freeze in cold climates).

Improved Anode for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, Thomas; Narayanan, Sekharipuram

2005-01-01

A modified chemical composition has been devised to improve the performance of the anode of a direct methanol fuel cell. The main feature of the modified composition is the incorporation of hydrous ruthenium oxide into the anode structure. This modification can reduce the internal electrical resistance of the cell and increase the degree of utilization of the anode catalyst. As a result, a higher anode current density can be sustained with a smaller amount of anode catalyst. These improvements can translate into a smaller fuel-cell system and higher efficiency of conversion. Some background information is helpful for understanding the benefit afforded by the addition of hydrous ruthenium oxide. The anode of a direct methanol fuel cell sustains the electro-oxidation of methanol to carbon dioxide in the reaction CH3OH + H2O--->CO2 + 6H(+) + 6e(-). An electrocatalyst is needed to enable this reaction to occur. The catalyst that offers the highest activity is an alloy of approximately equal numbers of atoms of the noble metals platinum and ruthenium. The anode is made of a composite material that includes high-surface-area Pt/Ru alloy particles and a proton-conducting ionomeric material. This composite is usually deposited onto a polymer-electrolyte (proton-conducting) membrane and onto an anode gas-diffusion/current-collector sheet that is subsequently bonded to the proton-conducting membrane by hot pressing. Heretofore, the areal density of noble-metal catalyst typically needed for high performance has been about 8 mg/cm2. However, not all of the catalyst has been utilized in the catalyzed electro-oxidation reaction. Increasing the degree of utilization of the catalyst would make it possible to improve the performance of the cell for a given catalyst loading and/or reduce the catalyst loading (thereby reducing the cost of the cell). The use of carbon and possibly other electronic conductors in the catalyst layer has been proposed for increasing the utilization of the

Radiation-grafted membranes based on polyethylene for direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherazi, Tauqir A. [Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 (Canada); Guiver, Michael D.; Kingston, David; Xue, Xinzhong [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 (Canada); Ahmad, Shujaat [PIEAS/PINSTECH, P O Nilore, Islamabad 45650 (Pakistan); Kashmiri, M. Akram [Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan)

2010-01-01

Styrene was grafted onto ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene powder (UHMWPE) by gamma irradiation using a {sup 60}Co source. Compression moulded films of selected pre-irradiated styrene-grafted ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE-g-PS) were post-sulfonated to the sulfonic acid derivative (UHMWPE-g-PSSA) for use as proton exchange membranes (PEMs). The sulfonation was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The melting and flow properties of UHMWPE and UHMWPE-g-PS are conducive to forming homogeneous pore-free membranes. Both the ion conductivity and methanol permeability coefficient increased with degree of grafting, but the grafted membranes showed comparable or higher ion conductivity and lower methanol permeability than Nafion {sup registered} 117 membrane. One UHMWPE-g-PS membrane was fabricated into a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and tested as a single cell direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Low membrane cost and acceptable fuel cell performance indicate that UHMWPE-g-PSSA membranes could offer an alternative approach to perfluorosulfonic acid-type membranes for DMFC. (author)

Emerging methanol-tolerant AlN nanowire oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for alkaline direct methanol fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, M; Wang, J; Li, J R; Wang, Y G; Tang, H L; Wang, W J

2014-08-11

Replacing precious and nondurable Pt catalysts with cheap materials is a key issue for commercialization of fuel cells. In the case of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the methanol tolerance is also an important concern. Here, we develop AlN nanowires with diameters of about 100-150 nm and the length up to 1 mm through crystal growth method. We find it is electrochemically stable in methanol-contained alkaline electrolyte. This novel material exhibits pronounced electrocatalytic activity with exchange current density of about 6.52 × 10(-8) A/cm(2). The single cell assembled with AlN nanowire cathodic electrode achieves a power density of 18.9 mW cm(-2). After being maintained at 100 mA cm(-2) for 48 h, the AlN nanowire-based single cell keeps 92.1% of the initial performance, which is in comparison with 54.5% for that assembled with Pt/C cathode. This discovery reveals a new type of metal nitride ORR catalyst that can be cheaply produced from crystal growth method.

Cost Analysis of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Stacks for Mass Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Francesco Sgroi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Fuel cells are very promising technologies for efficient electrical energy generation. The development of enhanced system components and new engineering solutions is fundamental for the large-scale deployment of these devices. Besides automotive and stationary applications, fuel cells can be widely used as auxiliary power units (APUs. The concept of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC is based on the direct feed of a methanol solution to the fuel cell anode, thus simplifying safety, delivery, and fuel distribution issues typical of conventional hydrogen-fed polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs. In order to evaluate the feasibility of concrete application of DMFC devices, a cost analysis study was carried out in the present work. A 200 W-prototype developed in the framework of a European Project (DURAMET was selected as the model system. The DMFC stack had a modular structure allowing for a detailed evaluation of cost characteristics related to the specific components. A scale-down approach, focusing on the model device and projected to a mass production, was used. The data used in this analysis were obtained both from research laboratories and industry suppliers specialising in the manufacturing/production of specific stack components. This study demonstrates that mass production can give a concrete perspective for the large-scale diffusion of DMFCs as APUs. The results show that the cost derived for the DMFC stack is relatively close to that of competing technologies and that the introduction of innovative approaches can result in further cost savings.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigation of anode exhaust of direct methanol fuel cells without isotope enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Young Seok; Hwang, Reo Yun; Han, Ochee

2016-01-01

Fuel cells are devices that electrochemically convert the chemical energy of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, and methanol, into electricity. Fuel cells more efficiently use energy than internal combustion engines and do not produce undesirable pollutants, such as NO_x ,SO_x and particulates. Fuel cells can be distinguished from one another by their electrolytes. Among the various direct alcohol fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been developed most. However, DMFCs have several practical problems such as methanol crossove r from an anode to a cathode and slow methanol oxidation reaction rates. Therefore, understanding the electrochemical reaction mechanisms of DMFCs may provide clues to solve these problems, and various analytical methods have been employed to examine these mechanisms. We demonstrated that "1H and "1"3C NMR spectroscopy can be used for analyzing anode exhausts of DMFCs operated with methanol without any isotope enrichment. However, the low sensitivity of NMR spectroscopy hindered our efforts to detect minor reaction intermediates. Therefore, sensitivity enhancement techniques such as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR methods and/or presaturation methods to increase the dynamic range of the proton spectra by pre-saturating large water signals, are expected to be useful to detect low-concentration species

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigation of anode exhaust of direct methanol fuel cells without isotope enrichment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Young Seok; Hwang, Reo Yun; Han, Ochee [Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Fuel cells are devices that electrochemically convert the chemical energy of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, and methanol, into electricity. Fuel cells more efficiently use energy than internal combustion engines and do not produce undesirable pollutants, such as NO{sub x} ,SO{sub x} and particulates. Fuel cells can be distinguished from one another by their electrolytes. Among the various direct alcohol fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been developed most. However, DMFCs have several practical problems such as methanol crossove r from an anode to a cathode and slow methanol oxidation reaction rates. Therefore, understanding the electrochemical reaction mechanisms of DMFCs may provide clues to solve these problems, and various analytical methods have been employed to examine these mechanisms. We demonstrated that {sup 1}H and {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy can be used for analyzing anode exhausts of DMFCs operated with methanol without any isotope enrichment. However, the low sensitivity of NMR spectroscopy hindered our efforts to detect minor reaction intermediates. Therefore, sensitivity enhancement techniques such as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR methods and/or presaturation methods to increase the dynamic range of the proton spectra by pre-saturating large water signals, are expected to be useful to detect low-concentration species.

Modeling of a 5-cell direct methanol fuel cell using adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rongrong; Qi, Liang; Xie, Xiaofeng; Ding, Qingqing; Li, Chunwen; Ma, ChenChi M.

The methanol concentrations, temperature and current were considered as inputs, the cell voltage was taken as output, and the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was modeled by adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS). The artificial neural network (ANN) and polynomial-based models were selected to be compared with the ANFIS in respect of quality and accuracy. Based on the ANFIS model obtained, the characteristics of the DMFC were studied. The results show that temperature and methanol concentration greatly affect the performance of the DMFC. Within a restricted current range, the methanol concentration does not greatly affect the stack voltage. In order to obtain higher fuel utilization efficiency, the methanol concentrations and temperatures should be adjusted according to the load on the system.

Modeling of a 5-cell direct methanol fuel cell using adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Rongrong; Li, Chunwen [Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Qi, Liang; Xie, Xiaofeng [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Ding, Qingqing [Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Ma, ChenChi M. [National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300 (China)

2008-12-01

The methanol concentrations, temperature and current were considered as inputs, the cell voltage was taken as output, and the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was modeled by adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS). The artificial neural network (ANN) and polynomial-based models were selected to be compared with the ANFIS in respect of quality and accuracy. Based on the ANFIS model obtained, the characteristics of the DMFC were studied. The results show that temperature and methanol concentration greatly affect the performance of the DMFC. Within a restricted current range, the methanol concentration does not greatly affect the stack voltage. In order to obtain higher fuel utilization efficiency, the methanol concentrations and temperatures should be adjusted according to the load on the system. (author)

Direct methanol feed fuel cell with reduced catalyst loading

Science.gov (United States)

Kindler, Andrew (Inventor)

1999-01-01

Improvements to direct feed methanol fuel cells include new protocols for component formation. Catalyst-water repellent material is applied in formation of electrodes and sintered before application of ionomer. A membrane used in formation of an electrode assembly is specially pre-treated to improve bonding between catalyst and membrane. The improved electrode and the pre-treated membrane are assembled into a membrane electrode assembly.

Micro-patterned Nafion membranes for direct methanol fuel cell applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yildirim, M.H.; te Braake, J.; Aran, H.C.; Stamatialis, Dimitrios; Wessling, Matthias

2010-01-01

In this work, we report the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance of micro-patterned (μp) Nafion® 117 (N117) membranes prepared by hot embossing and compare them with that of normal N117 and heat and pressure treated (hp) N117 non-patterned (smooth) membranes. Our results suggest that the

Review on utilization of the pervaporation membrane for passive vapor feed direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauzi, N F I; Hasran, U A; Kamarudin, S K

2013-01-01

The Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) is a promising portable power source for mobile electronic devices because of its advantages including easy fuel storage, high energy density, low temperature operation and compact structure. In DMFC, methanol is used as a fuel source where it can be fed in liquid or vapor phase. However, the vapor feed DMFC has an advantage over the liquid feed system as it has the potential to have a higher operating temperature to increase the reaction rates and power outputs, to enhance the mass transfers, to reduce methanol crossover, reliable for high methanol concentration and it can increase the fuel cell performance. Methanol vapor can be delivered to the anode by using a pervaporation membrane, heating the liquid methanol or another method that compatible. Therefore, this paper is a review on vapor feed DMFC as a better energy source than liquid feed DMFC, the pervaporation membrane used to vaporize methanol feed from the reservoir and its applications in vapor feed DMFC

New ETFE-based membrane for direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saarinen, V.; Kallio, T.; Paronen, M.; Tikkanen, P.; Rauhala, E.; Kontturi, K.

2005-01-01

The investigated membranes are based on 35-bar μ m thick commercial poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films. The films were made proton conductive by means of irradiation treatment followed by sulfonation. These membranes have exceptionally low water uptake and excellent dimensional stability. The new membranes are investigated widely in a laboratory-scale direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The temperature range used in the fuel cell tests was 30-85-bar o C and the measurement results were compared to those of the Nafion ( R)115 membrane. Also methanol permeability through the ETFE-based membrane was measured as a function of temperature, resulting in values less than 10% of the corresponding values for Nafion ( R)115, which was considerably thicker than the experimental membrane. Methanol crossover was reported to decrease when the thickness of the membrane increases, so the ETFE-based membrane compares favourably to Nafion ( R) membranes. The maximum power densities achieved with the experimental ETFE-based membrane were about 40-65% lower than the corresponding values of the Nafion ( R)115 membrane, because of the lower conductivity and noticeably higher IR-losses. Chemical and mechanical stability of the ETFE-based membrane appeared to be promising since it was tested over 2000-bar h in the DMFC without any performance loss

Novel crosslinked membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yuanqin; Zieren, Shelley; Manthiram, Arumugam

2011-07-14

Novel covalently crosslinked membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) and carboxylated polysulfone exhibit much lower methanol crossover and better performance in direct methanol fuel cells at 65 °C in 1 and 2 M methanol solutions compared to Nafion 115 membranes.

Fuel options for the fuel cell vehicle: hydrogen, methanol or gasoline?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.E.; James, B.D.; Lomax, F.D. Jr.; Kuhn, I.F. Jr.

2000-01-01

Fuel cell vehicles can be powered directly by hydrogen or, with an onboard chemical processor, other liquid fuels such as gasoline or methanol. Most analysts agree that hydrogen is the preferred fuel in terms of reducing vehicle complexity, but one common perception is that the cost of a hydrogen infrastructure would be excessive. According to this conventional wisdom, the automobile industry must therefore develop complex onboard fuel processors to convert methanol, ethanol or gasoline to hydrogen. We show here, however, that the total fuel infrastructure cost to society including onboard fuel processors may be less for hydrogen than for either gasoline or methanol, the primary initial candidates currently under consideration for fuel cell vehicles. We also present the local air pollution and greenhouse gas advantages of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles compared to those powered by gasoline or methanol. (Author)

Manufacturing technologies for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gluesen, Andreas; Mueller, Martin; Kimiaie, Nicola; Konradi, Irene; Mergel, Juergen; Stolten, Detlef [Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany). Inst. of Energy Research - IEF-3: Fuel Cells

2010-07-01

Fuel cell research is focussing on increasing power density and lifetime and reducing costs of the whole fuel cell system. In order to reach these aims, it is necessary to develop appropriately designed components outgoing from high quality materials, a suitable manufacturing process and a well balanced system. To make use of the advantages that can be obtained by developing production technology, we are mainly improving the coating and assembling techniques for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, especially Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs). Coating is used for making fuel cell electrodes as well as highly conductive contacts. Assembling is used to join larger components like membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and bipolar units consisting of flow fields and the separator plate, as well as entire stacks. On the one hand a reproducible manufacturing process is required to study fine differences in fuel cell performance affected by new materials or new designs. On the other hand a change in each parameter of the manufacturing process itself can change product properties and therefore affect fuel cell performance. As a result, gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are now produced automatically in square-meter batches, the hot-pressing of MEAs is a fully automated process and by pre-assembling the number of parts that have to be assembled in a stack was reduced by a factor of 10. These achievements make DMFC manufacturing more reproducible and less error-prone. All these and further developments of manufacturing technology are necessary to make DMFCs ready for the market. (orig.)

Matlab Source Code for Species Transport through Nafion Membranes in Direct Ethanol, Direct Methanol, and Direct Glucose Fuel Cells

OpenAIRE

JH, Summerfield; MW, Manley

2016-01-01

A simple simulation of chemical species movement is presented. The species traverse a Nafion membrane in a fuel cell. Three cells are examined: direct methanol, direct ethanol, and direct glucose. The species are tracked using excess proton concentration, electric field strength, and voltage. The Matlab computer code is provided.

Characterisation of micro direct methanol fuel cells with silicon plate supported integrated ionomer membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jackie Vincent; Dalslet, Bjarke Thomas; Kallesee, C.

2013-01-01

This work deals with the investigation and fabrication of Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (μDMFC). They are investigated as a possible alternative for zinc-air batteries in small size consumer devices such as hearing aids. In such devices the conventional rechargeable batteries such as lithium......-ion batteries have insufficiently low energy density in the range 240 Wh/L to 300 Wh/L Methanol is a promising fuel for such devices due to the high energy density, with pure methanol having an energy density of 4400 Wh/L. Using a liquid fuel also allows refueling, which can be achieved much faster than battery...

Methanol Oxidation on Pt3Sn(111) for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: Methanol Decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiaoqing; Deng, Zhigang; Guo, Chen; Wang, Weili; Wei, Shuxian; Ng, Siu-Pang; Chen, Xiangfeng; Ding, Ning; Guo, Wenyue; Wu, Chi-Man Lawrence

2016-05-18

PtSn alloy, which is a potential material for use in direct methanol fuel cells, can efficiently promote methanol oxidation and alleviate the CO poisoning problem. Herein, methanol decomposition on Pt3Sn(111) was systematically investigated using periodic density functional theory and microkinetic modeling. The geometries and energies of all of the involved species were analyzed, and the decomposition network was mapped out to elaborate the reaction mechanisms. Our results indicated that methanol and formaldehyde were weakly adsorbed, and the other derivatives (CHxOHy, x = 1-3, y = 0-1) were strongly adsorbed and preferred decomposition rather than desorption on Pt3Sn(111). The competitive methanol decomposition started with the initial O-H bond scission followed by successive C-H bond scissions, (i.e., CH3OH → CH3O → CH2O → CHO → CO). The Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi relations and energy barrier decomposition analyses identified the C-H and O-H bond scissions as being more competitive than the C-O bond scission. Microkinetic modeling confirmed that the vast majority of the intermediates and products from methanol decomposition would escape from the Pt3Sn(111) surface at a relatively low temperature, and the coverage of the CO residue decreased with an increase in the temperature and decrease in partial methanol pressure.

A high selectivity quaternized polysulfone membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Abuin, GC

2015-04-01

Full Text Available polysulfone membrane for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells Graciela C. Abuina, Esteban A. Franceschinib, Patrick Nonjolac, Mkhulu K. Mathec, Mmalewane Modibedic, Horacio R. Cortib,* aCentro de Procesos Superficiales, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología...

Performance of direct methanol fuel cell with a palladium–silica nanofibre/Nafion composite membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiam, H.S.; Daud, W.R.W.; Kamarudin, S.K.; Mohamad, A.B.; Kadhum, A.A.H.; Loh, K.S.; Majlan, E.H.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This study introduces Pd–SiO 2 Carbon Nano Fibre as an additive to Nafion membrane. • It investigates the effects of membrane annealing temperature and casting solvent. • Results show that Pd–SiO 2 fibre/Nafion performs lower methanol permeability. • This could effectively reduces methanol crossover in direct methanol fuel cell. - Abstract: Palladium–silica nanofibres (Pd–SiO 2 fibre) were adopted as an additive to Nafion recast membranes in order to reduce methanol crossover and improve the cell performance. The performance of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with fabricated composite membrane was evaluated through a passive air-breathing single cell direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The limiting crossover current density was measured to determine the methanol permeation in the DMFC. The effects of membrane annealing temperature and casting solvent of composite membrane on the cell performance were investigated and are discussed here. Compared to recast Nafion with the same thickness (150 μm), the Pd–SiO 2 fibre/Nafion composite membrane exhibited higher performance and lower methanol permeability. A maximum power density of 10.4 mW cm −2 was obtained with a 2 M methanol feed, outperforming the much thicker commercial Nafion 117 with a power density of 7.95 mW cm −2 under the same operating conditions. The experimental results showed that the Pd–SiO 2 fibre as inorganic fillers for Nafion could effectively reduce methanol crossover and improve the membrane performance in DMFC applications

On the actual cathode mixed potential in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zago, M.; Bisello, A.; Baricci, A.; Rabissi, C.; Brightman, E.; Hinds, G.; Casalegno, A.

2016-09-01

Methanol crossover is one of the most critical issues hindering commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells since it leads to waste of fuel and significantly affects cathode potential, forming a so-called mixed potential. Unfortunately, due to the sluggish anode kinetics, it is not possible to obtain a reliable estimation of cathode potential by simply measuring the cell voltage. In this work we address this limitation, quantifying the mixed potential by means of innovative open circuit voltage (OCV) tests with a methanol-hydrogen mixture fed to the anode. Over a wide range of operating conditions, the resulting cathode overpotential is between 250 and 430 mV and is strongly influenced by methanol crossover. We show using combined experimental and modelling analysis of cathode impedance that the methanol oxidation at the cathode mainly follows an electrochemical pathway. Finally, reference electrode measurements at both cathode inlet and outlet provide a local measurement of cathode potential, confirming the reliability of the innovative OCV tests and permitting the evaluation of cathode potential up to typical operating current. At 0.25 A cm-2 the operating cathode potential is around 0.85 V and the Ohmic drop through the catalyst layer is almost 50 mV, which is comparable to that in the membrane.

Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jiyoung; Jang, Jin-Sung; Peck, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Byungrok; Yoon, Seong-Ho; Jung, Doo-Hwan

2016-08-15

Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF) was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB). To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF-supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.

Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyoung Kim

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC. The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB. To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF–supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.

A comparative study of approaches to direct methanol fuel cells modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, V.B.; Falcao, D.S.; Pinto, A.M.F.R. [Centro de Estudos de Fenomenos de Transporte, Departamento de Eng. Quimica, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto (Portugal); Rangel, C.M. [Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovacao, Paco do Lumiar, 22,1649-038 (Portugal)

2007-03-15

Fuel cell modelling has received much attention over the past decade in an attempt to better understand the phenomena occurring within the cell. Mathematical models and simulation are needed as tools for design optimization of fuel cells, stacks and fuel cell power systems. Analytical, semi-empirical and mechanistic models for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are reviewed. Effective models were until now developed describing the fundamental electrochemical and transport phenomena taking place in the cell. More research is required to develop models that can account for the two-phase flows occurring in the anode and cathode of the DMFC. The merits and demerits of the models are presented. Selected models of different categories are implemented and discussed. Finally, one of the selected simplified models is proposed as a computer-aided tool for real-time system level DMFC calculations. (author)

Proton exchange membrane materials for the advancement of direct methanol fuel-cell technology

Science.gov (United States)

Cornelius, Christopher J [Albuquerque, NM

2006-04-04

A new class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, and methods of synthesis, that can be used as a proton exchange membrane in a direct methanol fuel cell. In contrast with Nafion.RTM. PEM materials, which have random sulfonation, the new class of materials have ordered sulfonation achieved through self-assembly of alternating polyimide segments of different molecular weights comprising, for example, highly sulfonated hydrophilic PDA-DASA polyimide segment alternating with an unsulfonated hydrophobic 6FDA-DAS polyimide segment. An inorganic phase, e.g., 0.5 5 wt % TEOS, can be incorporated in the sulfonated polyimide copolymer to further improve its properties. The new materials exhibit reduced swelling when exposed to water, increased thermal stability, and decreased O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 gas permeability, while retaining proton conductivities similar to Nafion.RTM.. These improved properties may allow direct methanol fuel cells to operate at higher temperatures and with higher efficiencies due to reduced methanol crossover.

Sensing methanol concentration in direct methanol fuel cell with total harmonic distortion: Theory and application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Qing; Krewer, Ulrike

2012-01-01

The nonlinear frequency response of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is studied by analyzing the total harmonic distortion (THD) spectra. The dependence of the THD spectra on methanol concentration and methanol oxidation kinetics is investigated by means of both simulation and experiment. Simulation using a continuous stirred tank reactor network model suggests that the methanol concentration profile in the anode has a strong impact on the THD spectra. The experimentally observed nonlinear behavior of the DMFC anode can be qualitatively reproduced with a model containing a three-step methanol oxidation mechanism with Kauranen–Frumkin/Temkin kinetics. Both experiment and simulation results show that THD value has a monotonic correlation with methanol concentration at certain frequencies and its sensitivity to concentration is improved with increased current amplitude. The monotonic relationship enables the THD to sense the methanol concentration level by the DMFC itself, which is of mayor interest for the portable application as an external sensor for the system can be omitted.

A direct methanol fuel cell system to power a humanoid robot

Science.gov (United States)

Joh, Han-Ik; Ha, Tae Jung; Hwang, Sang Youp; Kim, Jong-Ho; Chae, Seung-Hoon; Cho, Jae Hyung; Prabhuram, Joghee; Kim, Soo-Kil; Lim, Tae-Hoon; Cho, Baek-Kyu; Oh, Jun-Ho; Moon, Sang Heup; Ha, Heung Yong

In this study, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system, which is the first of its kind, has been developed to power a humanoid robot. The DMFC system consists of a stack, a balance of plant (BOP), a power management unit (PMU), and a back-up battery. The stack has 42 unit cells and is able to produce about 400 W at 19.3 V. The robot is 125 cm tall, weighs 56 kg, and consumes 210 W during normal operation. The robot is integrated with the DMFC system that powers the robot in a stable manner for more than 2 h. The power consumption by the robot during various motions is studied, and load sharing between the fuel cell and the back-up battery is also observed. The loss of methanol feed due to crossover and evaporation amounts to 32.0% and the efficiency of the DMFC system in terms of net electric power is 22.0%.

Improved Cathode Structure for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, Thomas; Narayanan, Sekharipuram

2005-01-01

An improved cathode structure on a membrane/electrode assembly has been developed for a direct methanol fuel cell, in a continuing effort to realize practical power systems containing such fuel cells. This cathode structure is intended particularly to afford better cell performance at a low airflow rate. A membrane/electrode assembly of the type for which the improved cathode structure was developed (see Figure 1) is fabricated in a process that includes brush painting and spray coating of catalyst layers onto a polymer-electrolyte membrane and onto gas-diffusion backings that also act as current collectors. The aforementioned layers are then dried and hot-pressed together. When completed, the membrane/electrode assembly contains (1) an anode containing a fine metal black of Pt/Ru alloy, (2) a membrane made of Nafion 117 or equivalent (a perfluorosulfonic acid-based hydrophilic, proton-conducting ion-exchange polymer), (3) a cathode structure (in the present case, the improved cathode structure described below), and (4) the electrically conductive gas-diffusion backing layers, which are made of Toray 060(TradeMark)(or equivalent) carbon paper containing between 5 and 6 weight percent of poly(tetrafluoroethylene). The need for an improved cathode structure arises for the following reasons: In the design and operation of a fuel-cell power system, the airflow rate is a critical parameter that determines the overall efficiency, cell voltage, and power density. It is desirable to operate at a low airflow rate in order to obtain thermal and water balance and to minimize the size and mass of the system. The performances of membrane/electrode assemblies of prior design are limited at low airflow rates. Methanol crossover increases the required airflow rate. Hence, one way to reduce the required airflow rate is to reduce the effect of methanol crossover. Improvement of the cathode structure - in particular, addition of hydrophobic particles to the cathode - has been

Mixtures of methanol and 2-propanol as a potential fuel for direct alcohol fuel cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. LJ. GOJKOVIC

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The electrochemical oxidation of methanol, 2-propanol, and their mixtures was investigated on a Pt/C thin film electrode in acid solution. It was confirmed that the oxidation of 2-propanol commences at less positive potentials than that of methanol and exhibits significantly higher oxidation current densities at low potentials. When both methanol and 2-propanol were present in the solution, the onset of the oxidation current was the same as for the oxidation of pure 2-propanol. Although both alcohols inhibit the oxidation reaction of each other to a certain extent, steady-state polarization measurements showed that their mixture provides higher current densities than single alcohols over the entire potential region from the hydrogen region to oxide formation on the Pt surface. This implies that the addition of 2-propanol into the fuel may extend the operational range of direct methanol fuel cells.

Novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanmei; Fang, Jun; Wu, Yongbin; Xu, Hankun; Chi, Xianjun; Li, Wei; Yang, Yixu; Yan, Ge; Zhuang, Yongze

2012-09-01

A series of novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes based on the copolymer of vinylbenzyl chloride, butyl methacrylate, and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate has been prepared. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis techniques are used to study the chemical structure and chemical composition of the membranes. The water uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), conductivity, methanol permeability, and chemical stability of the membranes are also determined. The membranes exhibit high anionic conductivity in deionized water at 65 °C ranging from 3.86×10(-2) S cm(-1) to 4.36×10(-2) S cm(-1). The methanol permeability coefficients of the membranes are in the range of 4.21-5.80×10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) at 65 °C. The novel membranes also show good chemical and thermal stability. An open-circuit voltage of 0.7 V and a maximum power density of 53.2 mW cm(-2) of alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) with the membrane C, 1 M methanol, 1 M NaOH, and humidified oxygen are achieved at 65 °C. Therefore, these membranes have great potential for applications in fuel cell systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of Hybrid SPEEK Based Polymer–Cyclodextrin-Silica Inorganic Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tutuk Djoko Kusworo

2017-06-01

  Keywords: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell, Poly(ether ether ketone, cyclodextrin-silica, sulfonation, ionic conductivity. Article History: Received January 18th 2017; Received in revised form April 21st 2017; Accepted June 22nd 2017; Available online How to Cite This Article: Kusworo, T.D., Hakim, M.F. and Hadiyanto, H. (2017 Enhancement of Hybrid SPEEK Based Polymer–Cyclodextrin-Silica Inorganic Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Application. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6(2, 165-170. https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.6.2.165-170

Numerical simulation of direct methanol fuel cells using lattice Boltzmann method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delavar, Mojtaba Aghajani; Farhadi, Mousa; Sedighi, Kurosh [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Babol University of Technology, Babol, P.O. Box 484 (Iran)

2010-09-15

In this study Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) as an alternative of conventional computational fluid dynamics method is used to simulate Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). A two dimensional lattice Boltzmann model with 9 velocities, D2Q9, is used to solve the problem. The computational domain includes all seven parts of DMFC: anode channel, catalyst and diffusion layers, membrane and cathode channel, catalyst and diffusion layers. The model has been used to predict the flow pattern and concentration fields of different species in both clear and porous channels to investigate cell performance. The results have been compared well with results in literature for flow in porous and clear channels and cell polarization curves of the DMFC at different flow speeds and feed methanol concentrations. (author)

New catalysts for miniaturized methanol fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christoffer Mølleskov

The methanol fuel cell is an interesting energy technology, capable of converting the chemical energy of methanol directly into electricity. The technology is specifically attractive for small mobile applications such as laptops, smartphones, tablets etc. since it offers almost instantaneously...

Structural Study of Reduced Graphene Oxide/ Polypyrrole Composite as Methanol Sensor in Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumtazah Atiqah Hassan; Siti Kartom Kamarudin; Siti Kartom Kamarudin

2016-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) computations were performed on the optimized geometric and electronic properties of reduced graphene oxide/polypyrole (rGO/ PPy) composite in comparison with pure graphene and graphene oxide structures. Incorporation of both reduced GO (rGO) and PPy will form a good composite which have advantages from both materials such as good mechanical strength and excellent electrical conductivity. These composite would be very suitable in fabrication of methanol sensor in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The HOMO-LUMO energy (eV) was also calculated. These computations provide a theoretical explanation for the good performance of rGO/ PPy composite as electrode materials in methanol sensor. (author)

Effect of operating conditions on energy efficiency for a small passive direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Deryn; Jiang Rongzhong

2006-01-01

Energy conversion efficiency was studied in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with an air-breathing cathode using Nafion 117 as electrolyte membrane. The effect of operating conditions, such as methanol concentration, discharge voltage and temperature, on Faradic and energy conversion efficiencies was analyzed under constant voltage discharge with quantitative amount of fuel. Both of Faradic and energy conversion efficiencies decrease significantly with increasing methanol concentration and environmental temperature. The Faradic conversion efficiency can be as high as 94.8%, and the energy conversion efficiency can be as high as 23.9% if the environmental temperature is low enough (10 deg. C) under constant voltage discharge at 0.6 V with 3 M methanol for a DMFC bi-cell. Although higher temperature and higher methanol concentration can achieve higher discharge power, it will result in considerable losses of Faradic and energy conversion efficiencies for using Nafion electrolyte membrane. Development of alternative highly conductive membranes with significantly lower methanol crossover is necessary to avoid loss of Faradic conversion efficiency with temperature and with fuel concentration

Selective electrocatalysts toward a prototype of the membraneless direct methanol fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Yang, Jinhua; Liu, Hui; Ye, Feng; Yang, Jun

2014-01-22

Mastery over the structure of nanomaterials enables control of their properties to enhance their performance for a given application. Herein we demonstrate the design and fabrication of Pt-based nanomaterials with enhanced catalytic activity and superior selectivity toward the reactions in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) upon the deep understanding of the mechanisms of these electrochemical reactions. In particular, the ternary Au@Ag2S-Pt nanocomposites display superior methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) selectivity due to the electronic coupling effect among different domains of the nanocomposites, while the cage-bell structured Pt-Ru nanoparticles exhibit excellent methanol tolerance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode because of the differential diffusion of methanol and oxygen in the porous Ru shell of the cage-bell nanoparticles. The good catalytic selectivity of these Pt-based nanomaterials via structural construction enables a DMFC to be built without a proton exchange membrane between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode.

Effects of dissolved iron and chromium on the performance of direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Weimin; Xin, Qin; Sun, Gongquan; Yang, Shaohua; Zhou, Zhenhua; Mao, Qing; Sun, Pichang

2007-01-01

Effects of Fe 3+ and Cr 3+ ions on the performance of direct methanol fuel cell were investigated. The results show that the cell performance decreased remarkably when the concentration of Fe 3+ or Cr 3+ exceeded 1 x 10 -4 mol L -1 . Fe 3+ displayed a strong negative effect on the catalytic oxidation of methanol, while Cr 3+ affected the cell performance primarily by exchanging with protons of the membrane/ionomer and resulted in ionic conductivity losses. Complete recovery of the cell performance was not obtained after flushing the cell with deionized water

A simple preparation of very high methanol tolerant cathode electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cell based on polymer-coated carbon nanotube/platinum.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zehui; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2015-07-20

The development of a durable and methanol tolerant electrocatalyst with a high oxygen reduction reaction activity is highly important for the cathode side of direct methanol fuel cells. Here, we describe a simple and novel methodology to fabricate a practically applicable electrocatalyst with a high methanol tolerance based on poly[2,2'-(2,6-pyridine)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole]-wrapped multi-walled carbon nanotubes, on which Pt nanoparticles have been deposited, then coated with poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA). The polymer coated electrocatalyst showed an ~3.3 times higher oxygen reduction reaction activity compared to that of the commercial CB/Pt and methanol tolerance in the presence of methanol to the electrolyte due to a 50% decreased methanol adsorption on the Pt after coating with the PVPA. Meanwhile, the peroxide generation of the PVPA coated electrocatalyst was as low as 0.8% with 2 M methanol added to the electrolyte, which was much lower than those of the non-PVPA-coated electrocatalyst (7.5%) and conventional CB/Pt (20.5%). Such a high methanol tolerance is very important for the design of a direct methanol fuel cell cathode electrocatalyst with a high performance.

A Nafion-Ceria Composite Membrane Electrolyte for Reduced Methanol Crossover in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parthiban Velayutham

2017-02-01

Full Text Available An alternative Nafion composite membrane was prepared by incorporating various loadings of CeO2 nanoparticles into the Nafion matrix and evaluated its potential application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs. The effects of CeO2 in the Nafion matrix were systematically studied in terms of surface morphology, thermal and mechanical stability, proton conductivity and methanol permeability. The composite membrane with optimum filler content (1 wt. % CeO2 exhibits a proton conductivity of 176 mS·cm−1 at 70 °C, which is about 30% higher than that of the unmodified membrane. Moreover, all the composite membranes possess a much lower methanol crossover compared to pristine Nafion membrane. In a single cell DMFC test, MEA fabricated with the optimized composite membrane delivered a peak power density of 120 mW·cm−2 at 70 °C, which is about two times higher in comparison with the pristine Nafion membrane under identical operating conditions.

New polymeric electrolyte membranes based on proton donor proton acceptor properties for direct methanol fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Manea, G.C.; Mulder, M.H.V.

2002-01-01

In order to reduce the high methanol permeability of membranes in a direct methanol fuel cell application new and better materials are still required. In this paper membranes made from polybenzimidazole/sulfonated polysulfone are given and compared with homopolymer membranes made from sulfonated

Valveless piezoelectric micropump for fuel delivery in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Tao; Wang, Qing-Ming [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PA 15261 (United States)

2005-01-10

Fuel cells are being considered as an important technology that can be used for various power applications. For portable electronic devices such as laptops, digital cameras, cell phone, etc., the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a very promising candidate as a power source. Compared with conventional batteries, DMFC can provide a higher power density with a long-lasting life and recharging which is almost instant. However, many issues related to the design, fabrication and operation of miniaturized DMFC power systems still remain unsolved. Fuel delivery is one of the key issues that will determine the performance of the DMFC. To maintain a desired performance, an efficient fuel delivery system is required to provide an adequate amount of fuel for consumption and remove carbon dioxide generated from fuel cell devices at the same time. In this paper, a novel fuel delivery system combined with a miniaturized DMFC is presented. The core component of this system is a piezoelectric valveless micropump that can convert the reciprocating movement of a diaphragm activated by a piezoelectric actuator into a pumping effect. Nozzle/diffuser elements are used to direct the flow from inlet to outlet. As for DMFC devices, the micropump system needs to meet some specific requirements: low energy consumption but a sufficient fuel flow rate. Based on theoretical analysis, the effect of piezoelectric materials properties, driving voltage, driving frequency, nozzle/diffuser dimension, and other factors on the performance of the whole fuel cell system will be discussed. As a result, a viable design of a micropump system for fuel delivery can be achieved and some simulation results will be presented as well. (author)

Mixed phase Pt-Ru catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell anode by flame aerosol synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chakraborty, Debasish; Bischoff, H.; Chorkendorff, Ib

2005-01-01

A spray-flame aerosol catalyzation technique was studied for producing Pt-Ru anode electrodes for the direct methanol fuel cell. Catalysts were produced as aerosol nanoparticles in a spray-flame reactor and deposited directly as a thin layer on the gas diffusion layer. The as-prepared catalyst wa......Ru1/Vulcan carbon. The kinetics of methanol oxidation on the mixed phase catalyst was also explored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. (c) 2005 The Electrochemical Society.......A spray-flame aerosol catalyzation technique was studied for producing Pt-Ru anode electrodes for the direct methanol fuel cell. Catalysts were produced as aerosol nanoparticles in a spray-flame reactor and deposited directly as a thin layer on the gas diffusion layer. The as-prepared catalyst...... was found to be a mixture of nanocrystalline, mostly unalloyed Pt and an amorphous phase mostly of Ru and to a lesser extent of Pt oxides on top of the crystalline phase. The flame-produced Pt1Ru1 demonstrated similar onset potential but similar to 60% higher activity compared to commercially available Pt1...

Characterization and fuel cell performance analysis of polyvinylalcohol-mordenite mixed-matrix membranes for direct methanol fuel cell use

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uctug, Fehmi Goerkem, E-mail: gorkem.uctug@bahcesehir.edu.t [University of Manchester, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, M60 1QD (United Kingdom); Holmes, Stuart M. [University of Manchester, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, M60 1QD (United Kingdom)

2011-10-01

Highlights: > We investigated the availability of PVA-mordenite membranes for DMFC use. > We measured the methanol permeability of PVA-mordenite membranes via pervaporation. > We did the fuel cell testing of these membranes, which had not been done before. > We showed that PVA-mordenite membranes have poorer DMFC performance than Nafion. > Membrane performance can be improved by increasing the proton conductivity of PVA. - Abstract: Polyvinylalcohol-mordenite (PVA-MOR) mixed matrix membranes were synthesized for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) use. For the structural and the morphological characterization, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis methods were used. Zeolite distribution within the polymer matrix was found to be homogeneous. An impedance spectroscope was used to measure the proton conductivity. In order to obtain information about methanol permeation characteristics, swelling tests and a series of pervaporation experiments were carried out. 60-40 wt% PVA-MOR membranes were found to give the optimum transport properties. Proton conductivity of these membranes was found to be slightly lower than that of Nafion117{sup TM} whereas their methanol permeability was at least two orders of magnitude lower than Nafion117{sup TM}. DMFC performance of the PVA-MOR membranes was also measured. The inferior DMFC performance of PVA-MOR membranes was linked to drying in the fuel cell medium and the consequent proton conductivity loss. Their performance was improved by adding a dilute solution of sulfuric acid into the feed methanol solution. Future studies on the improvement of the proton conductivity of PVA-MOR membranes, especially via sulfonation of the polymer matrix, can overcome the low-performance problem associated with insufficient proton conductivity.

Characterization and fuel cell performance analysis of polyvinylalcohol-mordenite mixed-matrix membranes for direct methanol fuel cell use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uctug, Fehmi Goerkem; Holmes, Stuart M.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We investigated the availability of PVA-mordenite membranes for DMFC use. → We measured the methanol permeability of PVA-mordenite membranes via pervaporation. → We did the fuel cell testing of these membranes, which had not been done before. → We showed that PVA-mordenite membranes have poorer DMFC performance than Nafion. → Membrane performance can be improved by increasing the proton conductivity of PVA. - Abstract: Polyvinylalcohol-mordenite (PVA-MOR) mixed matrix membranes were synthesized for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) use. For the structural and the morphological characterization, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis methods were used. Zeolite distribution within the polymer matrix was found to be homogeneous. An impedance spectroscope was used to measure the proton conductivity. In order to obtain information about methanol permeation characteristics, swelling tests and a series of pervaporation experiments were carried out. 60-40 wt% PVA-MOR membranes were found to give the optimum transport properties. Proton conductivity of these membranes was found to be slightly lower than that of Nafion117 TM whereas their methanol permeability was at least two orders of magnitude lower than Nafion117 TM . DMFC performance of the PVA-MOR membranes was also measured. The inferior DMFC performance of PVA-MOR membranes was linked to drying in the fuel cell medium and the consequent proton conductivity loss. Their performance was improved by adding a dilute solution of sulfuric acid into the feed methanol solution. Future studies on the improvement of the proton conductivity of PVA-MOR membranes, especially via sulfonation of the polymer matrix, can overcome the low-performance problem associated with insufficient proton conductivity.

A vapor feed methanol microfluidic fuel cell with high fuel and energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yifei; Leung, Dennis Y.C.; Xuan, Jin; Wang, Huizhi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A microfluidic fuel cell with a vapor feed anode is investigated. • Its advantages include simpler design, direct usage of methanol and better performance. • The prototype achieves a peak power density of 55.4 mW cm −2 under room temperature. • The energy efficiency of 9.4% is much higher than its liquid feed counterpart. - Abstract: In this paper, a prototype of methanol microfluidic fuel cell with vapor feed anode configuration is proposed to improve the fuel and energy efficiency of the conventional liquid feed methanol microfluidic fuel cells. Peak power density of 55.4 mW cm −2 can be achieved with this prototype under room temperature, which is 30% higher than its conventional liquid feed counterpart. Moreover, an energy efficiency of 9.4% is achieved, which is 27.5 times higher than its liquid feed counterpart. This superiority on both cell performance and energy efficiency is directly benefitted from its vapor feed anode configuration, which alleviates the fuel crossover, eliminates the fuel depletion boundary layer, and avoids the bulk anolyte wastage. The tradeoff between cell performance and fuel utilization for conventional liquid feed microfluidic fuel cells is also evaded

Methyl phosphate formation as a major degradation mode of direct methanol fuel cells with phosphoric acid based electrolytes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aili, David; Vassiliev, Anton; Jensen, Jens Oluf

2015-01-01

Phosphoric acid and phosphoric acid doped polymer membranes are widely used as electrolytes in hydrogen based fuel cells operating at elevated temperatures. Such electrolytes have been explored for direct oxidation of methanol to further increase the versatility of the systems, however......, with demonstrated lifetimes of only a few days to weeks. In this work the methyl phosphate formation from the acid and methanol is identified and proposed to be a major mechanism for the cell degradation. Proton conductivity and fuel cell durability tests validate the mechanism at high methanol contents....

Novel anode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Basri, S; Kamarudin, S K; Daud, W R W; Yaakob, Z; Kadhum, A A H

2014-01-01

PtRu catalyst is a promising anodic catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) but the slow reaction kinetics reduce the performance of DMFCs. Therefore, this study attempts to improve the performance of PtRu catalysts by adding nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe). Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are used to increase the active area of the catalyst and to improve the catalyst performance. Electrochemical analysis techniques, such as energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), are used to characterize the kinetic parameters of the hybrid catalyst. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is used to investigate the effects of adding Fe and Ni to the catalyst on the reaction kinetics. Additionally, chronoamperometry (CA) tests were conducted to study the long-term performance of the catalyst for catalyzing the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The binding energies of the reactants and products are compared to determine the kinetics and potential surface energy for methanol oxidation. The FESEM analysis results indicate that well-dispersed nanoscale (2-5 nm) PtRu particles are formed on the MWCNTs. Finally, PtRuFeNi/MWCNT improves the reaction kinetics of anode catalysts for DMFCs and obtains a mass current of 31 A g(-1) catalyst.

Liquid-Feed Methanol Fuel Cell With Membrane Electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Surampudi, Subbarao; Narayanan, S. R.; Halpert, Gerald; Frank, Harvey; Vamos, Eugene

1995-01-01

Fuel cell generates electricity from direct liquid feed stream of methanol/water solution circulated in contact with anode, plus direct gaseous feed stream of air or oxygen in contact with cathode. Advantages include relative simplicity and elimination of corrosive electrolytic solutions. Offers potential for reductions in size, weight, and complexity, and for increases in safety of fuel-cell systems.

Electrochemical characterization of Pt-Ru-Pd catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, M; Han, C; Kim, I T; An, J C; Lee, J J; Lee, H K; Shim, J

2011-01-01

PtRuPd nanoparticles on carbon black were prepared and characterized as electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation reaction in direct methanol fuel cells. Nano-sized Pd (2-4 nm) particles were deposited on Pt/C and PtRu/C (commercial products) by a simple chemical reduction process. The structural and physical information of the PtRuPd/C were confirmed by TEM and XRD, and their electrocatalytic activities were measured by cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. The catalysts containing Pd showed higher electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation reaction than the other catalysts. This might be attributed to an increase in the electrochemical surface area of Pt, which is caused by the addition of Pd; this results in increased catalyst utilization.

Au/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals as an efficient anode photocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Ta; Lin, Yin-Kai; Yang, Ting-Ting; Pu, Ying-Chih; Hsu, Yung-Jung

2013-10-04

Au/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals with controllable shell thicknesses were synthesized using a cysteine-assisted hydrothermal method. Incorporating Au/ZnS nanocrystals into the traditional Pt-catalyzed half-cell reaction led to a 43.3% increase in methanol oxidation current under light illumination, demonstrating their promising potential for metal/semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals as the anode photocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.

Characteristics of a direct methanol fuel cell system with the time shared fuel supplying approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Youngseung; Kwon, Jungmin; Kim, Hyun; Cho, Hyejung; Song, Inseob

2013-01-01

DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) systems usually employ two pumps for supplying the methanol solution. The conventional system configuration, however, may bring about free flow from the methanol reservoir and malfunctions in the self-priming of the pumps. When instruments such as check valves and pressure regulators are applied, they result in excessive weight and control system malfunctions. In this paper, a light and robust DMFC system is proposed. By using the time sharing approach to supply fuel with a 3-way valve, free flow does not occur because only one inlet is opened at one time which means that both the circulation flow from gas liquid separator and the fuel flow from the methanol cartridge are not allowed to be opened at same time. As a result, back flow and self-priming problems do not occur. This makes the system stable and robust due to the removal of both the check valves and the fluctuation from unstable back pressure. Stabilized system doesn't need excessive battery buffering and recycling water any more, which are responsible for the heavy system. The proposed system performs the same level of power and efficiency with the conventional system. Adaptability is also carried out in various environmental temperature conditions. - Highlights: ►A light and robust DMFC system is proposed. ► The circulation pump is able to self-prime by itself after long term storage. ► The time sharing approach to supply fuel enables to control the methanol concentration precisely. ► The methanol concentration is controlled without free flow and the back flow from the fuel feeding pump. ► The excessive buffer of the batteries and the recycling water level are reduced

Development of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell with Lightweight Disc Type Current Collectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yean-Der Kuan

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC adopts methanol solution as a fuel suitable for low power portable applications. A miniature, lightweight, passive air-breathing design is therefore desired. This paper presents a novel planar disc-type DMFC with multiple cells containing a novel developed lightweight current collector at both the anode and cathode sides. The present lightweight current collector adopts FR4 Glass/Epoxy as the substrate with the current collecting areas located at the corresponding membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA areas. The current collecting areas are fabricated by sequentially coating a corrosion resistant layer and electrical conduction layer via the thermal evaporation technique. The anode current collector has carved flow channels for fuel transport and production. The cathode current collector has drilled holes for passive air breathing. In order to ensure feasibility in the present concept a 3-cell prototype DMFC module with lightweight disc type current collectors is designed and constructed. Experiments were conducted to measure the cell performance. The results show that the highest cell power output is 54.88 mW·cm−2 and successfully demonstrate the feasibility of this novel design.

Challenges in Design of an Orientation free Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (µDMFC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omidvarnia, Farzaneh; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Hales, Jan Harry

2014-01-01

the challenges in design and manufacturing of a micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC) as the power generator in hearing aid devices is investigated. Among the different challenges in design for μDMFC, the CO2 bubble management and orientation independency of the cell are addressed by proposing a spring loaded...

Modeling of the anode side of a direct methanol fuel cell with analytical solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosquera, Martin A.; Lizcano-Valbuena, William H.

2009-01-01

In this work, analytical solutions were derived (for any methanol oxidation reaction order) for the profiles of methanol concentration and proton current density, by assuming diffusion mass transport mechanism, Tafel kinetics, and fast proton transport in the anodic catalyst layer of a direct methanol fuel cell. An expression for the Thiele modulus that allows to express the anodic overpotential as a function of the cell current and kinetic and mass transfer parameters was obtained. For high cell current densities, it was found that the Thiele modulus (φ 2 ) varies quadratically with cell current density; yielding a simple correlation between anodic overpotential and cell current density. Analytical solutions were derived for the profiles of both local methanol concentration in the catalyst layer and local anodic current density in the catalyst layer. Under the assumptions of the model presented here, in general, the local methanol concentration in the catalyst layer cannot be expressed as an explicit function of the position in the layer. In spite of this, the equations presented here for the anodic overpotential allow the derivation of new semi-empirical equations

Operation characteristic analysis of a direct methanol fuel cell system using the methanol sensor-less control method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, C.Y.; Chang, C.L. [Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), Longtan Township, Taoyuan County (China); Sung, C.C. [National Taiwan University (China)

2012-10-15

The application of methanol sensor-less control in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system eliminates most of the problems encountered when using a methanol sensor and is one of the major solutions currently used in commercial DMFCs. This study focuses on analyzing the effect of the operating characteristics of a DMFC system on its performance under the methanol sensor-less control as developed by Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER). Notably, the influence of the dispersion of the methanol injected on the behavior of the system is investigated systematically. In addition, the mechanism of the methanol sensor-less control is investigated by varying factors such as the timing of the injection of methanol, the cathode flow rate, and the anode inlet temperature. These results not only provide insight into the mechanism of methanol sensor-less control but can also aid in the improvement and application of DMFC systems in portable and low-power transportation. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Novel Anode Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Basri

2014-01-01

Full Text Available PtRu catalyst is a promising anodic catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs but the slow reaction kinetics reduce the performance of DMFCs. Therefore, this study attempts to improve the performance of PtRu catalysts by adding nickel (Ni and iron (Fe. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs are used to increase the active area of the catalyst and to improve the catalyst performance. Electrochemical analysis techniques, such as energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX, X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, are used to characterize the kinetic parameters of the hybrid catalyst. Cyclic voltammetry (CV is used to investigate the effects of adding Fe and Ni to the catalyst on the reaction kinetics. Additionally, chronoamperometry (CA tests were conducted to study the long-term performance of the catalyst for catalyzing the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR. The binding energies of the reactants and products are compared to determine the kinetics and potential surface energy for methanol oxidation. The FESEM analysis results indicate that well-dispersed nanoscale (2–5 nm PtRu particles are formed on the MWCNTs. Finally, PtRuFeNi/MWCNT improves the reaction kinetics of anode catalysts for DMFCs and obtains a mass current of 31 A g−1 catalyst.

Diamond nanoparticles as a support for Pt and PtRu catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

La-Torre-Riveros, Lyda; Guzman-Blas, Rolando; Méndez-Torres, Adrián E; Prelas, Mark; Tryk, Donald A; Cabrera, Carlos R

2012-02-01

Diamond in nanoparticle form is a promising material that can be used as a robust and chemically stable catalyst support in fuel cells. It has been studied and characterized physically and electrochemically, in its thin film and powder forms, as reported in the literature. In the present work, the electrochemical properties of undoped and boron-doped diamond nanoparticle electrodes, fabricated using the ink-paste method, were investigated. Methanol oxidation experiments were carried out in both half-cell and full fuel cell modes. Platinum and ruthenium nanoparticles were chemically deposited on undoped and boron doped diamond nanoparticles through the use of NaBH(4) as reducing agent and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant. Before and after the reduction process, samples were characterized by electron microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. The ink-paste method was also used to prepare the membrane electrode assembly with Pt and Pt-Ru modified undoped and boron-doped diamond nanoparticle catalytic systems, to perform the electrochemical experiments in a direct methanol fuel cell system. The results obtained demonstrate that diamond supported catalyst nanomaterials are promising for methanol fuel cells.

Performance evaluation of direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rashidi, R.; Dincer, I.; Naterer, G.F. [Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada); Berg, P. [Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

2009-02-15

This study examines the feasibility of powering a range of portable devices with a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The analysis includes a comparison between a Li-ion battery and DMFC to supply the power for a laptop, camcorder and a cell phone. A parametric study of the systems for an operational period of 4 years is performed. Under the assumptions made for both the Li-ion battery and DMFC system, the battery cost is lower than the DMFC during the first year of operation. However, by the end of 4 years of operational time, the DMFC system would cost less. The weight and cost comparisons show that the fuel cell system occupies less space than the battery to store a higher amount of energy. The weight of both systems is almost identical. Finally, the CO{sub 2} emissions can be decreased by a higher exergetic efficiency of the DMFC, which leads to improved sustainability. (author)

Ni2P Makes Application of the PtRu Catalyst Much Stronger in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jinfa; Feng, Ligang; Liu, Changpeng; Xing, Wei

2015-10-12

PtRu is regarded as the best catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells, but the performance decay resulting from the loss of Ru seriously hinders commercial applications. Herein, we demonstrated that the presence of Ni2 P largely reduces Ru loss, which thus makes the application of PtRu much stronger in direct methanol fuel cells. Outstanding catalytic activity and stability were observed by cyclic voltammetry. Upon integrating the catalyst material into a practical direct methanol fuel cell, the highest maximum power density was achieved on the PtRu-Ni2P/C catalyst among the reference catalysts at different temperatures. A maximum power density of 69.9 mW cm(-2) at 30 °C was obtained on PtRu-Ni2P/C, which is even higher than the power density of the state-of-the-art commercial PtRu catalyst at 70 °C (63.1 mW cm(-2)). Moreover, decay in the performance resulting from Ru loss was greatly reduced owing to the presence of Ni2 P, which is indicative of very promising applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Methanol electro-oxidation and direct methanol fuel cell using Pt/Rh and Pt/Ru/Rh alloy catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong-Ho; Park, Kyung-Won; Park, In-Su; Nam, Woo-Hyun; Sung, Yung-Eun

2004-01-01

Pt-based binary or ternary catalysts containing Rh for use as anodes in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) were synthesized by borohydride reduction method combined with freeze-drying. The resulting catalysts had a specific surface area of approximately 65-75 m 2 /g. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the catalysts were well alloyed and the average size of alloy catalysts was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Pt/Rh (2:1) and Pt/Ru/Rh (5:4:1) alloy catalysts showed better catalytic activities for methanol electro-oxidation than Pt or Pt/Ru (1:1), respectively

Performance of an Active Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Using Reduced Catalyst Loading MEAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.S. Falcão

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The micro direct methanol fuel cell (MicroDMFC is an emergent technology due to its special interest for portable applications. This work presents the results of a set of experiments conducted at room temperature using an active metallic MicroDMFC with an active area of 2.25 cm2. The MicroDMFC uses available commercial materials with low platinum content in order to reduce the overall fuel cell cost. The main goal of this work is to provide useful information to easily design an active MicroDMFC with a good performance recurring to cheaper commercial Membrane Electrode Assemblies MEAs. A performance/cost analysis for each MEA tested is provided. The maximum power output obtained was 18.1 mW/cm2 for a hot-pressed MEA with materials purchased from Quintech with very low catalyst loading (3 mg/cm2 Pt–Ru at anode side and 0.5 mg/cm2 PtB at the cathode side costing around 15 euros. Similar power values are reported in literature for the same type of micro fuel cells working at higher operating temperatures and substantially higher cathode catalyst loadings. Experimental studies using metallic active micro direct methanol fuel cells operating at room temperature are very scarce. The results presented in this work are, therefore, very useful for the scientific community.

High-Performance Direct Methanol Fuel Cells with Precious-Metal-Free Cathode.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qing; Wang, Tanyuan; Havas, Dana; Zhang, Hanguang; Xu, Ping; Han, Jiantao; Cho, Jaephil; Wu, Gang

2016-11-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) hold great promise for applications ranging from portable power for electronics to transportation. However, apart from the high costs, current Pt-based cathodes in DMFCs suffer significantly from performance loss due to severe methanol crossover from anode to cathode. The migrated methanol in cathodes tends to contaminate Pt active sites through yielding a mixed potential region resulting from oxygen reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. Therefore, highly methanol-tolerant cathodes must be developed before DMFC technologies become viable. The newly developed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based Fe-N-C cathode exhibits high methanol tolerance and exceeds the performance of current Pt cathodes, as evidenced by both rotating disk electrode and DMFC tests. While the morphology of 2D rGO is largely preserved, the resulting Fe-N-rGO catalyst provides a more unique porous structure. DMFC tests with various methanol concentrations are systematically studied using the best performing Fe-N-rGO catalyst. At feed concentrations greater than 2.0 m, the obtained DMFC performance from the Fe-N-rGO cathode is found to start exceeding that of a Pt/C cathode. This work will open a new avenue to use nonprecious metal cathode for advanced DMFC technologies with increased performance and at significantly reduced cost.

Characteristics of PVdF copolymer/Nafion blend membrane for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Ki-Yun; Eom, Ji-Yong; Jung, Ho-Young; Choi, Nam-Soon; Lee, Yong Min; Park, Jung-Ki; Choi, Jong-Ho; Park, Kyung-Won; Sung, Yung-Eun

2004-01-01

For direct methanol fuel cell, blends of vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (P(VdF-co-HFP)) and Nafion were prepared the different equivalent weight of Nafion. The investigations of the blend morphology were performed by means of permeability test, uptake measurement, differential-scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy. In the blend membranes, many pores were created as the content of Nafion in blend increased. Then, the methanol uptake was sharply increased. But the methanol permeability was not sharply increased because the methanol permeation through blend membranes is diffusion-controlled process. The methanol permeability of N10 (low equivalent weight) series was similar to that of N11 series (high equivalent weight). The proton conductivity of N10 series was around one and a half times higher than that of N11 series. The cell performance of the blend was much enhanced when the equivalent weight of Nafion was 1000

Recast Nafion{sup R}-based membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimitrova, Penka; Friedrich, Kaspar A.; Stimming, Ulrich; Vogt, Brunhilde [Department of Physics, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, D-80333 Munich (Germany)

2001-07-01

Commercially available Nafion{sup R} membranes at present do not meet the requirements for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications, amongst others factors because of their high methanol permeability. With the aim of improving this undesirable characteristic, a modification procedure has been applied to recast Nafion-based membranes. Membranes, containing different additives, are assessed with regard to their conductivity and methanol permeation rate. The preparation of the samples involves the introduction of a small amount of a high boiling point solvent to the as-received Nafion solution and then shaping the membranes by a recasting procedure (drying at room temperature and heating up to 150{sup o}C). An enhancement of the conductivity of the thermally treated membranes in comparison to the commercial Nafion 117 is found. The thickness-normalised methanol permeation rate of the samples, containing inorganic additives (Aerosil and molybdophosphoric acid) decreases compared to the pure recast and as-received Nafion membranes. The observed results are discussed in terms of the membrane structure and preparation. (author)

Application of green chemistry techniques to prepare electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Kenichi; Wang, Joanna S; Wai, Chien M

2010-03-25

A series of green techniques for synthesizing carbon nanotube-supported platinum nanoparticles and their high electrocatalytic activity toward methanol fuel cell applications are reported. The techniques utilize either the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide or water as a medium for depositing platinum nanoparticles on surfaces of multiwalled or single-walled carbon nanotubes. The catalytic properties of the carbon nanotubes-supported Pt nanoparticle catalysts prepared by four different techniques are compared for anodic oxidation of methanol and cathodic reduction of oxygen using cyclic voltammetry. One technique using galvanic exchange of Pt(2+) in water with zerovalent iron present on the surfaces of as-grown single-walled carbon nanotubes produces a Pt catalyst that shows an unusually high catalytic activity for reduction of oxygen but a negligible activity for oxidation of methanol. This fuel-selective catalyst may have a unique application as a cathode catalyst in methanol fuel cells to alleviate the problems caused by crossover of methanol through the polymer electrolyte membrane.

Thin Film Catalyst Layers for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Witham, C. K.; Chun, W.; Ruiz, R.; Valdez, T. I.; Narayanan, S. R.

2000-01-01

One of the primary obstacles to the widespread use of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is the high cost of the catalyst. Therefore, reducing the catalyst loading well below the current level of 8-12 mg/cm 2 would be important to commercialization. The current methods for preparation of catalyst layers consisting of catalyst, ionomer and sometimes a hydrophobic additive are applied by either painting, spraying, decal transfer or screen printing processes. Sputter deposition is a coating technique widely used in manufacturing and therefore particularly attractive. In this study we have begun to explore sputtering as a method for catalyst deposition. Present experiments focus on Pt-Ru catalyst layers for the anode.

New Catalysts for Direct Methanol Oxidation Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adzic, Radoslav

1998-08-01

A new class of efficient electrocatalytic materials based on platinum - metal oxide systems has been synthetized and characterized by several techniques. Best activity was found with NiWO{sub 4}-, CoWO{sub 4}-, and RuO{sub 2}- sr¡pported platinum catalysts. A very similar activity at room temperature was observed with the electrodes prepared with the catalyst obtained from International Fuel Cells Inc. for the same Pt loading. Surprisingly, the two tungstates per se show a small activity for methanol oxidation without any Pt loading. Synthesis of NiWO{sub 4} and CoWO{sub 4} were carried out by solid-state reactions. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the tungstates contain a certain amount of physically adsorbed water even after heating samples at 200{degrees}C. A direct relationship between the activity for methanol oxidation and the amount of adsorbed water on those oxides has been found. The Ru(0001) single crystal shows a very small activity for CO adsorption and oxidation, in contrast to the behavior of polycrystalline Ru. In situ extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) showed that the OH adsorption on Ru in the Pt-Ru alloy appears to be the limiting step in methanol oxidation. This does not occur for Pt-RuO{SUB 2} electrocatalyst, which explains its advantages over the Pt-Ru alloys. The IFCC electrocatalyst has the properties of the Pt-Ru alloy.

Modelling and experimental studies on a direct methanol fuel cell working under low methanol crossover and high methanol concentrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, V.B.; Pinto, A.M.F.R. [Centro de Estudos de Fenomenos de Transporte, Departamento de Eng. Quimica, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto (Portugal); Rangel, C.M. [Instituto Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal)

2009-08-15

A number of issues need to be resolved before DMFC can be commercially viable such as the methanol crossover and water crossover which must be minimised in portable DMFCs. The main gain of this work is to systematically vary commercial MEA materials and check their influence on the cell performance of a direct methanol fuel cell operating at close to room temperature. A detailed experimental study on the performance of an <> developed DMFC with 25 cm{sup 2} of active membrane area, working near the ambient conditions is described. Tailored MEAs (membrane-electrode assemblies), with different structures and combinations of gas diffusion layers (GDLs), were designed and tested in order to select optimal working conditions at high methanol concentration levels without sacrificing performance. The experimental polarization and power density curves were successfully compared with the predictions of a steady state, one-dimensional model accounting for coupled heat and mass transfer, along with the electrochemical reactions occurring in the DMFC recently developed by the same authors. The influence of the anode gas diffusion layer media, the membrane thickness and the MEA properties on the cell performance are explained under the light of the predicted methanol crossover rate across the membrane. A tailored MEA build-up with the common available commercial materials was proposed to achieve relatively low methanol crossover, operating at high methanol concentrations. The use of adequate materials for the gas diffusion layers (carbon paper at the anode GDL and carbon cloth at the cathode GDL) enables the use of thinner membranes enhancing the water back diffusion which is essential to work at high methanol concentrations. (author)

Effect of fabrication and operating parameters on electrochemical property of anode and cathode for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Guicheng; Zhou, Hongwei; Ding, Xianan; Li, Xinping; Zou, Dechun; Li, Xinyang; Wang, Xindong; Lee, Joong Kee

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A quick and simple method for optimizing assembly force of fuel cells. • Effect mechanisms of operating parameters on polarization of each electrode. • Working temperature is main factor to affect the optimal flow rates. • This paper is helpful to simulate the relation between operating parameters. - Abstract: A quick and simple method for optimizing assembly force of the direct methanol fuel cell has been introduced. Meanwhile, the effect mechanism of operating parameters on fuel cell performance and the properties of single anode and cathode have been intuitively investigated by a three-electrode system in this paper. The impedance curves indicate that internal resistance is the suitable intermediate to connect assembly torque and assembly force. The cathode polarization curve and limiting current density of methanol crossover are shown that the increasing methanol concentration markedly exacerbates the polarization in cathode due to serious methanol crossover phenomenon. Also, the higher cathode backpressure mainly improves cathode property, and lowers methanol crossover simultaneously. Finally, the summaries of peak power densities prove that the main factor that affected the optimal flow rates of methanol and oxygen is not the concentration or backpressure, but the working temperature.

High-performance alkaline direct methanol fuel cell using a nitrogen-postdoped anode.

Science.gov (United States)

Joghee, Prabhuram; Pylypenko, Svitlana; Wood, Kevin; Bender, Guido; O'Hayre, Ryan

2014-07-01

A commercial PtRu/C catalyst postdoped with nitrogen demonstrates a significantly higher performance (~10-20% improvement) in the anode of an alkaline direct methanol fuel cell than an unmodified commercial PtRu/C catalyst control. The enhanced performance shown herein is attributed at least partially to the increased electrochemical surface area of the PtRu/C after postdoping with nitrogen. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of cesium phosphotungstate salt and chitosan composite membrane for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yanxin; Xiang, Yan; Xiu, Ruijie; Lu, Shanfu

2013-10-15

A novel composite membrane has been developed by doping cesium phosphotungstate salt (CsxH3-xPW12O40 (0≤x≤3), Csx-PTA) into chitosan (CTS/Csx-PTA) for application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Uniform distribution of Csx-PTA nanoparticles has been achieved in the chitosan matrix. The proton conductivity of the composite membrane is significantly affected by the Csx-PTA content in the composite membrane as well as the Cs substitution in PTA. The highest proton conductivity for the CTS/Csx-PTA membranes was obtained with x=2 and Cs2-PTA content of 5 wt%. The value is 6×10(-3) S cm(-1) and 1.75×10(-2) S cm(-1) at 298 K and 353 K, respectively. The methanol permeability of CTS/Cs2-PTA membrane is about 5.6×10(-7), 90% lower than that of Nafion-212 membrane. The highest selectivity factor (φ) was obtained on CTS/Cs2-PTA-5 wt% composite membrane, 1.1×10(4)/Scm(-3)s. The present study indicates the promising potential of CTS/Csx-PTA composite membrane as alternative proton exchange membranes in direct methanol fuel cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey report for fiscal 1998. Achievement report on research and development of direct methanol fuel cell; 1998 nendo direct methanol nenryo denchi no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-12-01

Research and development has been performed on a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) to generate electric power through direct chemical reaction of methanol not being given modification as a fuel cell to be used for automotive engines. This paper summarizes the achievements in fiscal 1998. In the research of the membranes to conduct ions for the DMFC, an ion conduction membrane which introduces POSS group as the methanol eliminating functional group was prepared to achieve enhancement in tensile strength, heat resistance, and ion conductivity. In the power generation characteristics of the DMFC, verification was given on power generation performance with as high main power density as 0.1 W/cm{sup 2} by using the available electrolytic membranes and electrode catalysts. The characteristics showed effectiveness of the DMFC as the electric power supply source. In addition, fundamental findings were obtained on factors affecting the power generation characteristics of the DMFC as a result of generating power under different conditions. Research and development was given also on the water-methanol-ion exchange polymeric membrane, ion exchange membranes provided with lipophilic and water repellent electrolyte, solid polymeric membranes having high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability, and a new micro-porous filling type polymeric membrane. (NEDO)

Investigation of Ruthenium Dissolution in Advanced Membrane Electrode Assemblies for Direct Methanol Based Fuel Cells Stacks

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, T. I.; Firdosy, S.; Koel, B. E.; Narayanan, S. R.

2005-01-01

This viewgraph presentation gives a detailed review of the Direct Methanol Based Fuel Cell (DMFC) stack and investigates the Ruthenium that was found at the exit of the stack. The topics include: 1) Motivation; 2) Pathways for Cell Degradation; 3) Cell Duration Testing; 4) Duration Testing, MEA Analysis; and 5) Stack Degradation Analysis.

The electrolyte challenge for a direct methanol-air polymer electrolyte fuel cell operating at temperatures up to 200 C

Science.gov (United States)

Savinell, Robert; Yeager, Ernest; Tryk, Donald; Landau, Uziel; Wainright, Jesse; Gervasio, Dominic; Cahan, Boris; Litt, Morton; Rogers, Charles; Scherson, Daniel

1993-01-01

Novel polymer electrolytes are being evaluated for use in a direct methanol-air fuel cell operating at temperatures in excess of 100 C. The evaluation includes tests of thermal stability, ionic conductivity, and vapor transport characteristics. The preliminary results obtained to date indicate that a high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell is feasible. For example, Nafion 117 when equilibrated with phosphoric acid has a conductivity of at least 0.4 Omega(exp -1)cm(exp -1) at temperatures up to 200 C in the presence of 400 torr of water vapor and methanol vapor cross over equivalent to 1 mA/cm(exp 2) under a one atmosphere methanol pressure differential at 135 C. Novel polymers are also showing similar encouraging results. The flexibility to modify and optimize the properties by custom synthesis of these novel polymers presents an exciting opportunity to develop an efficient and compact methanol fuel cell.

Characterization of Polyethylene-Graft-Sulfonated Polyarylsulfone Proton Exchange Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyung Kyu; Zhang, Gang; Nam, Changwoo; Chung, T C Mike

2015-12-04

This paper examines polymer film morphology and several important properties of polyethylene-graft-sulfonated polyarylene ether sulfone (PE-g-s-PAES) proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for direct methanol fuel cell applications. Due to the extreme surface energy differences between a semi-crystalline and hydrophobic PE backbone and several amorphous and hydrophilic s-PAES side chains, the PE-g-s-PAES membrane self-assembles into a unique morphology, with many proton conductive s-PAES channels embedded in the stable and tough PE matrix and a thin hydrophobic PE layer spontaneously formed on the membrane surfaces. In the bulk, these membranes show good mechanical properties (tensile strength >30 MPa, Young's modulus >1400 MPa) and low water swelling (λ 3 mmol/g in the s-PAES domains. On the surface, the thin hydrophobic and semi-crystalline PE layer shows some unusual barrier (protective) properties. In addition to exhibiting higher through-plane conductivity (up to 160 mS/cm) than in-plane conductivity, the PE surface layer minimizes methanol cross-over from anode to cathode with reduced fuel loss, and stops the HO• and HO₂• radicals, originally formed at the anode, entering into PEM matrix. Evidently, the thin PE surface layer provides a highly desirable protecting layer for PEMs to reduce fuel loss and increase chemical stability. Overall, the newly developed PE-g-s-PAES membranes offer a desirable set of PEM properties, including conductivity, selectivity, mechanical strength, stability, and cost-effectiveness for direct methanol fuel cell applications.

Development of an electrode for direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramzia, A. M. S.; Iqbal, J.

2006-01-01

This paper presents the efficient use of platinum catalyst ruthenium with in the anode of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). This is achieved by depositing platinum and ruthenium nano-particles on the pre-refluxed multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT): MWCNTs were synthesized using the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) with floating catalyst technique. The synthesized carbon nano tubes (CNT) were refluxed in 12M nitric acid to produce anchoring sites on the surface of the CNT. The platinum and ruthenium nano-particles were in a ratio of (3.1). These particles are deposited on the surface of the CNT at 60 wt % by reduction in ethylene glycol. Transmission micrograph (TEM) and scanning electron micrograph (SEM) images show the success of the deposition method. (author)

In situ synthesis of nanocomposite membranes: comprehensive improvement strategy for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Siyuan; Xiu, Ruijie; Si, Jiangju; Lu, Shanfu; Yang, Meng; Xiang, Yan

2014-03-01

In situ synthesis is a powerful approach to control nanoparticle formation and consequently confers extraordinary properties upon composite membranes relative to conventional doping methods. Herein, uniform nanoparticles of cesium hydrogen salts of phosphotungstic acid (CsPW) are controllably synthesized in situ in Nafion to form CsPW–Nafion nanocomposite membranes with both improved proton conductivity and methanol-crossover suppression. A 101.3% increase of maximum power density has been achieved relative to pristine Nafion in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), indicating a potential pathway for large-scale fabrication of DMFC alternative membranes.

Bimetallic Nickel/Ruthenium Catalysts Synthesized by Atomic Layer Deposition for Low-Temperature Direct Methanol Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Heonjae; Kim, Jun Woo; Park, Joonsuk; An, Jihwan; Lee, Tonghun; Prinz, Fritz B; Shim, Joon Hyung

2016-11-09

Nickel and ruthenium bimetallic catalysts were heterogeneously synthesized via atomic layer deposition (ALD) for use as the anode of direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells (DMSOFCs) operating in a low-temperature range. The presence of highly dispersed ALD Ru islands over a porous Ni mesh was confirmed, and the Ni/ALD Ru anode microstructure was observed. Fuel cell tests were conducted using Ni-only and Ni/ALD Ru anodes with approximately 350 μm thick gadolinium-doped ceria electrolytes and platinum cathodes. The performance of fuel cells was assessed using pure methanol at operating temperatures of 300-400 °C. Micromorphological changes of the anode after cell operation were investigated, and the content of adsorbed carbon on the anode side of the operated samples was measured. The difference in the maximum power density between samples utilizing Ni/ALD Ru and Pt/ALD Ru, the latter being the best catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells, was observed to be less than 7% at 300 °C and 30% at 350 °C. The improved electrochemical activity of the Ni/ALD Ru anode compared to that of the Ni-only anode, along with the reduction of the number of catalytically active sites due to agglomeration of Ni and carbon formation on the Ni surface as compared to Pt, explains this decent performance.

Carbon-Supported Pd and PdFe Alloy Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Cathodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis M. Rivera Gavidia

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs are electrochemical devices that efficiently produce electricity and are characterized by a large flexibility for portable applications and high energy density. Methanol crossover is one of the main obstacles for DMFC commercialization, forcing the search for highly electro-active and methanol tolerant cathodes. In the present work, carbon-supported Pd and PdFe catalysts were synthesized using a sodium borohydride reduction method and physico-chemically characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM and X-ray techniques such as photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, diffraction (XRD and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX. The catalysts were investigated as DMFC cathodes operating at different methanol concentrations (up to 10 M and temperatures (60 °C and 90 °C. The cell based on PdFe/C cathode presented the best performance, achieving a maximum power density of 37.5 mW·cm−2 at 90 °C with 10 M methanol, higher than supported Pd and Pt commercial catalysts, demonstrating that Fe addition yields structural changes to Pd crystal lattice that reduce the crossover effects in DMFC operation.

Micro direct methanol fuel cell with perforated silicon-plate integrated ionomer membrane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jackie Vincent; Dalslet, Bjarke Thomas; Johansson, Anne-Charlotte Elisabeth Birgitta

2014-01-01

This article describes the fabrication and characterization of a silicon based micro direct methanol fuel cell using a Nafion ionomer membrane integrated into a perforated silicon plate. The focus of this work is to provide a platform for micro- and nanostructuring of a combined current collector...... at a perforation ratio of 40.3%. The presented fuel cells also show a high volumetric peak power density of 2 mW cm−3 in light of the small system volume of 480 μL, while being fully self contained and passively feed....... and catalytic electrode. AC impedance spectroscopy is utilized alongside IV characterization to determine the influence of the plate perforation geometries on the cell performance. It is found that higher ratios of perforation increases peak power density, with the highest achieved being 2.5 mW cm−2...

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based micro-scale direct methanol fuel cell development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, S.-C.; Tang Xudong; Hsieh, C.-C.; Alyousef, Yousef; Vladimer, Michael; Fedder, Gary K.; Amon, Cristina H.

2006-01-01

This paper describes a high-power density, silicon-based micro-scale direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), under development at Carnegie Mellon. Major issues in the DMFC design include the water management and energy-efficient micro fluidic sub-systems. The air flow and the methanol circulation are both at a natural draft, while a passive liquid-gas separator removes CO 2 from the methanol chamber. An effective approach for maximizing the DMFC energy density, pumping the excess water back to the anode, is illustrated. The proposed DMFC contains several unique features: a silicon wafer with arrays of etched holes selectively coated with a non-wetting agent for collecting water at the cathode; a silicon membrane micro pump for pumping the collected water back to the anode; and a passive liquid-gas separator for CO 2 removal. All of these silicon-based components are fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based processes on the same silicon wafer, so that interconnections are eliminated, and integration efforts as well as post-fabrication costs are both minimized. The resulting fuel cell has an overall size of one cubic inch, produces a net output of 10 mW, and has an energy density three to five times higher than that of current lithium-ion batteries

Mould Design and Material selection for Film Insert Moulding of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Packaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wöhner, Timo; Senkbeil, S.; Olesen, T. L.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the mould design for an injection moulding (IM) process for the production of a methanol container for the use in small, passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) systems, which are intended to be used in behind-the-ear hearing aid systems. One of the crucial properties...... for the production of containers with different venting area and location of the venting holes and the use of different membrane thicknesses by using the same mould. Mould design and material selection are presented....

Two-phase, mass-transport model for direct methanol fuel cells with effect of non-equilibrium evaporation and condensation

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, W. W.; Zhao, T. S.

A two-phase, mass-transport model for liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is developed by taking into account the effect of non-equilibrium evaporation and condensation of methanol and water. The comparison between the present model and other models indicates that the present model yields more reasonable predictions of cell performance. Particularly, it is shown that the models that invoke a thermodynamic-equilibrium assumption between phases will overestimate mass-transport rates of methanol and water, thereby resulting in an inaccurate prediction of cell performance. The parametric study using the present model reveals that the gas coverage at the flow channel-diffusion-layer interface is directly related to the gas-void fraction inside the anode porous region; increasing the gas-void fraction will increase the mass-transfer resistance of methanol and thus lower cell performance. The effects of the geometric dimensions of the cell structure, such as channel width and rib width, on cell performance are also investigated with the model developed in this work.

A Graphite Oxide Paper Polymer Electrolyte for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravi Kumar

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A flow directed assembly of graphite oxide solution was used in the formation of free-standing graphene oxide paper of approximate thickness of 100 μm. The GO papers were characterised by XRD and SEM. Electrochemical characterization of the GO paper membrane electrode assembly revealed proton conductivities of 4.1 × 10−2 S cm−1 to 8.2 × 10−2 S cm−1 at temperatures of 25–90°C. A direct methanol fuel cell, at 60°C, gave a peak power density of 8 mW cm−2 at a current density of 35 mA cm−2.

Characterization of Polyethylene-Graft-Sulfonated Polyarylsulfone Proton Exchange Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyung Kyu Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines polymer film morphology and several important properties of polyethylene-graft-sulfonated polyarylene ether sulfone (PE-g-s-PAES proton exchange membranes (PEMs for direct methanol fuel cell applications. Due to the extreme surface energy differences between a semi-crystalline and hydrophobic PE backbone and several amorphous and hydrophilic s-PAES side chains, the PE-g-s-PAES membrane self-assembles into a unique morphology, with many proton conductive s-PAES channels embedded in the stable and tough PE matrix and a thin hydrophobic PE layer spontaneously formed on the membrane surfaces. In the bulk, these membranes show good mechanical properties (tensile strength >30 MPa, Young’s modulus >1400 MPa and low water swelling (λ < 15 even with high IEC >3 mmol/g in the s-PAES domains. On the surface, the thin hydrophobic and semi-crystalline PE layer shows some unusual barrier (protective properties. In addition to exhibiting higher through-plane conductivity (up to 160 mS/cm than in-plane conductivity, the PE surface layer minimizes methanol cross-over from anode to cathode with reduced fuel loss, and stops the HO• and HO2• radicals, originally formed at the anode, entering into PEM matrix. Evidently, the thin PE surface layer provides a highly desirable protecting layer for PEMs to reduce fuel loss and increase chemical stability. Overall, the newly developed PE-g-s-PAES membranes offer a desirable set of PEM properties, including conductivity, selectivity, mechanical strength, stability, and cost-effectiveness for direct methanol fuel cell applications.

International cooperation on methanol-based fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

An international agreement on co-operation to study the use of cars powered by methanol-based fuel cells was signed in September 2000. This indicates that gas will have to compete on the future fuel market. According to the agreement, measures will be taken to ease the introduction of such cars when they are commercialized. Methanol represents a fuel that can be distributed throughout most of the world within realistic economical bounds by means of the existing infrastructure. A global market analysis based on the assumption that there will be a billion cars in the world by 2020 shows the great potential for the use of fuel cells. In addition, they are environmentally sound. Technological developments of fuel cells during the latest decade may render traditional combustion engines obsolete. Methanol is a liquid at room temperature and can be stored in the fuel tank just like ordinary fuels. Petrol, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, ethanol and methanol can all be used in a fuel cell engine, but since the technology is based on chemical energy conversion, the most suitable fuel is one that is hydrogen-rich and easily stored. Many experts favour liquid hydrogen. However, liquid hydrogen has many problems in common with liquefied natural gas or cooled liquid natural gas: about 25% of the energy is used in keeping the fuel in the liquid state

Investigation of nano Pt and Pt-based alloys electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells and their properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunguang Suo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The electrocatalysts used in micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC, such as Pt/C and Pt alloy/C, prepared by liquid-phase NaBH4 reduction method have been investigated. XC-72 (Cobalt corp. Company, U.S.A is chosen as the activated carrier for the electrocatalysts to keep the catalysts powder in the range of several nanometers. The XRD, SEM, EDX analyses indicated that the catalysts had small particle size in several nanometers, in excellent dispersed phase and the molar ratio of the precious metals was found to be optimal. The performances of the DMFCs using cathodic catalyst with Pt percentage of 30wt% and different anodic catalysts (Pt-Ru, Pt-Ru-Mo were tested. The polarization curves and power density curves of the cells were measured to determine the optimal alloy composition and condition for the electrocatalysts. The results showed that the micro direct methanol fuel cell with 30wt% Pt/C as the cathodic catalyst and n(Pt:n(Ru:n(Mo = 3:2:2 PtRuMo/C as the anodic catalyst at room temperature using 2.0mol/L methanol solution has the best performances.

Reduction of methanol crossover by thin cracked metal barriers at the interface between membrane and electrode in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sungjun; Jang, Segeun; Kim, Sang Moon; Ahn, Chi-Yeong; Hwang, Wonchan; Cho, Yong-Hun; Sung, Yung-Eun; Choi, Mansoo

2017-09-01

This work reports the successful reduction in methanol crossover by creating a thin cracked metal barrier at the interface between a Nafion® membrane and an electrode in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The cracks are generated by simple mechanical stretching of a metal deposited Nafion® membrane as a result of the elastic mismatch between the two attached surfaces. The cracked metal barriers with varying strains (∼0.5 and ∼1.0) are investigated and successfully incorporated into the DMFC. Remarkably, the membrane electrode assembly with the thin metal crack exhibits comparable ohmic resistance as well as reduction of methanol crossover, which enhanced the device performance.

Autonomous electrochemical biosensors: A new vision to direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, M Goreti F; Brandão, Lúcia

2017-12-15

A new approach to biosensing devices is demonstrated aiming an easier and simpler application in routine health care systems. Our methodology considered a new concept for the biosensor transducing event that allows to obtain, simultaneously, an equipment-free, user-friendly, cheap electrical biosensor. The use of the anode triple-phase boundary (TPB) layer of a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) as biosensor transducer is herein proposed. For that, the ionomer present in the anode catalytic layer of the DMFC is partially replaced by an ionomer with molecular recognition capability working as the biorecognition element of the biosensor. In this approach, fuel cell anode catalysts are modified with a molecularly imprinted polymer (plastic antibody) capable of protein recognition (ferritin is used as model protein), inserted in a suitable membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and tested, as initial proof-of-concept, in a non-passive fuel cell operation environment. The anchoring of the ionomer-based plastic antibody on the catalyst surface follows a simple one-step grafting from approach through radical polymerization. Such modification increases fuel cell performance due to the proton conductivity and macroporosity characteristics of the polymer on the TPB. Finally, the response and selectivity of the bioreceptor inside the fuel cell showed a clear and selective signal from the biosensor. Moreover, such pioneering transducing approach allowed amplification of the electrochemical response and increased biosensor sensitivity by 2 orders of magnitude when compared to a 3-electrodes configuration system. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nano-Engineered Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Myung, Nosang; Narayanan, Sekharipuram; Wiberg, Dean

2008-01-01

Nano-engineered catalysts, and a method of fabricating them, have been developed in a continuing effort to improve the performances of direct methanol fuel cells as candidate power sources to supplant primary and secondary batteries in a variety of portable electronic products. In order to realize the potential for high energy densities (as much as 1.5 W h/g) of direct methanol fuel cells, it will be necessary to optimize the chemical compositions and geometric configurations of catalyst layers and electrode structures. High performance can be achieved when catalyst particles and electrode structures have the necessary small feature sizes (typically of the order of nanometers), large surface areas, optimal metal compositions, high porosity, and hydrophobicity. The present method involves electrodeposition of one or more catalytic metal(s) or a catalytic-metal/polytetrafluoroethylene nanocomposite on an alumina nanotemplate. The alumina nanotemplate is then dissolved, leaving the desired metal or metal/polytetrafluoroethylene-composite catalyst layer. Unlike some prior methods of making fine metal catalysts, this method does not involve processing at elevated temperature; all processing can be done at room temperature. In addition, this method involves fewer steps and is more amenable to scaling up for mass production. Alumina nanotemplates are porous alumina membranes that have been fabricated, variously, by anodizing either pure aluminum or aluminum that has been deposited on silicon by electronbeam evaporation. The diameters of the pores (7 to 300 nm), areal densities of pores (as much as 7 x 10(exp 10)sq cm), and lengths of pores (up to about 100 nm) can be tailored by selection of fabrication conditions. In a given case, the catalytic metal, catalytic metal alloy, or catalytic metal/ polytetrafluoroethylene composite is electrodeposited in the pores of the alumina nanotemplate. The dimensions of the pores, together with the electrodeposition conditions

Effect of sorbed methanol, current, and temperature on multicomponent transport in nafion-based direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera, Harry; Lawton, Jamie S; Budil, David E; Smotkin, Eugene S

2008-07-24

The CO2 in the cathode exhaust of a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has two sources: methanol diffuses through the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to the cathode where it is catalytically oxidized to CO2; additionally, a portion of the CO2 produced at the anode diffuses through the MEA to the cathode. The potential-dependent CO2 exhaust from the cathode was monitored by online electrochemical mass spectrometry (ECMS) with air and with H2 at the cathode. The precise determination of the crossover rates of methanol and CO2, enabled by the subtractive normalization of the methanol/air to the methanol/H2 ECMS data, shows that methanol decreases the membrane viscosity and thus increases the diffusion coefficients of sorbed membrane components. The crossover of CO2 initially increases linearly with the Faradaic oxidation of methanol, reaches a temperature-dependent maximum, and then decreases. The membrane viscosity progressively increases as methanol is electrochemically depleted from the anode/electrolyte interface. The crossover maximum occurs when the current dependence of the diffusion coefficients and membrane CO2 solubility dominate over the Faradaic production of CO2. The plasticizing effect of methanol is corroborated by measurements of the rotational diffusion of TEMPONE (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone N-oxide) spin probe by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. A linear inverse relationship between the methanol crossover rate and current density confirms the absence of methanol electro-osmotic drag at concentrations relevant to operating DMFCs. The purely diffusive transport of methanol is explained in terms of current proton solvation and methanol-water incomplete mixing theories.

Structure optimization of cathode microporous layer for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Guicheng; Ding, Xianan; Zhou, Hongwei; Chen, Ming; Wang, Manxiang; Zhao, Zhenxuan; Yin, Zhuang; Wang, Xindong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Pore-forming technology was introduced to optimize microporous layer microstructure. • The water removal and gas mass transfer property of diffusion layer were improved. • The optimum DMFC performance reached 292 mW cm −2 at 80 °C. - Abstract: To obtain the cathode microporous layer (CML) with high mass transfer performance and high electronic conductivity, a pore-forming technology was introduced to optimize CML microstructure for direct methanol fuel cells. In this paper, the effects of carbon material type, carbon material loading and pore-forming agent loading in CML on fuel cell performance were discussed systematically. The results indicated that the optimized CML consisted of carbon nanotubes and ammonium oxalate with the loading of 1.5 and 3.5 mg cm −2 respectively. The fuel cell performance was improved by 30.3%, from 224 to 292 mW cm −2 at 80 °C under 0.3 MPa O 2 . Carbon nanotube was found to be the most suitable carbon material for the CML due to its great specific surface area and small particle size, resulting in increasing the number of the hydrophobic sites and the contact area between the support and the catalyst layer. The carbon material and pore-forming agent loading directly influenced the pore distribution and the contact resistance of membrane electrode assembly. The water removal capacity and the gas mass transfer property of diffusion layer were improved by optimizing the amount of micropore and macropore structures

Comparative exergy analysis of direct alcohol fuel cells using fuel mixtures

OpenAIRE

Leo Mena, Teresa de Jesus; Raso García, Miguel Ángel; Navarro Arevalo, Emilio; Sánchez de la Blanca, Emilia

2011-01-01

Within the last years there has been increasing interest in direct liquid fuel cells as power sources for portable devices and, in the future, power plants for electric vehicles and other transport media as ships will join those applications. Methanol is considerably more convenient and easy to use than gaseous hydrogen and a considerable work is devoted to the development of direct methanol fuel cells. But ethanol has much lower toxicity and from an ecological viewpoint ethanol is exceptiona...

Graphene-derived Fe/Co-N-C catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells: Effects of the methanol concentration and ionomer content on cell performance

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jong Cheol; Choi, Chang Hyuck

2017-08-01

Non-precious metal catalysts (typically Fe(Co)-N-C catalysts) have been widely investigated for use as cost-effective cathode materials in low temperature fuel cells. Despite the high oxygen reduction activity and methanol-tolerance of graphene-based Fe(Co)-N-C catalysts in an acidic medium, their use in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) has not yet been successfully implemented, and only a few studies have investigated this topic. Herein, we synthesized a nano-sized graphene-derived Fe/Co-N-C catalyst by physical ball-milling and a subsequent chemical modification of the graphene oxide. Twelve membrane-electrode-assemblies are fabricated with various cathode compositions to determine the effects of the methanol concentration, ionomer (i.e. Nafion) content, and catalyst loading on the DMFC performance. The results show that a graphene-based catalyst is capable of tolerating a highly-concentrated methanol feed up to 10.0 M. The optimized electrode composition has an ionomer content and catalyst loading of 66.7 wt% and 5.0 mg cm-2, respectively. The highest maximum power density is ca. 32 mW cm-2 with a relatively low PtRu content (2 mgPtRu cm-2). This study overcomes the drawbacks of conventional graphene-based electrodes using a nano-sized graphene-based catalyst and further shows the feasibility of their potential applications in DMFC systems.

Modeling of the Transport Phenomena in Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Using a Two-Phase Anisotropic Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Miao

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The transport phenomena in a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC were numerically simulated by the proposed two-dimensional two-phase nonisothermal mass transport model. The anisotropic transport characteristic and deformation of the gas diffusion layer (GDL were considered in this model. The natural convection boundary conditions were adopted for the transport of methanol, oxygen, and heat at the GDL outer surface. The effect of methanol concentration in the reservoir on cell performance was examined. The distribution of multiphysical fields in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA, especially in the catalyst layers (CLs, was obtained and analyzed. The results indicated that transport resistance for the methanol mainly existed in the MEA while that for oxygen and heat was primarily due to natural convection at the GDL outer surface. Because of the relatively high methanol concentration, the local reaction rate in CLs was mainly determined by the overpotential. Methanol concentration between 3 M and 4 M was recommended for passive liquid feed DMFC in order to achieve a balance between the cell performance and the methanol crossover.

A “4-cell” modular passive DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) stack for portable applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Luwen; He, Mingyan; Hu, Yue; Zhang, Yufeng; Liu, Xiaowei; Wang, Gaofeng

2015-01-01

A “4-cell” modular passive DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) stack, which can be freely combined and applied to various electronic devices, is designed, fabricated and tested. Two PCB (printed circuit board) based accessories are designed and fabricated for electrically connecting and mechanically assembling the “4-cell” modules. The maximum power density of the “4-cell” module is 27 mW cm −2 at 5 M methanol concentration. The steady-state performances of the modular stacks with different numbers of modules are tested. The extra power loss of the multiple module stacks due to inter-module electrical connections is predicted by mathematical fitting method. The fitting results indicate that the efficiencies of the multiple module stacks are all above 90% up to 10 modules. The dynamic performances of the modular stacks are also investigated for portable applications. The results show that the modular stacks exhibit good responsiveness and reproducibility at high loading current (>100 mA). Finally, the modular stacks are successfully applied to drive the experimental fan and charge the mobile phone. - Highlights: • A “4-cell” modular passive DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) stack is designed, fabricated and tested. • This modular DMFC stack can assemble more single cells with high efficiency. • The modular stack exhibit good responsiveness and reproducibility for portable application

Proton conducting semi-IPN based on Nafion and crosslinked poly(AMPS) for direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Ki-Yun; Jung, Ho-Young; Shin, Seung-Shik; Choi, Nam-Soon; Sung, Shi-Joon; Park, Jung-Ki; Choi, Jong-Ho; Park, Kyung-Won; Sung, Yung-Eun

2004-01-01

For direct methanol fuel cell, the proton conducting membrane based on semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of Nafion and crosslinked poly(AMPS) was prepared and characterized. The modification of Nafion with crosslinked poly(AMPS) such as hydrocarbon polymer changed the state of water in membranes. Without a significant increase of the membrane resistance, the semi-IPNs demonstrated a reduction of the methanol permeability, comparing to the native Nafion. And the maximum power density of AMPS60 increased as much as 22.2% compared with Nafion

Power generation in fuel cells using liquid methanol and hydrogen peroxide

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Sekharipuram R. (Inventor); Valdez, Thomas I. (Inventor); Chun, William (Inventor)

2002-01-01

The invention is directed to an encapsulated fuel cell including a methanol source that feeds liquid methanol (CH.sub.3 OH) to an anode. The anode is electrical communication with a load that provides electrical power. The fuel cell also includes a hydrogen peroxide source that feeds liquid hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2 O.sub.2) to the cathode. The cathode is also in communication with the electrical load. The anode and cathode are in contact with and separated by a proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane.

SHAPE SELECTIVE NANO-CATALYSTS: TOWARD DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELLS APPLICATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murph, S.

2010-06-16

A series of bimetallic core-shell-alloy type Au-Pt nanomaterials with various morphologies, aspect ratios and compositions, were produced in a heterogenous epitaxial fashion. Gold nanoparticles with well-controlled particle size and shape, e.g. spheres, rods and cubes, were used as 'seeds' for platinum growth in the presence of a mild reducing agent, ascorbic acid and a cationic surfactant cethyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The reactions take place in air and water, and are quick, economical and amenable for scaling up. The synthesized nanocatalysts were characterized by electron microscopy techniques and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Nafion membranes were embedded with the Au-Pt nanomaterials and analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for their potential in direct methanol fuel cells applications.

Durability and efficiency tests for direct methanol fuel cell's long-term performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, Pulin; Chang, Chu Hsiang; Shih, Naichien; Yeh, Naichia

2016-01-01

This research assessed the long-term performance of direct methanol fuel cells. The experiment was performed at room temperature using 0.51 mol/L ∼0.651 mol/L methanol with a fuel consumption rate of 0.8 ± 0.1 cc/Wh at stack temperature of 60 °C–70 °C. DuPont Nafion115 proton exchange membrane was used as the base material of MEA (membrane electrode assembly), which is then examined via a series of processes that include I−V curve test, humidity cycle test, load cycle test, and hydrogen penetration test. The study employs membrane modification and cell structure adjustment approaches to reduce the methanol crossover in the cathode and identify the cell performance effect of the carbon paper gas diffusion layer. The test results indicated an efficiency of 25% can be achieved with a three-piece MEA assembly. According to the durability test, the stack power-generation efficiency has maintained at 15%–25% level. With such efficiency, the stack voltage output has been able to stay above 7.8-V for over 5000 h. This result is in line with industry standard. - Highlights: • Assess DMFC performance under non-optimal conditions for production readiness. • Output of 26-cell DMFC stack stays beyond 7.8v after 5000 operation hours. • Power-generation efficiency of 26-cell DMFC stack maintains between 15%–20%.

Ruthenium–Platinum Catalysts and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC: A Review of Theoretical and Experimental Breakthroughs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana S. Moura

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The increasing miniaturization of devices creates the need for adequate power sources and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC are a strong option in the various possibilities under current development. DMFC catalysts are mostly based on platinum, for its outperformance in three key areas (activity, selectivity and stability within methanol oxidation framework. However, platinum poisoning with products of methanol oxidation led to the use of alloys. Ruthenium–platinum alloys are preferred catalysts active phases for methanol oxidation from an industrial point of view and, indeed, ruthenium itself is a viable catalyst for this reaction. In addition, the route of methanol decomposition is crucial in the goal of producing H2 from water reaction with methanol. However, the reaction pathway remains elusive and new approaches, namely in computational methods, have been ensued to determine it. This article reviews the various recent theoretical approaches for determining the pathway of methanol decomposition, and systematizes their validation with experimental data, within methodological context.

Proton conducting hydrocarbon membranes: Performance evaluation for room temperature direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krivobokov, Ivan M.; Gribov, Evgeniy N.; Okunev, Alexey G.

2011-01-01

The methanol permeability, proton conductivity, water uptake and power densities of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) at room temperature are reported for sulfonated hydrocarbon (sHC) and perfluorinated (PFSA) membranes from Fumatech, and compared to Nafion membranes. The sHC membranes exhibit lower proton conductivity (25-40 mS cm -1 vs. ∼95-40 mS cm -1 for Nafion) as well as lower methanol permeability (1.8-3.9 x 10 -7 cm 2 s -1 vs. 2.4-3.4 x 10 -6 cm 2 s -1 for Nafion). Water uptake was similar for all membranes (18-25 wt%), except for the PFSA membrane (14 wt%). Methanol uptake varied from 67 wt% for Nafion to 17 wt% for PFSA. The power density of Nafion in DMFCs at room temperature decreases with membrane thickness from 26 mW cm -2 for Nafion 117 to 12.5 mW cm -2 for Nafion 112. The maximum power density of the Fumatech membranes ranges from 4 to 13 mW cm -1 . Conventional transport parameters such as membrane selectivity fail to predict membrane performance in DMFCs. Reliable and easily interpretable results are obtained when the power density is plotted as a function of the transport factor (TF), which is the product of proton concentration in the swollen membrane and the methanol flux. At low TF values, cell performance is limited by low proton conductivity, whereas at high TF values it decreases due to methanol crossover. The highest maximum power density corresponds to intermediate values of TF.

Transient Response and Steady-State Analysis of the Anode of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Based on Dual-Site Kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Xing

2011-01-01

Full Text Available An intrinsic time-dependent one-dimensional (1D model and a macro two-dimensional (2D model for the anode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC are presented. The two models are based on the dual-site mechanism, which includes the coverage of intermediate species of methanol, OH, and CO (θM, θOH,Ru, and θCO,Pt on the surface of Pt and Ru. The intrinsic 1D model focused on the analysis of the effects of operating temperature, methanol concentration, and overpotential on the transient response. The macro 2D model emphasises the dimensionless distributions of methanol concentration, overpotential and current density in the catalyst layer which were affected by physical parameters such as thickness, specific area, and operating conditions such as temperature, bulk methanol concentration, and overpotential. The models were developed and solved in the PDEs module of COMSOL Multiphysics, giving good agreement with experimental data. The dimensionless distributions of methanol concentration, overpotential, and current density and the efficiency factor were calculated quantitatively. The models can be used to give accurate simulations for the polarisations of methanol fuel cell.

Three-dimensional graphene as gas diffusion layer for micro direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yingli; Zhang, Xiaojian; Li, Jianyu; Qi, Gary

2018-05-01

The gas diffusion layer (GDL), as an important structure of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), provides a support layer for the catalyst and the fuel and the product channel. Traditionally, the material of GDL is generally carbon paper (CP). In this paper, a new material, namely three-dimensional graphene (3DG) is used as GDL for micro DMFC. The experimental results reveal that the performance of the DMFC has been improved significantly by application of 3DG. The peak powers increase from 25 mW to 31.2 mW and 32 mW by using 3DG as the anode and cathode GDL instead of CP, respectively. The reason may be the decrease of charge and mass transfer resistance of the cell. This means that the unique 3D porous architecture of the 3DG can provide lower contact resistance and sufficient fuel diffusion paths. The output performance of the cell will be further improved when porous metal current collectors is used.

A Direct DME High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vassiliev, Anton; Jensen, Jens Oluf; Li, Qingfeng

2012-01-01

Dimethyl ether (DME) has been identified as an alternative to methanol for use in direct fuel cells. It combines the advantages of hydrogen in terms of pumpless fuel delivery and high energy density like methanol, but without the toxicity of the latter. The performance of a direct dimethyl ether...... fuel cell suffers greatly from the very low DME-water miscibility. To cope with the problem polybenzimidazole (PBI) based membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) have been made and tested in a vapor fed system. PtRu on carbon has been used as anode catalyst and air at ambient pressure was used as oxidant...

Heat and mass transfer effects in a direct methanol fuel cell: A 1D model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, V.B.; Falcao, D.S.; Pinto, A.M.F.R. [Centro de Estudos de Fenomenos de Transporte, Departamento de Eng. Quimica, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto (Portugal); Rangel, C.M. [INETI - Unidade de Electroquimica e Materiais, Paco do Lumiar, 22,1649-038 (Portugal)

2008-07-15

Models are a fundamental tool for the design process of fuel cells and fuel cell systems. In this work, a steady-state, one-dimensional model accounting for coupled heat and mass transfer, along with the electrochemical reactions occurring in the DMFC, is presented. The model output is the temperature profile through the cell and the water balance and methanol crossover between the anode and the cathode. The model predicts the correct trends for the influence of current density and methanol feed concentration on both methanol and water crossover. The model estimates the net water transfer coefficient through the membrane, {alpha}, a very important parameter to describe water management in the DMFC. Suitable operating ranges can be set up for different MEA structures maintaining the crossover of methanol and water within acceptable levels. The model is rapidly implemented and is therefore suitable for inclusion in real-time system level DMFC calculations. (author)

Co-deposition of Pt and ceria anode catalyst in supercritical carbon dioxide for direct methanol fuel cell applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, Eunyoung; Guzmán-Blas, Rolando; Nicolau, Eduardo; Aulice Scibioh, M.; Karanikas, Christos F.; Watkins, James J.; Cabrera, Carlos R.

2012-01-01

Pt and mixed Pt-ceria catalysts were deposited onto gas diffusion layers using supercritical fluid deposition (SFD) to fabricate thin layer electrodes for direct methanol fuel cells. Dimethyl (1,5-cyclooctadiene) platinum (II) (CODPtMe 2 ) and tetrakis (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl 3,5-heptanedionato) cerium (IV) (Ce(tmhd) 4 ) were used as precursors. Hydrogen-assisted Pt deposition was performed in compressed carbon dioxide at 60 °C and 17.2 MPa to yield high purity Pt on carbon-black based gas diffusion layers. During the preparation of the mixed Pt-ceria catalyst, hydrogen reduction of CODPtMe 2 to yield Pt catalyzed the deposition of ceria from Ce(tmhd) 4 enabling co-deposition at 150 °C. The catalyst layers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectral (SEM-EDS) analyses. Their electrochemical performance toward methanol oxidation was examined in half cell mode using a three electrode assembly as well as in fuel cell mode. The thin layer electrodes formed via SFD exhibited higher performance in fuel cell operations compared to those prepared by the conventional brush-paint method. Furthermore, the Pt-ceria catalyst with an optimized composition exhibited greater methanol oxidation activity than pure platinum.

Hybridization and control of a mobile direct methanol fuel cell system; Hybridisierung und Regelung eines mobilen Direktmethanol-Brennstoffzellen-Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilhelm, Joerg Christoph

2010-07-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are characterized by the fact that they directly convert the chemical energy of the liquid fuel methanol into electrical energy. Methanol has a high energy density and can be stored relatively easily. Due to these advantages, direct methanol fuel cell systems are suitable, for example, as a battery replacement for light-traction applications in the kW class. Since refuelling is much faster than recharging a battery, almost interruption-free operation is possible. The aim of this thesis is therefore to develop a direct methanol fuel cell system for light-traction applications. The systems technology development and characterization of a mobile direct methanol fuel cell system is initially examined in general and then applied to the example of a horizontal order picker, a type of forklift truck. A hybridization and control concept is developed for this type of truck. The procedure is structured into the theoretical characterization of the application, the development of theoretical concepts and a concluding systems analysis using data from the test stand and simulations. The characteristic driving cycle of the application results from the characterization. The concept development is based on key data such as maximum peak power during acceleration and braking as well as average power. The two-stage theoretical development of a hybridization concept is based on a pure fuel cell vehicle. A systems analysis of all possible concepts with respect to the criteria of fuel cell power, total system efficiency and dynamic fuel cell loading eventually leads to the preferred concept of indirect coupling. A cascade controller with map control, the control concept developed for this purpose, keeps the energy storage unit at a constant state of charge and provides for the fuel cell aging protection as well as aging detection. The driving cycle, operational states of the vehicle and the efficiencies of the individual components play a decisive role

High Performance and Cost-Effective Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: Fe-N-C Methanol-Tolerant Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastián, David; Serov, Alexey; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Gordon, Jonathan; Atanassov, Plamen; Aricò, Antonino S; Baglio, Vincenzo

2016-08-09

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) offer great advantages for the supply of power with high efficiency and large energy density. The search for a cost-effective, active, stable and methanol-tolerant catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is still a great challenge. In this work, platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts based on Fe-N-C are investigated in acidic medium. Post-treatment of the catalyst improves the ORR activity compared with previously published PGM-free formulations and shows an excellent tolerance to the presence of methanol. The feasibility for application in DMFC under a wide range of operating conditions is demonstrated, with a maximum power density of approximately 50 mW cm(-2) and a negligible methanol crossover effect on the performance. A review of the most recent PGM-free cathode formulations for DMFC indicates that this formulation leads to the highest performance at a low membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) cost. Moreover, a 100 h durability test in DMFC shows suitable applicability, with a similar performance-time behavior compared to common MEAs based on Pt cathodes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Model-based analysis of water management in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Weinzierl, C.; Krewer, U.

2014-12-01

Mathematical modelling is used to analyse water management in Alkaline Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (ADMFCs) with an anion exchange membrane as electrolyte. Cathodic water supply is identified as one of the main challenges and investigated at different operation conditions. Two extreme case scenarios are modelled to study the feasible conditions for sufficient water supply. Scenario 1 reveals that water supply by cathodic inlet is insufficient and, thus, water transport through membrane is essential for ADMFC operation. The second scenario is used to analyse requirements on water transport through the membrane for different operation conditions. These requirements are influenced by current density, evaporation rate, methanol cross-over and electro-osmotic drag of water. Simulations indicate that water supply is mainly challenging for high current densities and demands on high water diffusion are intensified by water drag. Thus, current density might be limited by water transport through membrane. The presented results help to identify important effects and processes in ADMFCs with a polymer electrolyte membrane and to understand these processes. Furthermore, the requirements identified by modelling show the importance of considering water transport through membrane besides conductivity and methanol cross-over especially for designing new membrane materials.

Development of Anodic Flux and Temperature Controlling System for Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, M M; Liu, C; Liang, J S; Wu, C B; Xu, Z

2006-01-01

Micro Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (μDMFC) is a kind of newly developed power sources, which effective apparatus for its performance evaluation is still in urgent need at present. In this study, a testing system was established for the purpose of testing the continuous working performance such as micro flux and temperature of μDMFC. In view of the temperature controlling for micro-flux liquid fuel, a heating block with labyrinth-like single pass channel inside for heating up the methanol solution was fabricated. A semiconductorrefrigerating chip was utilized to heat and cool the liquid flow during testing procedures. On the other hand, the two channels of a high accuracy double-channel syringe pump that can suck and pump in turn so as to transport methanol solution continuously was adopted. Based on the requirements of wide-ranged temperature and micro flux controlling, the solenoid valves and the correlative component were used. A hydraulic circuit, which can circulate the fed methanol cold to hot in turn, has also been constructed to test the fatigue life of the μDMFC. The automatic control was actualized by software module written with Visual C++. Experimental results show that the system is perfect in stability and it may provide an important and advanced evaluation apparatus to satisfy the needs for real time performance testing of μDMFC

Preparation of supported PtRu/C electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Luhua; Sun Gongquan; Zhao Xinsheng; Zhou Zhenhua; Yan Shiyou; Tang Shuihua; Wang Guoxiong; Zhou Bing; Xin Qin

2005-01-01

In this work, high-surface supported PtRu/C were prepared with Ru(NO)(NO 3 ) 3 and [Pt(H 2 NCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ) 2 ]Cl 2 as the precursors and hydrogen as a reducing agent. XRD and TEM analyses showed that the PtRu/C catalysts with different loadings possessed small and homogeneous metal particles. Even at high metal loading (40 wt.% Pt, 20 wt.% Ru) the mean metal particle size is less than 4 nm. Meanwhile, the calculated Pt crystalline lattice parameter and Pt (2 2 0) peak position indicated that the geometric structure of Pt was modified by Ru atoms. Among the prepared catalysts, the lattice parameter of 40-20 wt.% PtRu/C contract most. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), CO stripping and single direct methanol fuel cell tests jointly suggested that the 40-20 wt.% PtRu/C catalyst has the highest electrochemical activity for methanol oxidation

A novel method of methanol concentration control through feedback of the amplitudes of output voltage fluctuations for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Myung-Gi; Mehmood, Asad; Hwang, Jinyeon; Ha, Heung Yong

2016-01-01

This study proposes a novel method for controlling the methanol concentration without using methanol sensors for DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) systems that have a recycling methanol-feed loop. This method utilizes the amplitudes of output voltage fluctuations of DMFC as a feedback parameter to control the methanol concentration. The relationship between the methanol concentrations and the amplitudes of output voltage fluctuations is correlated under various operating conditions and, based on the experimental correlations, an algorithm to control the methanol concentration with no sensor is established. Feasibility tests of the algorithm have been conducted under various operating conditions including varying ambient temperature with a 200 W-class DMFC system. It is demonstrated that the sensor-less controller is able to control the methanol-feed concentration precisely and to run the DMFC systems more energy-efficiently as compared with other control systems. - Highlights: • A new sensor-less algorithm is proposed to control the methanol concentration without using a sensor. • The algorithm utilizes the voltage fluctuations of DMFC as a feedback parameter to control the methanol feed concentration. • A 200 W DMFC system is operated to evaluate the validity of the sensor-less algorithm. • The algorithm successfully controls the methanol feed concentration within a small error bound.

Performance comparison of low-temperature direct alcohol fuel cells with different anode catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, W. J.; Zhou, B.; Li, W. Z.; Zhou, Z. H.; Song, S. Q.; Sun, G. Q.; Xin, Q.; Douvartzides, S.; Goula, M.; Tsiakaras, P.

Low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells directly fed by methanol and ethanol were investigated employing carbon supported Pt, PtSn and PtRu as anode catalysts, respectively. Employing Pt/C as anode catalyst, both direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) showed poor performances even in presence of high Pt loading on anode. It was found that the addition of Ru or Sn to the Pt dramatically enhances the electro-oxidation of both methanol and ethanol. It was also found that the single cell adopting PtRu/C as anode shows better DMFC performance, while PtSn/C catalyst shows better DEFC performance. The single fuel cell using PtSn/C as anode catalyst at 90 °C shows similar power densities whenever fueled by methanol or ethanol. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and single fuel cell tests indicated that PtRu is more suitable for DMFC while PtSn is more suitable for DEFC.

Methanol electro-oxidation on platinum modified tungsten carbides in direct methanol fuel cells: a DFT study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Tian; Lin, Xiao; Chen, Zhao-Yang; Hu, P; Sun, Shi-Gang; Chu, You-Qun; Ma, Chun-An; Lin, Wen-Feng

2015-10-14

In exploration of low-cost electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), Pt modified tungsten carbide (WC) materials are found to be great potential candidates for decreasing Pt usage whilst exhibiting satisfactory reactivity. In this work, the mechanisms, onset potentials and activity for electrooxidation of methanol were studied on a series of Pt-modified WC catalysts where the bare W-terminated WC(0001) substrate was employed. In the surface energy calculations of a series of Pt-modified WC models, we found that the feasible structures are mono- and bi-layer Pt-modified WCs. The tri-layer Pt-modified WC model is not thermodynamically stable where the top layer Pt atoms tend to accumulate and form particles or clusters rather than being dispersed as a layer. We further calculated the mechanisms of methanol oxidation on the feasible models via methanol dehydrogenation to CO involving C-H and O-H bonds dissociating subsequently, and further CO oxidation with the C-O bond association. The onset potentials for the oxidation reactions over the Pt-modified WC catalysts were determined thermodynamically by water dissociation to surface OH* species. The activities of these Pt-modified WC catalysts were estimated from the calculated kinetic data. It has been found that the bi-layer Pt-modified WC catalysts may provide a good reactivity and an onset oxidation potential comparable to pure Pt and serve as promising electrocatalysts for DMFCs with a significant decrease in Pt usage.

Combinatorial discovery of new methanol-tolerant non-noble metal cathode electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jong-Sung; Kim, Min-Sik; Kim, Jung Ho

2010-12-14

Combinatorial synthesis and screening were used to identify methanol-tolerant non-platinum cathode electrocatalysts for use in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Oxygen reduction consumes protons at the surface of DMFC cathode catalysts. In combinatorial screening, this pH change allows one to differentiate active catalysts using fluorescent acid-base indicators. Combinatorial libraries of carbon-supported catalyst compositions containing Ru, Mo, W, Sn, and Se were screened. Ternary and quaternary compositions containing Ru, Sn, Mo, Se were more active than the "standard" Alonso-Vante catalyst, Ru(3)Mo(0.08)Se(2), when tested in liquid-feed DMFCs. Physical characterization of the most active catalysts by powder X-ray diffraction, gas adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the predominant crystalline phase was hexagonal close-packed (hcp) ruthenium, and showed a surface mostly covered with oxide. The best new catalyst, Ru(7.0)Sn(1.0)Se(1.0), was significantly more active than Ru(3)Se(2)Mo(0.08), even though the latter contained smaller particles.

Developments for improved direct methanol fuel cell stacks for portable power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremers, C.; Stimming, U. [Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, ZAE Bayern, Abteilung 1, Walther-Meissner-Str. 6, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Physics E19, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Scholz, M.; Seliger, W. [Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, ZAE Bayern, Abteilung 1, Walther-Meissner-Str. 6, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Racz, A. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Physics E19, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Knechtel, W.; Rittmayr, J.; Grafwallner, F.; Peller, H. [ET EnergieTechnologie GmbH, Eugen-Saenger-Ring 4, D-85649 Brunnthal-Nord (Germany)

2007-02-15

Different aspects of the improvement of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) systems for portable power generation are investigated, in a project funded by the Bavarian state. The materials research focuses on the development of improved catalysts, in particular for the oxygen reduction reaction. Some recent results on supported ruthenium selenium catalysts are reported. In parallel, tests on other fuel cell materials are performed using MEAs made from industrial unsupported catalysts as the reference. These standard MEAs have catalyst loadings of about 11 mg cm{sup -2} and, at high air flux, can deliver current densities of about 500 mA cm{sup -2} and 100 mA cm{sup -2} at 110 C and 50 C, respectively. At low air flux and 50 C, current densities between 60 and 80 mA cm{sup -2} are possible rate at 500 mV. Using these MEAs, different commercial gas diffusion materials are tested as the cathode backing. Thus, it is found that the Sigracet materials by SGL Carbon are the most suitable for operation at a low air flux. Finally, a demonstration stack, comprised of up to ten cells, is developed using graphite PVDF compound bipolar plates by SGL Carbon. As will be reported, this stack shows a high homogeneity of cell voltages and stable operation under relevant conditions, using standard MEAs. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A comparison of hydrogen, methanol and gasoline as fuels for fuel cell vehicles: implications for vehicle design and infrastructure development

Science.gov (United States)

Ogden, Joan M.; Steinbugler, Margaret M.; Kreutz, Thomas G.

All fuel cells currently being developed for near term use in electric vehicles require hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen can be stored directly or produced onboard the vehicle by reforming methanol, or hydrocarbon fuels derived from crude oil (e.g., gasoline, diesel, or middle distillates). The vehicle design is simpler with direct hydrogen storage, but requires developing a more complex refueling infrastructure. In this paper, we present modeling results comparing three leading options for fuel storage onboard fuel cell vehicles: (a) compressed gas hydrogen storage, (b) onboard steam reforming of methanol, (c) onboard partial oxidation (POX) of hydrocarbon fuels derived from crude oil. We have developed a fuel cell vehicle model, including detailed models of onboard fuel processors. This allows us to compare the vehicle performance, fuel economy, weight, and cost for various vehicle parameters, fuel storage choices and driving cycles. The infrastructure requirements are also compared for gaseous hydrogen, methanol and gasoline, including the added costs of fuel production, storage, distribution and refueling stations. The delivered fuel cost, total lifecycle cost of transportation, and capital cost of infrastructure development are estimated for each alternative. Considering both vehicle and infrastructure issues, possible fuel strategies leading to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles are discussed.

Development of a Crosslinked Pore-filling Membrane with an Extremely Low Swelling Ratio and Methanol Crossover for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yunxi; Hoorfar, Mina; Shen, Kuizhi; Fang, Jiyong; Yue, Xigui; Jiang, Zhenhua

2017-01-01

A poly (ether sulphone)-based pore-filling membrane was successfully fabricated and tested against a conventional Nafion-based membrane in direct methanol fuel cells. An amino-containing polymer with a low degree of sulphonation (DS) was synthesized and used as the supporting substrate. The porous substrate was prepared by introducing the porogenic agent (tetrafluoroborate) into the membrane casting solution. The effects of the content of the porogenic agent on the pore morphologies were evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Then, an epoxy resin was introduced into the porous electrolyte for the first time to minimize the swelling and methanol crossover that resulted from the high degree of sulphonation. In essence, solidification of the amino groups in the substrate results in 3D crosslinking of epoxy resins, which greatly suppresses the swelling and methanol crossover of the composite membranes with enhanced mechanical properties and enhances the thermal and oxidation stability compared to Nafion 117. The resulting composite membrane also shows high proton conductivity that is only slightly lower than that of Nafion 117. However, the selectivity between the proton conductivity and methanol permeability is higher for the composite membranes than that of Nafion 117. The composite membrane also shows a better performance in single cell tests with 10 M methanol.

Controlled disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qing; Chen, Yu; Rowlett, Jarrett R; McGrath, James E; Mack, Nathan H; Kim, Yu Seung

2014-04-23

Structure-property-performance relationships of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymer membranes were investigated for their use in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. Multiple series of reactive polysulfone, polyketone, and polynitrile hydrophobic block segments having different block lengths and molecular composition were synthesized and reacted with a disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) hydrophilic block segment by a coupling reaction. Large-scale morphological order of the multiblock copolymers evolved with the increase of block size that gave notable influence on mechanical toughness, water uptake, and proton/methanol transport. Chemical structural changes of the hydrophobic blocks through polar group, fluorination, and bisphenol type allowed further control of the specific properties. DMFC performance was analyzed to elicit the impact of structural variations of the multiblock copolymers. Finally, DMFC performances of selected multiblock copolymers were compared against that of the industrial standard Nafion in the DMFC system.

Platinum and palladium nano-structured catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Nguyen Viet; Thi, Cao Minh; Yong, Yang; Nogami, Masayuki; Ohtaki, Michitaka

2013-07-01

In this review, we present the synthesis and characterization of Pt, Pd, Pt based bimetallic and multi-metallic nanoparticles with mixture, alloy and core-shell structure for nano-catalysis, energy conversion, and fuel cells. Here, Pt and Pd nanoparticles with modified nanostructures can be controllably synthesized via chemistry and physics for their uses as electro-catalysts. The cheap base metal catalysts can be studied in the relationship of crystal structure, size, morphology, shape, and composition for new catalysts with low cost. Thus, Pt based alloy and core-shell catalysts can be prepared with the thin Pt and Pt-Pd shell, which are proposed in low and high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). We also present the survey of the preparation of Pt and Pd based catalysts for the better catalytic activity, high durability, and stability. The structural transformations, quantum-size effects, and characterization of Pt and Pd based catalysts in the size ranges of 30 nm (1-30 nm) are presented in electro-catalysis. In the size range of 10 nm (1-10 nm), the pure Pt catalyst shows very large surface area for electro-catalysis. To achieve homogeneous size distribution, the shaped synthesis of the polyhedral Pt nanoparticles is presented. The new concept of shaping specific shapes and morphologies in the entire nano-scale from nano to micro, such as polyhedral, cube, octahedra, tetrahedra, bar, rod, and others of the nanoparticles is proposed, especially for noble and cheap metals. The uniform Pt based nanosystems of surface structure, internal structure, shape, and morphology in the nanosized ranges are very crucial to next fuel cells. Finally, the modifications of Pt and Pd based catalysts of alloy, core-shell, and mixture structures lead to find high catalytic activity, durability, and stability for nano-catalysis, energy conversion, fuel cells, especially the next large-scale commercialization of next

Single wall carbon nanotube supports for portable direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Girishkumar, G; Hall, Timothy D; Vinodgopal, K; Kamat, Prashant V

2006-01-12

Single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes are employed as carbon supports in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The morphology and electrochemical activity of single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes obtained from different sources have been examined to probe the influence of carbon support on the overall performance of DMFC. The improved activity of the Pt-Ru catalyst dispersed on carbon nanotubes toward methanol oxidation is reflected as a shift in the onset potential and a lower charge transfer resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The evaluation of carbon supports in a passive air breathing DMFC indicates that the observed power density depends on the nature and source of carbon nanostructures. The intrinsic property of the nanotubes, dispersion of the electrocatalyst and the electrochemically active surface area collectively influence the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). As compared to the commercial carbon black support, single wall carbon nanotubes when employed as the support for anchoring the electrocatalyst particles in the anode and cathode sides of MEA exhibited a approximately 30% enhancement in the power density of a single stack DMFC operating at 70 degrees C.

Synthesis of Pd₃Co₁@Pt/C core-shell catalysts for methanol-tolerant cathodes of direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Aricò, Antonino S; Stassi, Alessandro; D'Urso, Claudia; Sebastián, David; Baglio, Vincenzo

2014-08-18

A composite Pd-based electrocatalyst consisting of a surface layer of Pt (5 wt.%) supported on a core Pd3Co1 alloy (95 wt.%) and dispersed as nanoparticles on a carbon black support (50 wt.% metal content) was prepared by using a sulphite-complex route. The structure, composition, morphology, and surface properties of the catalyst were investigated by XRD, XRF, TEM, XPS and low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LE-ISS). The catalyst showed an enrichment of Pt on the surface and a smaller content of Co in the outermost layers. These characteristics allow a decrease the Pt content in direct methanol fuel cell cathode electrodes (from 1 to 0.06 mg cm(-2)) without significant decay in performance, due also to a better tolerance to methanol permeated through the polymer electrolyte membrane. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Catalyst inks and method of application for direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zelenay, Piotr; Davey, John; Ren, Xiaoming; Gottesfeld, Shimshon; Thomas, Sharon C.

2004-02-24

Inks are formulated for forming anode and cathode catalyst layers and applied to anode and cathode sides of a membrane for a direct methanol fuel cell. The inks comprise a Pt catalyst for the cathode and a Pt--Ru catalyst for the anode, purified water in an amount 4 to 20 times that of the catalyst by weight, and a perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer in an amount effective to provide an ionomer content in the anode and cathode surfaces of 20% to 80% by volume. The inks are prepared in a two-step process while cooling and agitating the solutions. The final solution is placed in a cooler and continuously agitated while spraying the solution over the anode or cathode surface of the membrane as determined by the catalyst content.

A three-dimensional non-isothermal model for a membraneless direct methanol redox fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Lin; Yuan, Xianxia; Jiang, Fangming

2018-05-01

In the membraneless direct methanol redox fuel cell (DMRFC), three-dimensional electrodes contribute to the reduction of methanol crossover and the open separator design lowers the system cost and extends its service life. In order to better understand the mechanisms of this configuration and further optimize its performance, the development of a three-dimensional numerical model is reported in this work. The governing equations of the multi-physics field are solved based on computational fluid dynamics methodology, and the influence of the CO2 gas is taken into consideration through the effective diffusivities. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental data, and the deviation observed for cases of large current density may be related to the single-phase assumption made. The three-dimensional electrode is found to be effective in controlling methanol crossover in its multi-layer structure, while it also increases the flow resistance for the discharging products. It is found that the current density distribution is affected by both the electronic conductivity and the concentration of reactants, and the temperature rise can be primarily attributed to the current density distribution. The sensitivity and reliability of the model are analyzed through the investigation of the effects of cell parameters, including porosity values of gas diffusion layers and catalyst layers, methanol concentration and CO2 volume fraction, on the polarization characteristics.

Highly water-dispersible, mixed ionic-electronic conducting, polymer acid-doped polyanilines as ionomers for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, Arun; Manthiram, Arumugam

2011-06-28

Highly water-dispersible polymer acid-doped polyanilines have been synthesized and evaluated as an alternative for expensive Nafion ionomers in the anode of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). These polymers as ionomers lead to higher performance in single cell DMFC compared to Nafion ionomers due to mixed ionic-electronic conduction, water dispersibility, and co-catalytic activity. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

Enhanced activity of Pt/CNTs anode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells using Ni2P as co-catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang; Luo, Lanping; Peng, Feng; Wang, Hongjuan; Yu, Hao

2018-03-01

The direct methanol fuel cell is a promising energy conversion device because of the utilization of the state-of-the-art platinum (Pt) anode catalyst. In this work, novel Pt/Ni2P/CNTs catalysts were prepared by the H2 reduction method. It was found that the activity and stability of Pt for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) could be significantly enhanced while using nickel phosphide (Ni2P) nanoparticles as co-catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the existence of Ni2P affected the particle size and electronic distribution of Pt obviously. Pt/CNTs catalyst, Pt/Ni2P/CNTs catalysts with different Ni2P amount were synthesized, among which Pt/6%Ni2P/CNTs catalyst exhibited the best MOR activity of 1400 mAmg-1Pt, which was almost 2.5 times of the commercial Pt/C-JM catalyst. Moreover, compared to other Pt-based catalysts, this novel Pt/Ni2P/CNTs catalyst also exhibited higher onset current density and better steady current density. The result of this work may provide positive guidance to the research on high efficiency and stability of Pt-based catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

A study on the dissymmetrical microporous layer structure of a direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Tongtao; Lin Caishun; Fang Yong; Ye Feng; Miao Ruiying; Wang Xindong

2008-01-01

The effect of carbon type, carbon loading and microporous layer structure in the microporous layer on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) at low temperature was investigated using electrochemical polarization techniques, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and other methods. Vulcan XC-72 carbon was found to be most suitable as a microporous layer for low temperature DMFC. Maximum fuel cell performance was obtained utilizing a microporous layer with carbon loading of 1.0 mg cm -2 when air was used as an oxidant. A membrane electrode assembly with 1.0 mg cm -2 Vulcan XC-72 carbon with 20 wt.% Teflon in the cathode and no microporous layer in the anode showed a maximum power density of 36.7 mW cm -2 at 35 deg. C under atmospheric pressure. The AC impedance study proved that a cell with a dissymmetrical microporous layer structure had lower internal resistance and mass transfer resistance, thus obtaining better performance

Characterization and Modeling of a Methanol Reforming Fuel Cell System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahlin, Simon Lennart

topologies is the Reformed Methanol Fuel Cell (RMFC) system that operates on a mix of methanol and water. The fuel is reformed with a steam reforming to a hydrogen rich gas, however with additional formation of Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide. High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (HT...... to heat up the steam reforming process. However, utilizing the excess hydrogen in the system complicates the RMFC system as the amount of hydrogen can vary depending on the fuel methanol supply, fuel cell load and the reformer gas composition. This PhD study has therefore been involved in investigating......Many fuel cells systems today are operated with compressed hydrogen which has great benefits because of the purity of the hydrogen and the relatively simple storage of the fuel. However, compressed hydrogen is stored in the range of 800 bar, which can be expensive to compress.One of the interesting...

The performance analysis of direct methanol fuel cells with different hydrophobic anode channels

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Hung-Chun; Yang, Ruey-Jen; Luo, Win-Jet; Jiang, Jia-You; Kuan, Yean-Der; Lin, Xin-Quan

In order to enhance the performance of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the product of CO 2 bubble has to be efficiently removed from the anode channel during the electrochemical reaction. In this study, the materials of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) with hydrophilic property and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with hydrophobic property are used to form the anode cannel. The channel is fabricated through a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) manufacture process of the DMFCs. In addition, some particles with high hydrophobic properties are added into the PDMS materials in order to further reduce the hydro-resistance in the anode channel. The performance of the DMFCs is investigated under the influence of operation conditions, including operation temperature, flow rate, and methanol concentration. It is found that the performance of the DMFC, which is made of PDMS with high hydrophobic particles, can be greatly enhanced and the hydrophobic property of the particles can be unaffected by different operation conditions.

MnO2/CNT supported Pt and PtRu nanocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chunmei; Wang, Hongjuan; Peng, Feng; Liang, Jiahua; Yu, Hao; Yang, Jian

2009-07-07

Pt/MnO2/carbon nanotube (CNT) and PtRu/MnO2/CNT nanocomposites were synthesized by successively loading hydrous MnO2 and Pt (or PtRu alloy) nanoparticles on CNTs and were used as anodic catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The existence of MnO2 on the surface of CNTs effectively increases the proton conductivity of the catalyst, which then could remarkably improve the performance of the catalyst in methanol electro-oxidation. As a result, Pt/MnO2/CNTs show higher electrochemical active surface area and better methanol electro-oxidation activity, compared with Pt/CNTs. As PtRu alloy nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of MnO2/CNTs instead of Pt, the PtRu/MnO2/CNT catalyst shows not only excellent electro-oxidation activity to methanol with forward anodic peak current density of 901 A/gPt but also good CO oxidation ability with lower preadsorbed CO oxidation onset potential (0.33 V vs Ag/AgCl) and peak potential (0.49 V vs Ag/AgCl) at room temperature.

Co-catalytic effect of Ni in the methanol electro-oxidation on Pt-Ru/C catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.B.; Yin, G.P.; Zhang, J.; Sun, Y.C.; Shi, P.F.

2006-01-01

This research is aimed to improve the utilization and activity of anodic catalysts, thus to lower the contents of noble metals loading in anodes for methanol electro-oxidation. The direct methanol fuel cell anodic catalysts, Pt-Ru-Ni/C and Pt-Ru/C, were prepared by chemical reduction method. Their performances were tested by using a glassy carbon working electrode through cyclic voltammetric curves, chronoamperometric curves and half-cell measurement in a solution of 0.5 mol/L CH 3 OH and 0.5 mol/L H 2 SO 4 . The composition of the Pt-Ru-Ni and Pt-Ru surface particles were determined by EDAX analysis. The particle size and lattice parameter of the catalysts were determined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis showed that both of the catalysts exhibited face-centered cubic structures and had smaller lattice parameters than Pt-alone catalyst. Their sizes are small, about 4.5 nm. No significant differences in the methanol electro-oxidation on both electrodes were found by using cyclic voltammetry, especially regarding the onset potential for methanol electro-oxidation. The electrochemically active-specific areas of the Pt-Ru-Ni/C and Pt-Ru/C catalysts are almost the same. But, the catalytic activity of the Pt-Ru-Ni/C catalyst is higher for methanol electro-oxidation than that of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst. Its tolerance performance to CO formed as one of the intermediates of methanol electro-oxidation is better than that of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst

Aerosol feed direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Kindler, Andrew (Inventor); Narayanan, Sekharipuram R. (Inventor); Valdez, Thomas I. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Improvements to fuel cells include introduction of the fuel as an aerosol of liquid fuel droplets suspended in a gas. The particle size of the liquid fuel droplets may be controlled for optimal fuel cell performance by selection of different aerosol generators or by separating droplets based upon size using a particle size conditioner.

Observation of methanol behavior in fuel cells in situ by NMR spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Oc Hee; Han, Kee Sung; Shin, Chang Woo; Lee, Juhee; Kim, Seong-Soo; Um, Myung Sup; Joh, Han-Ik; Kim, Soo-Kil; Ha, Heung Yong

2012-04-16

The chemical conversion of methanol in direct methanol fuel cells was followed in situ by NMR spectroscopy. Comparing data of the methanol oxidation on Pt and PtRu anode catalysts allowed the role of Ru in both Faradaic and non-Faradaic reactions to be investigated. The spatial distributions of chemicals could also be determined. (Picture: T1-T4=inlet and outlet tubes.). Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Three-dimensional two-phase mass transport model for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.W.; Zhao, T.S.; Xu, C.

2007-01-01

A three-dimensional (3D) steady-state model for liquid feed direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is presented in this paper. This 3D mass transport model is formed by integrating five sub-models, including a modified drift-flux model for the anode flow field, a two-phase mass transport model for the porous anode, a single-phase model for the polymer electrolyte membrane, a two-phase mass transport model for the porous cathode, and a homogeneous mist-flow model for the cathode flow field. The two-phase mass transport models take account the effect of non-equilibrium evaporation/ condensation at the gas-liquid interface. A 3D computer code is then developed based on the integrated model. After being validated against the experimental data reported in the literature, the code was used to investigate numerically transport behaviors at the DMFC anode and their effects on cell performance

Low contaminant formic acid fuel for direct liquid fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Masel, Richard I [Champaign, IL; Zhu, Yimin [Urbana, IL; Kahn, Zakia [Palatine, IL; Man, Malcolm [Vancouver, CA

2009-11-17

A low contaminant formic acid fuel is especially suited toward use in a direct organic liquid fuel cell. A fuel of the invention provides high power output that is maintained for a substantial time and the fuel is substantially non-flammable. Specific contaminants and contaminant levels have been identified as being deleterious to the performance of a formic acid fuel in a fuel cell, and embodiments of the invention provide low contaminant fuels that have improved performance compared to known commercial bulk grade and commercial purified grade formic acid fuels. Preferred embodiment fuels (and fuel cells containing such fuels) including low levels of a combination of key contaminants, including acetic acid, methyl formate, and methanol.

Enhancing the methanol tolerance of platinum nanoparticles for the cathode reaction of direct methanol fuel cells through a geometric design.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Ye, Feng; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2015-11-18

Mastery over the structure of nanoparticles might be an effective way to enhance their performance for a given application. Herein we demonstrate the design of cage-bell nanostructures to enhance the methanol tolerance of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles while remaining their catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. This strategy starts with the synthesis of core-shell-shell nanoparticles with Pt and silver (Ag) residing respectively in the core and inner shell regions, which are then agitated with saturated sodium chloride (NaCl) solution to eliminate the Ag component from the inner shell region, leading to the formation of bimetallic nanoparticles with a cage-bell structure, defined as a movable Pt core enclosed by a metal shell with nano-channels, which exhibit superior methanol-tolerant property in catalyzing oxygen reduction reaction due to the different diffusion behaviour of methanol and oxygen in the porous metal shell of cage-bell structured nanoparticles. In particular, the use of remarkably inexpensive chemical agent (NaCl) to promote the formation of cage-bell structured particles containing a wide spectrum of metal shells highlights its engineering merit to produce highly selective electrocatalysts on a large scale for the cathode reaction of direct methanol fuel cells.

Direct methanol fuel cells: Pt-Ni/C binary electrocatalysts; Celulas a combutivel de metanol direto: eletrocatalisadores binarios de Pt-Ni/C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salgado, Jose Ricardo Cezar; Antolini, Ermete; Santos, Ana Maria dos; Gonzalez, Ernesto Rafael [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica], e-mail: salgado@iqsc.usp.br

2004-07-01

Direct methanol fuel cells use platinum alloys as more efficient catalysts than platinum. In the case of binary alloys, the second metal affects several properties of platinum, like the interatomic distance, the electronic density and the capacity of forming oxygenated species at lower potentials. In this work, Pt-Ni catalysts supported on high surface area carbon (Pt-Ni/C) were prepared and characterized, and tested as catalysts in the anode and the cathode in direct methanol fuel cells. In both cases the performance of the material was better than that of Pt/C, and comparing the two situations it was better when the material was used in the cathode. The improved performance in the cathode was attributed to the nickel that forms a true alloy with platinum, while the better performance in the anode was attributed to the presence of nickel oxides. (author)

Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan Nanoparticle-Incorporated Quaternized Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Composite Membranes as Solid Electrolytes for Direct Methanol Alkaline Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Pin-Chieh; Liao, Guan–Ming; Kumar, S. Rajesh; Shih, Chao-Ming; Yang, Chun-Chen; Wang, Da-Ming; Lue, Shingjiang Jessie

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Preparation of chitosan nanoparticles from bulk to enhance the degree of deacetylation. • The incorporation of chitosan nanoparticles into a QPVA matrix to form a nanocomposite membrane. • The nanocomposite constructed into thin-film membranes using the solution casting method. • To improve permeability, glutaraldehyde was cross-linked with the nanocomposite membranes. • A direct methanol alkaline fuel cell was studied at different temperatures. - Abstract: In this study, we designed a method for the preparation of chitosan nanoparticles incorporated into a quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol) (QPVA) matrix for direct methanol alkaline fuel cells (DMAFCs). The structural and morphological properties of the prepared nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic laser-light scattering (DLS). The crystallinity of the nanocomposite solid electrolytes containing 0 and 10% chitosan nanoparticles were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The electrochemical measurement of resulting nanocomposite membranes were analyzed according to the following parameters: methanol permeability, liquid uptakes, ionic conductivity and cell performances. The composite membranes with 10% chitosan nanoparticles in a QPVA matrix (CQPVA) show suppressed methanol permeability and higher ionic conductivity than pristine QPVA. In addition, the glutaraldehyde cross-linked nanocomposite film exhibited improvement on the methanol barrier property at 80 °C. The peak power density of the DMAFCs reached 67 mW cm −2 when fed into 1 M of methanol in 6 M of KOH.

Real-time monitoring of methanol concentration using a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave sensor for direct methanol fuel cell without reference liquid measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Kyosuke; Nozawa, Takuya; Kondoh, Jun

2017-07-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for sensors that continuously measure liquid concentrations and detect abnormalities in liquid environments. In this study, a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) sensor is applied for the continuous monitoring of liquid concentrations. As the SH-SAW sensor functions using the relative measurement method, it normally needs a reference at each measurement. However, if the sensor is installed in a liquid flow cell, it is difficult to measure a reference liquid. Therefore, it is important to establish an estimation method for liquid concentrations using the SH-SAW sensor without requiring a reference measurement. In this study, the SH-SAW sensor is installed in a direct methanol fuel cell to monitor the methanol concentration. The estimated concentration is compared with a conventional density meter. Moreover, the effect of formic acid is examined. When the fuel temperature is higher than 70 °C, it is necessary to consider the influence of liquid conductivity. Here, an estimation method for these cases is also proposed.

Development of a methanol reformer for fuel cell vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindstroem, Baard

2003-03-01

Vehicles powered by fuel cells are from an environmental aspect superior to the traditional automobile using internal combustion of gasoline. Power systems which are based upon fuel cell technology require hydrogen for operation. The ideal fuel cell vehicle would operate on pure hydrogen stored on-board. However, storing hydrogen on-board the vehicle is currently not feasible for technical reasons. The hydrogen can be generated on-board using a liquid hydrogen carrier such as methanol and gasoline. The objective of the work presented in this thesis was to develop a catalytic hydrogen generator for automotive applications using methanol as the hydrogen carrier. The first part of this work gives an introduction to the field of methanol reforming and the properties of a fuel cell based power system. Paper I reviews the catalytic materials and processes available for producing hydrogen from methanol. The second part of this thesis consists of an experimental investigation of the influence of the catalyst composition, materials and process parameters on the activity and selectivity for the production of hydrogen from methanol. In Papers II-IV the influence of the support, carrier and operational parameters is studied. In Paper V an investigation of the catalytic properties is performed in an attempt to correlate material properties with performance of different catalysts. In the third part of the thesis an investigation is performed to elucidate whether it is possible to utilize oxidation of liquid methanol as a heat source for an automotive reformer. In the study which is presented in Paper VI a large series of catalytic materials are tested and we were able to minimize the noble metal content making the system more cost efficient. In the final part of this thesis the reformer prototype developed in the project is evaluated. The reformer which was constructed for serving a 5 k W{sub e} fuel cell had a high performance with near 100 % methanol conversion and CO

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of a thin polymer film-based micro-direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Tobias; Weinmüller, Christian; Nabavi, Majid; Poulikakos, Dimos

A single cell micro-direct methanol fuel cell (micro-DMFC) was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrodes consisted of thin, flexible polymer (SU8) film microchannel structures fabricated in-house using microfabrication techniques. AC impedance spectroscopy was used to separate contributions to the overall cell polarization from the anode, cathode and membrane. A clear distinction between the different electrochemical phenomena occurring in the micro-DMFC, especially the distinction between double layer charging and Faradaic reactions was shown. The effect of fuel flow rate, temperature, and anode flow channel structure on the impedance of the electrode reactions and membrane/electrode double layer charging were investigated. Analysis of impedance data revealed that the performance of the test cell was largely limited by the presence of intermediate carbon monoxide in the anode reaction. Higher temperatures increase cell performance by enabling intermediate CO to be oxidized at much higher rates. The results also revealed that serpentine anode flow microchannels show a lower tendency to intermediate CO coverage and a more stable cell behavior than parallel microchannels.

The influence of methanol on the chemical state of PtRu anodes in a high-temperature direct methanol fuel cell studied in situ by synchrotron-based near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saveleva, Viktoriia A; Savinova, Elena R; Daletou, Maria K

2017-01-01

Synchrotron radiation-based near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) has recently become a powerful tool for the investigation of interfacial phenomena in electrochemical power sources such as batteries and fuel cells. Here we present an in situ NAP-XPS study of the anode of a high-temperature direct methanol fuel cell with a phosphoric acid-doped hydrocarbon membrane, which reveals an enhanced flooding of the Pt 3 Ru anode with phosphoric acid in the presence of methanol. An analysis of the electrode surface composition depending on the cell voltage and on the presence of methanol reveals the strong influence of the latter on the extent of Pt oxidation and on the transformation of Ru into Ru (IV) hydroxide. (paper)

The influence of methanol on the chemical state of PtRu anodes in a high-temperature direct methanol fuel cell studied in situ by synchrotron-based near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Saveleva, Viktoriia A.; Daletou, Maria K.; Savinova, Elena R.

2017-01-01

Synchrotron radiation-based near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) has recently become a powerful tool for the investigation of interfacial phenomena in electrochemical power sources such as batteries and fuel cells. Here we present an in situ NAP-XPS study of the anode of a high-temperature direct methanol fuel cell with a phosphoric acid-doped hydrocarbon membrane, which reveals an enhanced flooding of the Pt3Ru anode with phosphoric acid in the presence of methanol. An analysis of the electrode surface composition depending on the cell voltage and on the presence of methanol reveals the strong influence of the latter on the extent of Pt oxidation and on the transformation of Ru into Ru (IV) hydroxide.

Mass transport of direct methanol fuel cell species in sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, V.S.; Ruffmann, B.; Vetter, S.; Boaventura, M.; Mendes, A.M.; Madeira, L.M.; Nunes, S.P.

2006-01-01

Homogeneous membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) with different sulfonation degrees (SD) were prepared and characterized. In order to perform a critical analysis of the SD effect on the polymer barrier and mass transport properties towards direct methanol fuel cell species, proton conductivity, water/methanol pervaporation and nitrogen/oxygen/carbon dioxide pressure rise method experiments are proposed. This procedure allows the evaluation of the individual permeability coefficients in hydrated sPEEK membranes with different sulfonation degrees. Nafion[reg] 112 was used as reference material. DMFC tests were also performed at 50 deg. C. It was observed that the proton conductivity and the permeability towards water, methanol, oxygen and carbon dioxide increase with the sPEEK sulfonation degree. In contrast, the SD seems to not affect the nitrogen permeability coefficient. In terms of selectivity, it was observed that the carbon dioxide/oxygen selectivity increases with the sPEEK SD. In contrast, the nitrogen/oxygen selectivity decreases. In terms of barrier properties for preventing the DMFC reactants loss, the polymer electrolyte membrane based on the sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) with SD lower or equal to 71%, although having slightly lower proton conductivity, presented much better characteristics for fuel cell applications compared with the well known Nafion[reg] 112. In terms of the DMFC tests of the studied membranes at low temperature, the sPEEK membrane with SD = 71% showed to have similar performance, or even better, as that of Nafion[reg] 112. However, the highest DMFC overall efficiency was achieved using sPEEK membrane with SD = 52%

Electrical enhancement of direct methanol fuel cells by metal-plasma ion implantation Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Ko-Wei; Chen, Yung-Lin; Chen, Ya-Chi; Lin, Tai-Nan

2009-02-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) have been widely studied owing to their simple cell configuration, high volume energy density, short start-up time, high operational reliability and other favorable characteristics. However, major limitations include high production cost, poisoning of the catalyst and methanol crossover. This study adopts a simple technique for preparing Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts, including magnetron sputtering (MS) and metal-plasma ion implantation (MPII). The Pt catalysts were sputtered onto the gas diffusion layer (GDL), followed by the implantation of Ru catalysts using MPII (at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV and an implantation dose of 1 x 10(16) ions/cm2). Pt-Ru is repeatedly processed to prepare Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts. The catalyst film structure and microstructure were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), respectively. The cell performance was tested using a potential stat/galvano-stat. The results reveal that the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of four multilayer structures enhances the cell performance of DMFC. The measured power density is 2.2 mW/cm2 at a methanol concentration of 2 M, with an OCV of 0.493 V.

Carbon nanotubes based methanol sensor for fuel cells application.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, D W; Lee, J S; Lee, G S; Overzet, L; Kozlov, M; Aliev, A E; Park, Y W; Yang, D J

2006-11-01

An electrochemical sensor is built using vertically grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) micro-array to detect methanol concentration in water. This study is done for the potential use of the array as methanol sensor for portable units of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles electro-deposited CNTs (Pt/CNTs) electrode shows high sensitivity in the measurement of methanol concentration in water with cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement at room temperature. Further investigation has also been undertaken to measure the concentration by changing the amount of the mixture of methanol and formic acid in water. We compared the performance of our micro array sensor built with Pt/CNTs electrodes versus that of Pt wire electrode using CV measurement. We found that our Pt/CNTs array sensor shows high sensitivity and detects methanol concentrations in the range of 0.04 M to 0.10 M. In addition, we found that co-use of formic acid as electrolyte enables us to measure up to 1.0 M methanol concentration.

Development of an air-breathing direct methanol fuel cell with the cathode shutter current collectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yufeng; Liu, Xiaowei [Key Laboratory of Micro-Systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001 (China); MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Bo; Li, Jianmin; Deng, Huichao [MEMS Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2010-06-15

An air-breathing direct methanol fuel cell with a novel cathode shutter current collector is fabricated to develop the power sources for consumer electronic devices. Compared with the conventional circular cathode current collector, the shutter one improves the oxygen consumption and mass transport. The anode and cathode current collectors are made of stainless steel using thermal stamping die process. Moreover, an encapsulation method using the tailor-made clamps is designed to assemble the current collectors and MEA for distributing the stress of the edges and inside uniformly. It is observed that the maximum power density of the air-breathing DMFC operating with 1 M methanol solution achieves 19.7 mW/cm{sup 2} at room temperature. Based on the individual DMFCs, the air-breathing stack consisting of 36 DMFC units is achieved and applied to power a notebook computer. (author)

Study on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell (Micro-DEFC) performance

Science.gov (United States)

Saisirirat, Penyarat; Joommanee, Bordindech

2018-01-01

The direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is selected for this research. DEFC uses ethanol in the fuel cell instead of the more toxic methanol. Ethanol is more attractive than methanol by many reasons. Ethanol is a hydrogen-rich liquid and it has a higher specific energy (8.0 kWh/kg) compared to that of methanol (6.1 kWh/kg). Ethanol can be obtained in great quantity from biomass through a fermentation process from renewable resources such as sugar cane, wheat, corn, and even straw. The use of ethanol would also overcome both the storage and infrastructure challenge of hydrogen for fuel cell applications. The experimental apparatus on the micro direct ethanol fuel cell for measuring the cell performance has been set for this research. The objective is to study the micro direct ethanol fuel cell performance for applying with the portable electronic devices. The cell performance is specified in the terms of cell voltage, cell current and power of the cell at room operating temperature and 1 atm for the pressure and also includes the ethanol fuel consumption. The effect of operating temperature change on the electrical production performance is also studied. The steady-state time for collecting each data value is about 5-10 minutes. The results show that with the increase of concentrations of ethanol by volume, the reactant concentration at the reaction sites increases so the electrochemical rate also increases but when it reaches the saturated point the performance gradually drops.

Mass-produced multi-walled carbon nanotubes as catalyst supports for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, In Young; Park, Ki Chul; Jung, Yong Chae; Lee, Sun Hyung; Song, Sung Moo; Muramatsu, Hiroyuki; Kim, Yong Jung; Endo, Morinobu

2011-01-01

Commercially mass-produced multi-walled carbon nanotubes, i.e., VGNF (Showa Denko Co.), were applied to support materials for platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) nanoparticles as anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells. The original VGNFs are composed of high-crystalline graphitic shells, which hinder the favorable surface deposition of the PtRu nanoparticles that are formed via borohydride reduction. The chemical treatment of VGNFs with potassium hydroxide (KOH), however, enables highly dispersed and dense deposition of PtRu nanoparticles on the VGNF surface. This capability becomes more remarkable depending on the KOH amount. The electrochemical evaluation of the PtRu-deposited VGNF catalysts showed enhanced active surface areas and methanol oxidation, due to the high dispersion and dense deposition of the PtRu nanoparticles. The improvement of the surface deposition states of the PtRu nanoparticles was significantly due to the high surface area and mesorporous surface structure of the KOH-activated VGNFs.

Direct methanol fuel cell with extended reaction zone anode: PtRu and PtRuMo supported on graphite felt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, Alex; Gyenge, Elod L.; Oloman, Colin W. [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2007-05-15

Pressed graphite felt (thickness {proportional_to}350 {mu}m) with electrodeposited PtRu (43 g m{sup -2}, 1.4:1 atomic ratio) or PtRuMo (52 g m{sup -2}, 1:1:0.3 atomic ratio) nanoparticle catalysts was investigated as an anode for direct methanol fuel cells. At temperatures above 333 K the fuel cell performance of the PtRuMo catalyst was superior compared to PtRu. The power density was 2200 W m{sup -2} with PtRuMo at 5500 A m{sup -2} and 353 K while under the same conditions PtRu yielded 1925 W m{sup -2}. However, the degradation rate of the Mo containing catalyst formulation was higher. Compared to conventional gas diffusion electrodes with comparable PtRu catalyst composition and load, the graphite felt anodes gave higher power densities mainly due to the extended reaction zone for methanol oxidation. (author)

Direct methanol fuel cell with extended reaction zone anode: PtRu and PtRuMo supported on graphite felt

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Alex; Gyenge, Előd L.; Oloman, Colin W.

Pressed graphite felt (thickness ∼350 μm) with electrodeposited PtRu (43 g m -2, 1.4:1 atomic ratio) or PtRuMo (52 g m -2, 1:1:0.3 atomic ratio) nanoparticle catalysts was investigated as an anode for direct methanol fuel cells. At temperatures above 333 K the fuel cell performance of the PtRuMo catalyst was superior compared to PtRu. The power density was 2200 W m -2 with PtRuMo at 5500 A m -2 and 353 K while under the same conditions PtRu yielded 1925 W m -2. However, the degradation rate of the Mo containing catalyst formulation was higher. Compared to conventional gas diffusion electrodes with comparable PtRu catalyst composition and load, the graphite felt anodes gave higher power densities mainly due to the extended reaction zone for methanol oxidation.

A CNT (carbon nanotube) paper as cathode gas diffusion electrode for water management of passive μ-DMFC (micro-direct methanol fuel cell) with highly concentrated methanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Huichao; Zhang, Yufeng; Zheng, Xue; Li, Yang; Zhang, Xuelin; Liu, Xiaowei

2015-01-01

A novel MEA (membrane electrode assembly) structure of passive μ-DMFC (micro-direct methanol fuel cell) controls water management and decreases methanol crossover. The CNT (carbon nanotube) paper replacing CP (carbon paper) as GDL (gas diffusion paper) enhances water back diffusion which passively prevents flooding in the cathode and promotes low methanol crossover. Moreover, the unique structure of CNT paper can also enhance efficiency of oxygen mass transport and catalyst utilization. The passive μ-DMFC with CNT-MEA exhibits significantly higher performance than passive μ-DMFC with CP-MEA and can operate in high methanol concentration, showing the peak power density of 23.2 mW cm −2 . The energy efficiency and fuel utilization efficiency are obviously improved from 11.54% to 22.7% and 36.61%–49.34%, respectively, and the water transport coefficient is 0.47 which is lower than previously reported passive μ-DMFC with CP. - Highlights: • This novel GDL (gas diffusion layer) solves water management and methanol crossover. • This GDL creates a hydraulic pressure in the cathode increasing water back diffusion. • This GDL improves the electrical conductivity and activity of catalyst

Investigation of Novel Electrolytes for Use in Lithium-Ion Batteries and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pilar, Kartik

Energy storage and conversion plays a critical role in the efficient use of available energy and is crucial for the utilization of renewable energy sources. To achieve maximum efficiency of renewable energy sources, improvements to energy storage materials must be developed. In this work, novel electrolytes for secondary batteries and fuel cells have been studied using nuclear magnetic resonance and high pressure x-ray scattering techniques to form a better understanding of dynamic and structural properties of these materials. Ionic liquids have been studied due to their potential as a safer alternative to organic solvent-based electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries and composite sulfonated polyetheretherketone (sPEEK) membranes have been investigated for their potential use as a proton exchange membrane electrolyte in direct methanol fuel cells. The characterization of these novel electrolytes is a step towards the development of the next generation of improved energy storage and energy conversion devices.

Highly Durable Direct Methanol Fuel Cell with Double-Layered Catalyst Cathode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM is one of the key components in direct methanol fuel cells. However, the PEM usually gets attacked by reactive oxygen species during the operation period, resulting in the loss of membrane integrity and formation of defects. Herein, a double-layered catalyst cathode electrode consisting of Pt/CeO2-C as inner catalyst and Pt/C as outer catalyst is fabricated to extend the lifetime and minimize the performance loss of DMFC. Although the maximum power density of membrane electrode assembly (MEA with catalyst cathode is slightly lower than that of the traditional one, its durability is significantly improved. No obvious degradation is evident in the MEA with double-layered catalyst cathode within durability testing. These results indicated that Pt/CeO2-C as inner cathode catalyst layer greatly improved the stability of MEA. The significant reason for the improved stability of MEA is the ability of CeO2 to act as free-radical scavengers.

Study on fuel supplying method and methanol concentration sensor for the high efficient operation of methanol fuel cells. Methanol nenryo denchi no unten ni okeru nenryo kyokyu hoho no kento to methanol nodo sensor no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukui, Tsutomu; Doi, Ryota; Yasukawa, Saburo; Kuroda, Osamu [Hirachi, Ltd., Tokyo, (Japan)

1990-01-20

A fuel supplying method was studied and demonstrated, essential to the high efficient operation of methanol fuel cells. Methanol and water were supplied independently from each tank to an anordic electrolyte tank in a circulating system, detecting a methanol concentration and liquid level of anordic electrolyte by each sensor, respectively. A methanol sensor was also developed to detect accurately the concentration based on electrochemical reaction under a constant voltage. A detection control circuit was insulated from a constant-voltage power supply to prevent external noises. The methanol sensor output was compensated for temperature, and a new level sensing method was adopted to send out a command comparing different responses to electrolyte shortage. As the methanol fuel cell was operated with this fuel supplying system, the stable characteristics of the cell were obtained within the variation of {plus minus} 0.1mol/l from the specified methanol concentration. 6 refs., 17 figs., 1 tab.

Mordenite/Nafion and analcime/Nafion composite membranes prepared by spray method for improved direct methanol fuel cell performance

Science.gov (United States)

Prapainainar, Paweena; Du, Zehui; Kongkachuichay, Paisan; Holmes, Stuart M.; Prapainainar, Chaiwat

2017-11-01

The aim of this work was to improve proton exchange membranes (PEMs) used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A membrane with a high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability was required. Zeolite filler in Nafion (NF matrix) composite membranes were prepared using two types of zeolite, mordenite (MOR) and analcime (ANA). Spray method was used to prepare the composite membranes, and properties of the membranes were investigated: mechanical properties, solubility, water and methanol uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and DMFC performance. It was found that MOR filler showed higher performance than ANA. The MOR/Nafion composite membrane gave better properties than ANA/Nafion composite membrane, including a higher proton conductivity and a methanol permeability that was 2-3 times lower. The highest DMFC performance (10.75 mW cm-2) was obtained at 70 °C and with 2 M methanol, with a value 1.5 times higher than that of ANA/Nafion composite membrane and two times higher than that of commercial Nafion 117 (NF 117).

Direct dimethyl ether high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vassiliev, Anton; Jensen, Jens Oluf; Li, Qingfeng

and suffers from low DME solubility in water. When the DME - water mixture is fed as vapour miscibility is no longer a problem. The increased temperature is more beneficial for the kinetics of the direct oxidation of DME than of methanol. The Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) with DME operation was 50 to 100 m......A high temperature polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymer fuel cell was fed with dimethyl ether (DME) and water vapour mixture on the anode at ambient pressure with air as oxidant. A peak power density of 79 mW/cm2 was achieved at 200°C. A conventional polymer based direct DME fuel cell is liquid fed......V higher than that of methanol, indicating less fuel crossover....

Design, fabrication and performance of a mixed-reactant membraneless micro direct methanol fuel cell stack

Science.gov (United States)

Abrego-Martínez, J. C.; Moreno-Zuria, A.; Cuevas-Muñiz, F. M.; Arriaga, L. G.; Sun, Shuhui; Mohamedi, Mohamed

2017-12-01

In the present work, we report the design, fabrication and evaluation of a membraneless mixed-reactant and air-breathing microfluidic direct methanol fuel cell (ML-μDMFC) stack operated in passive mode. The operation under mixed-reactant conditions was achieved by using a highly methanol-tolerant Ag/Pt/CP cathode with ultra-low Pt loading in alkaline medium. Prior to the fabrication of the stack, a flow simulation was made in order to study the behavior of the reactants stream in the microchannel through the 2 cells. Subsequently, the device was tested in passive mode using a mixture of 5 M MeOH +0.5 M KOH. The results showed that by connecting the 2 cells in series, it is possible to effectively double the voltage of a single ML-μDMFC, as well as increasing the absolute power by 75% with practically no cost increase. The stack was capable of operate continuously for more than 2 h with a single charge of 40 μL, producing an OCV of 0.89 V and a maximum power density of 3.33 mW mgPt-1. Additionally, the device exhibited good stability throughout a 10 h test.

Recent advances on Zeolite modification for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs)

Science.gov (United States)

Makertihartha, I. G. B. N.; Zunita, M.; Rizki, Z.; Dharmawijaya, P. T.

2017-03-01

The increase of energy demand and global warming issues has driven studies of alternative energy sources. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) can be an alternative energy source by (partially) replacing the use of fossil fuel which is in line with the green technology concept. However, the usage of hydrogen as a fuel has several disadvantages mainly transportation and storage related to its safety aspects. Recently, alcohol has gained attention as an energy source for fuel cell application, namely direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC). Among alcohols, high-mass energy density methanol and ethanol are widely used as direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC), respectively. Currently, the performance of DMFC is still rudimentary. Furthermore, the use of ethanol gives some additional privileges such as non-toxic property, renewable, ease of production in great quantity by the fermentation of sugar-containing raw materials. Direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) still has weakness in the low proton conductivity and high alcohol crossover. Therefore, to increase the performance of DAFC, modification using zeolite has been performed to improve proton conductivity and decrease alcohol crossover. Zeolite also has high thermal resistance properties, thereby increasing DAFC performance. This paper will discuss briefly about modification of catalyst and membrane for DAFC using zeolite. Zeolite modification effect on fuel cell performance especially proton conductivity and alcohol crossover will be presented in detail.

Evaluation of sulfonated polysulfone/zirconium hydrogen phosphate composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozden, Adnan; Ercelik, Mustafa; Devrim, Yilser; Colpan, C. Ozgur; Hamdullahpur, Feridun

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Very thin SPSf/ZrP composite membranes were prepared by solution casting method. •The viability of SPSf/ZrP membranes for DMFCs was investigated for the first time. •Superior proton conductivity over Nafion ® 115 was achieved between 45–80 °C. •Desired membrane characteristics, along with low manufacturing cost were achieved. •Single cell DMFC performance was improved up to 13%. -- Abstract: Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology has advanced perceivably, but technical challenges remain that must be overcome for further performance improvements. Thus, in this study, sulfonated polysulfone/zirconium hydrogen phosphate (SPSf/ZrP) composite membranes with various sulfonation degrees (20%, 35%, and 42%) and a constant concentration of ZrP (2.5%) were prepared to mitigate the technical challenges associated with the use of conventional Nafion ® membranes in DMFCs. The composite membranes were investigated through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), oxidative stability and water uptake measurements, and single cell testing. Comparison was also made with Nafion ® 115. Single cell tests were performed under various methanol concentrations and cell temperatures. Stability characteristics of the DMFCs under charging and discharging conditions were investigated via 1200 min short-term stability tests. The response characteristics of the DMFCs under dynamic conditions were determined at the start-up and shut-down stages. Composite membranes with sulfonation degrees of 35% and 42% were found to be highly promising due to their advanced characteristics with respect to proton conductivity, water uptake, thermal resistance, oxidative stability, and methanol suppression. For the whole range of parameters studied, the maximum power density obtained for SPSf/ZrP-42 (119 mW cm −2 ) was found to be 13% higher than that obtained for Nafion ® 115 (105 mW cm −2 ).

Utilization of methanol for polymer electrolyte fuel cells in mobile systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, V M [Research Centre Juelich (KFA), Inst. of Energy Process Engineering (Germany); Broeckerhoff, P [Research Centre Juelich (KFA), Inst. of Energy Process Engineering (Germany); Hoehlein, B [Research Centre Juelich (KFA), Inst. of Energy Process Engineering (Germany); Menzer, R [Research Centre Juelich (KFA), Inst. of Energy Process Engineering (Germany); Stimming, U [Research Centre Juelich (KFA), Inst. of Energy Process Engineering (Germany)

1994-04-01

The constantly growing volume of road traffic requires the introduction of new vehicle propulsion systems with higher efficiency and drastically reduced emission rates. As part of the fuel cell programme of the Research Centre Juelich a vehicle propulsion system with methanol as secondary energy carrier and a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as the main component for energy conversion is developed. The fuel gas is produced by a heterogeneously catalyzed steam reforming reaction in which methanol is converted to H[sub 2], CO and CO[sub 2]. The required energy is provided by the catalytic conversion of methanol for both heating up the system and reforming methanol. The high CO content of the fuel gas requires further processing of the gas or the development of new electrocatalysts for the anode. Various Pt-Ru alloys show promising behaviour as CO-tolerant anodes. The entire fuel cell system is discussed in terms of energy and emission balances. The development of important components is described and experimental results are discussed. (orig.)

Tuning of size and shape of Au–Pt nanocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunyadi Murph, Simona E.; Murphy, Catherine J.; Colon-Mercado, Hector R.; Torres, Ricardo D.; Heroux, Katie J.; Fox, Elise B.; Thompson, Lucas B.; Haasch, Richard T.

2011-01-01

In this article, we report the precise control of the size, shape, and surface morphology of Au–Pt nanocatalysts (cubes, blocks, octahedrons, and dogbones) synthesized via a seed-mediated approach. Gold “seeds” of different aspect ratios (1–4.2), grown by a silver-assisted approach, were used as templates for high-yield production of novel Au–Pt nanocatalysts at a low temperature (40 °C). Characterization by electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy, zeta-potential (surface charge), atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to better understand their physico-chemical properties, preferred reactivities and underlying nanoparticle growth mechanism. A rotating disk electrode was employed to evaluate the Au–Pt nanocatalysts electrochemical performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the methanol oxidation reaction of direct methanol fuel cells. The results indicate the Au–Pt dogbones are partially and in some cases completely unaffected by methanol poisoning during the evaluation of the ORR. The ORR performance of the octahedron particles in the absence of MeOH is superior to that of the Au–Pt dogbones and Pt-black; however, its performance is affected by the presence of MeOH.

TUNING OF SIZE AND SHAPE OF AU-PT NANOCATALYST FOR DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murph, S.

2011-04-20

In this paper, we report the precise control of the size, shape and surface morphology of Au-Pt nanocatalysts (cubes, blocks, octahedrons and dogbones) synthesized via a seed-mediated approach. Gold 'seeds' of different aspect ratios (1 to 4.2), grown by a silver-assisted approach, were used as templates for high-yield production of novel Au-Pt nanocatalysts at a low temperature (40 C). Characterization by electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), UV-Vis spectroscopy, zeta-potential (surface charge), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to better understand their physico-chemical properties, preferred reactivities and underlying nanoparticle growth mechanism. A rotating disk electrode was used to evaluate the Au-Pt nanocatalysts electrochemical performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of direct methanol fuel cells. The results indicate the Au-Pt dogbones are partially and in some cases completely unaffected by methanol poisoning during the evaluation of the ORR. The ORR performance of the octahedron particles in the absence of MeOH is superior to that of the Au-Pt dogbones and Pt-black, however its performance is affected by the presence of MeOH.

Combined local current distribution measurements and high resolution neutron radiography of operating direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroeder, Alexander; Wippermann, Klaus [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Inst. of Energy Research, IEF-3: Fuel Cells; Sanders, Tilman [RWTH Aachen (DE). Inst. for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA); Arlt, Tobias [Helmholtz Centre Berlin (Germany). Inst. for Applied Materials

2010-07-01

Neutron radiography allows the investigation of the local fluid distribution in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) under operating conditions. Spatial resolutions in the order of some tens of micrometers at the full test cell area are achieved. This offers the possibility to study practice-oriented, large stack cells with an active area of several hundred cm{sup 2} as well as specially designed, small test cells with an area of some cm{sup 2}. Combined studies of high resolution neutron radiography and segmented cell measurements are especially valuable, because they enable a correlation of local fluid distribution and local performance [1, 2]. The knowledge of this interdependency is essential to optimise the water management and performance respecting a homogeneous fluid, current and temperature distribution and to achieve high performance and durability of DMFCs. (orig.)

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) based membranes for direct ethanol fuel cells

OpenAIRE

Roelofs, K.S.

2010-01-01

The decreasing availability of fossil fuels and the increasing impact of greenhouse gases on the environment lead to an extensive development of more efficient or renewable energy sources. The direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) as a portable energy source is a promising and fast growing technology which meets these demands. Up to now, methanol is mostly studied as a fuel for these devices, however, applying ethanol has some evident advantages over methanol. The major challenges in direct ethanol...

A durable PtRu/C catalyst with a thin protective layer for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimazaki, Yuzuru; Hayasaka, Sho; Koyama, Tsubasa; Nagao, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Konno, Mikio

2010-11-15

A methanol oxidation catalyst with improved durability in acidic environments is reported. The catalyst consists of PtRu alloy nanoparticles on a carbon support that were stabilized with a silane-coupling agent. The catalyst was prepared by reducing ions of Pt and Ru in the presence of a carbon support and the silane-coupling agent. The careful choice of preparatory conditions such as the concentration of the silane-coupling agent and solution pH resulted in the preparation of catalyst in which the PtRu nanoparticles were dispersively adsorbed onto the carbon support. The catalytic activity was similar to that of a commercial catalyst and was unchanged after immersion in sulfuric acid solution for 1000 h, suggesting the high durability of the PtRu catalyst for the anode of direct methanol fuel cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic analysis of carbon formation in solid oxide fuel cells with a direct internal reformer fueled by ethanol, methanol, and methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laosiripojana, N.; Assabumrungrat, S.; Pavarajarn, V.; Sangtongkitcharoen, W.; Tangjitmatee, A.; Praserthdam, P.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' This paper concerns a detailed thermodynamic analysis of carbon formation for a Direct Internal Reformer (DIR) Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). The modeling of DIR-SOFC fueled by ethanol, methanol, and methane were compared. Two types of fuel cell electrolytes, i.e. oxygen-conducting and hydrogen-conducting, are considered. Equilibrium calculations were performed to find the ranges of inlet steam/fuel ratio where carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavorable in the temperature range of 500-1200 K. It was found that the key parameters determining the boundary of carbon formation are temperature, type of solid electrolyte and extent of the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen. The minimum requirements of H2O/fuel ratio for each type of fuel in which the carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavored were compared. At the same operating conditions, DIR-SOFC fueled by ethanol required the lowest inlet H2O/fuel ratio in which the carbon formation is thermodynamically unfavored. The requirement decreased with increasing temperature for all three fuels. Comparison between two types of the electrolytes reveals that the hydrogen-conducting electrolyte is impractical for use, regarding to the tendency of carbon formation. This is due mainly to the water formed by the electrochemical reaction at the electrodes. (author)

Fabrication and Characterization of New Composite Tio2 Carbon Nanofiber Anodic Catalyst Support for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell via Electrospinning Method

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, N.; Kamarudin, S. K.; Shyuan, L. K.; Karim, N. A.

2017-12-01

Platinum (Pt) is the common catalyst used in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). However, Pt can lead towards catalyst poisoning by carbonaceous species, thus reduces the performance of DMFC. Thus, this study focuses on the fabrication of a new composite TiO2 carbon nanofiber anodic catalyst support for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) via electrospinning technique. The distance between the tip and the collector (DTC) and the flow rate were examined as influencing parameters in the electrospinning technique. To ensure that the best catalytic material is fabricated, the nanofiber underwent several characterizations and electrochemical tests, including FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, and cyclic voltammetry. The results show that D18, fabricated with a flow rate of 0.1 mLhr-1 and DTC of 18 cm, is an ultrafine nanofiber with the smallest average diameter, 136.73 ± 39.56 nm. It presented the highest catalyst activity and electrochemical active surface area value as 274.72 mAmg-1 and 226.75m2 g-1 PtRu, respectively, compared with the other samples.

Metamorphosis of the mixed phase PtRu anode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells after exposure of methanol: In situ and ex situ characterizations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakraborty, Debasish [Center for Individual Nanoparticle Functionality (CINF), Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Aerosol Laboratory, Nano.DTU, Department of Chemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Chorkendorff, Ib [Center for Individual Nanoparticle Functionality (CINF), Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Johannessen, Tue [Aerosol Laboratory, Nano.DTU, Department of Chemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2007-11-08

The change in the mixed phase heavily oxidized PtRu anode with the exposure of methanol in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The investigation had two major objectives: (i) to explore the original state of the active catalyst and (ii) to understand if alloying of Pt and Ru is a requirement for higher methanol oxidation activity. It was found that the methanol oxidation activity gradually improved for {proportional_to}2 h of exposure. The impedance spectra were taken at different times within this time of improvement of activity. The impedance spectra were deconvoluted in different contributions like membrane resistance (R{sub m}), charge transfer resistance (R{sub Ct}), adsorption resistance (R{sub ad}), and oxidation resistance (R{sub ox}). The improvement of the activity was explained in terms of the effect of the pretreatment on different contributions. XRD was done on the virgin and methanol exposed sample as a possible mean to identify the difference. It was postulated that the reduction of the as prepared PtRu after exposure was responsible for the activity improvement. Also, it was shown that bulk alloy formation is not a necessary condition for higher methanol activity of PtRu catalysts. (author)

Self-assembled platinum nanoparticles on sulfonic acid-grafted graphene as effective electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jinlin; Li, Yanhong; Li, Shengli; Jiang, San Ping

2016-02-15

In this article, sulfonic acid-grafted reduced graphene oxide (S-rGO) were synthesized using a one-pot method under mild conditions, and used as Pt catalyst supports to prepare Pt/S-rGO electrocatalysts through a self-assembly route. The structure, morphologies and physicochemical properties of S-rGO were examined in detail by techniques such as atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The S-rGO nanosheets show excellent solubility and stability in water and the average particle size of Pt nanoparticles supported on S-rGO is ~3.8 nm with symmetrical and uniform distribution. The electrocatalytic properties of Pt/S-rGO were investigated for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). In comparison to Pt supported on high surface area Vulcan XC-72 carbon (Pt/VC) and Pt/rGO, the Pt/S-rGO electrocatalyst exhibits a much higher electrocatalytic activity, faster reaction kinetics and a better stability. The results indicate that Pt/S-rGO is a promising and effective electrocatalyst for MOR of DMFCs.

Combinatorial investigation of Pt-Ru-Sn alloys as an anode electrocatalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, Young Hwan [Department of New Energy.Resource Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Sangji University, 124, Sangjidae-gil, Wonju-si, Gangwon-Do 220-702 (Korea); Shul, Yong Gun [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 134, Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea)

2010-10-15

Low-temperature direct alcohol fuel cells fed with different kinds of alcohol (methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol) have been investigated by employing ternary electrocatalysts (Pt-Ru-Sn) as anode catalysts. Combinatorial chemistry has been applied to screen the 66-PtRuSn-anode arrays at the same time to reduce cost, time, and effort when we select the optimum composition of electrocatalysts for DAFCs (Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells). PtRuSn (80:20:0) showed the lowest onset potential for methanol electro-oxidation, PtRuSn (50:0:50) for ethanol, and PtRuSn (20:70:10) for 2-propanol in CV results respectively, and single cell performance test indicated that Ru is more suitable for direct methanol fuel cell system, Sn for direct ethanol fuel cell system, and 2-propanol could be applied as fuel with low platinum composition anode electrocatalyst. The single cell performance results and electrochemical results (CV) were well matched with the combinatorial electrochemical results. As a result, we could verify the availability of combinatorial chemistry by comparing the results of each extreme electrocatalysts compositions as follows: PtRuSn (80:20:0) for methanol, PtRuSn (50:0:50) for ethanol and PtRuSn (20:70:10) for 2-propanol. (author)

On the effect of operating conditions in liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cells: A multiphysics modeling approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

García-Salaberri, Pablo A.; Vera, Marcos

2016-01-01

A multiphysics model for liquid-feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells is presented. The model accounts for two-dimensional (2D) across-the-channel anisotropic mass and charge transport in the anode and cathode Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs), including the effect of GDL assembly compression and electrical contact resistances at the Bipolar Plate (BPP) and membrane interfaces. A one-dimensional (1D) across-the-membrane model is used to describe local species diffusion through the microporous layers, methanol/water crossover, proton transport, and electrochemical reactions, thereby coupling both GDL sub-models. The 2D/1D model is extended to the third dimension and supplemented with 1D descriptions of the flow channels to yield a 3D/1D + 1D model that is successfully validated. A parametric study is then conducted on the 2D/1D model to examine the effect of operating conditions on cell performance. The results show that an optimum methanol concentration exists that maximizes power output due to the trade-off between anode polarization and cathode mixed overpotential. For fixed methanol concentration, cell performance is largely affected by the oxygen supply rate, cell temperature, and liquid/gas saturation levels. There is also an optimal GDL compression due to the trade-off between ohmic and concentration losses, which strongly depends on BPP material and, more weakly, on the actual operating conditions. - Highlights: • A multiphysics model for liquid-feed DMFCs is presented. • GDL anisotropic transport, assembly compression, and ohmic contact resistances are considered. • The model is successfully validated against previous experimental data. • Optimum methanol concentrations, GDL compressions, and operating temperatures are reported. • Oxygen-starved conditions with spontaneous hydrogen evolution in the anode are also considered.

Ion pair reinforced semi-interpenetrating polymer network for direct methanol fuel cell applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Chunliu; Julius, David; Tay, Siok Wei; Hong, Liang; Lee, Jim Yang

2012-06-07

This paper describes the synthesis of ion-pair-reinforced semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs) as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Specifically, sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (SPPO), a linear polymer proton source, was immobilized in a brominated PPO (BPPO) network covalently cross-linked by ethylenediamine (EDA). The immobilization of SPPO in the SIPN network was accomplished not only by the usual means of mechanical interlocking but also by ion pair formation between the sulfonic acid groups of SPPO and the amine moieties formed during the cross-linking reaction of BPPO with EDA. Through the ion pair interactions, the immobilization of SPPO polymer in the BPPO network was made more effective, resulting in a greater uniformity of sulfonic acid cluster distribution in the membrane. The hydrophilic amine-containing cross-links also compensated for some of the decrease in proton conductivity caused by ion pair formation. The SIPN membranes prepared as such showed good proton conductivity, low methanol permeability, good mechanical properties, and dimensional stability. Consequently, the PPO based SIPN membranes were able to deliver a higher maximum power density than Nafion, demonstrating the potential of the SIPN structure for PEM designs.

Comparison of ammonia and methanol applied indirectly in a hydrogen fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metkemeijer, R.; Achard, P.

1993-01-01

A comparison is presented between ammonia and methanol, applied indirectly in a hydrogen/air fuel cell. The calculations concentrate on specific energy of the fuels (amount of electricity produced per mass of fuel), specific energy of the fuels corrected for the mass and volume of the tank, and the overall energy efficiency (amount of electricity produced by one kg of fuel divided by the amount of energy needed for the production of one kg of this fuel). Taking into consideration the differences in efficiencies between the acid fuel cell and the alkaline fuel cells, the reformer temperatures, the reforming efficiencies, and some ecological and economical considerations, it appears that ammonia is a more interesting fuel than methanol for certain applications. 6 figs., 2 tabs

Methanol fuel processor and PEM fuel cell modeling for mobile application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chrenko, Daniela [ISAT, University of Burgundy, Rue Mlle Bourgoise, 58000 Nevers (France); Gao, Fei; Blunier, Benjamin; Bouquain, David; Miraoui, Abdellatif [Transport and Systems Laboratory (SeT) - EA 3317/UTBM, Fuel cell Laboratory (FCLAB), University of Technology of Belfort-Montbeliard, Rue Thierry Mieg 90010, Belfort Cedex (France)

2010-07-15

The use of hydrocarbon fed fuel cell systems including a fuel processor can be an entry market for this emerging technology avoiding the problem of hydrogen infrastructure. This article presents a 1 kW low temperature PEM fuel cell system with fuel processor, the system is fueled by a mixture of methanol and water that is converted into hydrogen rich gas using a steam reformer. A complete system model including a fluidic fuel processor model containing evaporation, steam reformer, hydrogen filter, combustion, as well as a multi-domain fuel cell model is introduced. Experiments are performed with an IDATECH FCS1200 trademark fuel cell system. The results of modeling and experimentation show good results, namely with regard to fuel cell current and voltage as well as hydrogen production and pressure. The system is auto sufficient and shows an efficiency of 25.12%. The presented work is a step towards a complete system model, needed to develop a well adapted system control assuring optimized system efficiency. (author)

Mathematical Modeling of Transport Phenomena in Polymer Electrolyte and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birgersson, Erik

2004-02-01

This thesis deals with modeling of two types of fuel cells: the polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) and the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), for which we address four major issues: a) mass transport limitations; b) water management (PEFC); c) gas management (DMFC); d) thermal management. Four models have been derived and studied for the PEFC, focusing on the cathode. The first exploits the slenderness of the cathode for a two-dimensional geometry, leading to a reduced model, where several non dimensional parameters capture the behavior of the cathode. The model was extended to three dimensions, where four different flow distributors were studied for the cathode. A quantitative comparison shows that the interdigitated channels can sustain the highest current densities. These two models, comprising isothermal gas phase flow, limit the studies to (a). Returning to a two-dimensional geometry of the PEFC, the liquid phase was introduced via a separate flow model approach for the cathode. In addition to conservation of mass, momentum and species, the model was extended to consider simultaneous charge and heat transfer for the whole cell. Different thermal, flow fields, and hydrodynamic conditions were studied, addressing (a), (b) and (d). A scale analysis allowed for predictions of the cell performance prior to any computations. Good agreement between experiments with a segmented cell and the model was obtained. A liquid-phase model, comprising conservation of mass, momentum and species, was derived and analyzed for the anode of the DMFC. The impact of hydrodynamic, electrochemical and geometrical features on the fuel cell performance were studied, mainly focusing on (a). The slenderness of the anode allows the use of a narrow-gap approximation, leading to a reduced model, with benefits such as reduced computational cost and understanding of the physical trends prior to any numerical computations. Adding the gas-phase via a multiphase mixture approach, the gas

Highly dispersed Pt-Ni nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes for application in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shujuan; Ma, Yanwen; Tao, Haisheng; Jian, Guoqiang; Wang, Xizhang; Fan, Yining; Zhu, Jianmin; Hu, Zheng

2010-06-01

Binary Pt-Ni alloyed nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) have been facilely constructed without pre-modification by making use of the active sites in NCNTs due to the N-participation. So-obtained binary Pt-Ni alloyed nanoparticles have been highly dispersed on the outer surface of the support with the size of about 3-4 nm. The electrochemical properties of the catalysts for methanol oxidation have been systematically evaluated. Binary Pt-Ni alloyed composites with molar ratio (Pt:Ni) of 3:2 and 3:1 present enhanced electrocatalytic activities and improved tolerance to CO poisoning as well as the similar stability, in comparison with the commercial Pt/C catalyst and the monometallic Pt/NCNTs catalysts. These results imply that so-constructed nanocomposite catalysts have the potential for applications in direct methanol fuel cells.

A Review on the Fabrication of Electrospun Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazlina Junoh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Proton exchange membrane (PEM is an electrolyte which behaves as important indicator for fuel cell’s performance. Research and development (R&D on fabrication of desirable PEM have burgeoned year by year, especially for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC. However, most of the R&Ds only focus on the parent polymer electrolyte rather than polymer inorganic composites. This might be due to the difficulties faced in producing good dispersion of inorganic filler within the polymer matrix, which would consequently reduce the DMFC’s performance. Electrospinning is a promising technique to cater for this arising problem owing to its more widespread dispersion of inorganic filler within the polymer matrix, which can reduce the size of the filler up to nanoscale. There has been a huge development on fabricating electrolyte nanocomposite membrane, regardless of the effect of electrospun nanocomposite membrane on the fuel cell’s performance. In this present paper, issues regarding the R&D on electrospun sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone (SPEEK/inorganic nanocomposite fiber are addressed.

Experimental Investigation of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell with Hilbert Fractal Current Collectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing-Yi Chang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Hilbert curve is a continuous type of fractal space-filling curve. This fractal curve visits every point in a square grid with a size of 2×2, 4×4, or any other power of two. This paper presents Hilbert fractal curve application to direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC current collectors. The current collectors are carved following first, second, and third order Hilbert fractal curves. These curves give the current collectors different free open ratios and opening perimeters. We conducted an experimental investigation into DMFC performance as a function of the free open ratio and opening perimeter on the bipolar plates. Nyquist plots of the bipolar plates are made and compared using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS experiments to understand the phenomena in depth. The results obtained in this paper could be a good reference for future current collector design.

High temperature transport properties of polyphosphazene membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiangyang Zhou; Chalkova, E. [Pennsylvania State University (United States). The Energy Institute; Weston, J.; Lvov, S.N. [Pennsylvania State University (United States). The Energy Institute; Pennsylvania State University (United States). Department of Energy and Geo-Environment Engineering; Hofmann, M.A.; Ambler, C.M.; Allcock, H.R. [Pennsylvania State University (United States). Department of Chemistry

2003-06-30

Experimental methods for studying the conductivity and methanol permeability of proton conductive polymers over a wide range of temperatures have been developed. The proton conductivity and methanol permeability of several polymer electrolyte membranes including sulfonated and phosphonated poly[(aryloxy)phosphazenes] was determined at temperatures up to 120 {sup o}C. Nafion 117 membranes were tested using the same methods in order to determine the reliability of the methods. Although the conductivities of the polyphosphazene membranes were either similar to or lower than that of the Nafion 117 membranes, they continue to hold promise for fuel cell applications. We observed similar activation energies of proton conduction for Nafion 117, and for sulfonated and phosphonated polyphosphazene membranes. However, the methanol permeability of a sulfonated membrane was about 8 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature although the values were comparable at 120 {sup o}C. The permeability of a phosphonated phosphazene derivative was about 40 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature and about 9 times lower at 120 {sup o}C. This is a significant improvement over the behavior of Nafion 117. (author)

High temperature transport properties of polyphosphazene membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Xiangyang; Weston, Jamie; Chalkova, Elena; Hofmann, Michael A.; Ambler, Catherine M.; Allcock, Harry R.; Lvov, Serguei N

2003-06-30

Experimental methods for studying the conductivity and methanol permeability of proton conductive polymers over a wide range of temperatures have been developed. The proton conductivity and methanol permeability of several polymer electrolyte membranes including sulfonated and phosphonated poly[(aryloxy)phosphazenes] was determined at temperatures up to 120 deg. C. Nafion 117 membranes were tested using the same methods in order to determine the reliability of the methods. Although the conductivities of the polyphosphazene membranes were either similar to or lower than that of the Nafion 117 membranes, they continue to hold promise for fuel cell applications. We observed similar activation energies of proton conduction for Nafion 117, and for sulfonated and phosphonated polyphosphazene membranes. However, the methanol permeability of a sulfonated membrane was about 8 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature although the values were comparable at 120 deg. C. The permeability of a phosphonated phosphazene derivative was about 40 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature and about 9 times lower at 120 deg. C. This is a significant improvement over the behavior of Nafion 117.

High temperature transport properties of polyphosphazene membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Xiangyang; Weston, Jamie; Chalkova, Elena; Hofmann, Michael A.; Ambler, Catherine M.; Allcock, Harry R.; Lvov, Serguei N.

2003-01-01

Experimental methods for studying the conductivity and methanol permeability of proton conductive polymers over a wide range of temperatures have been developed. The proton conductivity and methanol permeability of several polymer electrolyte membranes including sulfonated and phosphonated poly[(aryloxy)phosphazenes] was determined at temperatures up to 120 deg. C. Nafion 117 membranes were tested using the same methods in order to determine the reliability of the methods. Although the conductivities of the polyphosphazene membranes were either similar to or lower than that of the Nafion 117 membranes, they continue to hold promise for fuel cell applications. We observed similar activation energies of proton conduction for Nafion 117, and for sulfonated and phosphonated polyphosphazene membranes. However, the methanol permeability of a sulfonated membrane was about 8 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature although the values were comparable at 120 deg. C. The permeability of a phosphonated phosphazene derivative was about 40 times lower than that of the Nafion 117 membrane at room temperature and about 9 times lower at 120 deg. C. This is a significant improvement over the behavior of Nafion 117

Development of a direct methanol fuel cell system for the power segment below 5 kW; Entwicklung eines Direkt-Methanol-Brennstoffzellensystems der Leistungsklasse kleiner 5 kW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noelke, M.

2006-10-20

The attractiveness of electrical conversion of liquid methanol in a fuel cell is defined by its simple storage and high energy density. Therefore, direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC) qualifies for applications in portable systems and mobile application in the kW-class. The goal of this work is to develop and demonstrate an improved and optimized peripheral DMFC system compared to the current level of technology. The selected mobile application is the retrofit of the energy supply of a ''Scooter'' with a fuel cell system. The required size reduction and the simplification of the DMFC system are realized by an integrated concept, which combines ideally the peripheral system and the fuel cell. A profound analysis of the stack and the peripheral components is a prerequisite for an optimized design. A detailed modelling and understanding of the stack behaviour establish the starting point of this work. The influence of the most important operating parameters like stack temperature, cell voltage, current density, air ratio and methanol concentration is captured accurately by the developed model and validated by experimental data. This shapes the frame work of the following system design approach. For this the clearly defined task of the peripheral system are investigated individually for alternatives and the best option is selected for the final solution. For selecting the right pumps and blowers available products and prototypes are characterized and checked for the system requirements. The investigation and the modelling of the exhaust gas condenser lead to an optimized component design for the ''Scooter'' DMFC design. Additionally, the integration of the anode loop is accomplished consisting of the supply lines, the circulating pump, the gas separator and the exhaust line. The direct coupling of the fuel cell with a lithium-ion battery as an option for electrical conditioning is investigated. In the system modelling the influence

Electrochemical energy conversion: methanol fuel cell as example

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vielstich Wolf

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Thermodynamic and kinetic limitations of the electrochemical energy conversion are presented for the case of a methanol/oxygen fuel cell. The detection of intermediates and products is demonstrated using insitu FTIR spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry. The bifunctional catalysis of methanol oxydation by PtRu model surfaces is explained. The formation of HCOOH and HCHO via parallel reaction pathways is discussed. An example of DMFC system technology is presented.

Self-assembled platinum nanoparticles on sulfonic acid-grafted graphene as effective electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jinlin; Li, Yanhong; Li, Shengli; Jiang, San Ping

2016-02-01

In this article, sulfonic acid-grafted reduced graphene oxide (S-rGO) were synthesized using a one-pot method under mild conditions, and used as Pt catalyst supports to prepare Pt/S-rGO electrocatalysts through a self-assembly route. The structure, morphologies and physicochemical properties of S-rGO were examined in detail by techniques such as atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The S-rGO nanosheets show excellent solubility and stability in water and the average particle size of Pt nanoparticles supported on S-rGO is ~3.8 nm with symmetrical and uniform distribution. The electrocatalytic properties of Pt/S-rGO were investigated for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). In comparison to Pt supported on high surface area Vulcan XC-72 carbon (Pt/VC) and Pt/rGO, the Pt/S-rGO electrocatalyst exhibits a much higher electrocatalytic activity, faster reaction kinetics and a better stability. The results indicate that Pt/S-rGO is a promising and effective electrocatalyst for MOR of DMFCs.

Design, fabrication and testing of an air-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell with compound anode flow field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Luwen; Zhang, Yufeng; Zhao, Youran; An, Zijiang; Zhou, Zhiping; Liu, Xiaowei

2011-01-01

An air-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC) with a compound anode flow field structure (composed of the parallel flow field and the perforated flow field) is designed, fabricated and tested. To better analyze the effect of the compound anode flow field on the mass transfer of methanol, the compound flow field with different open ratios (ratio of exposure area to total area) and thicknesses of current collectors is modeled and simulated. Micro process technologies are employed to fabricate the end plates and current collectors. The performances of the μDMFC with a compound anode flow field are measured under various operating parameters. Both the modeled and the experimental results show that, comparing the conventional parallel flow field, the compound one can enhance the mass transfer resistance of methanol from the flow field to the anode diffusion layer. The results also indicate that the μDMFC with an anode open ratio of 40% and a thickness of 300 µm has the optimal performance under the 7 M methanol which is three to four times higher than conventional flow fields. Finally, a 2 h stability test of the μDMFC is performed with a methanol concentration of 7 M and a flow velocity of 0.1 ml min −1 . The results indicate that the μDMFC can work steadily with high methanol concentration.

Electrochemical characterization of nano-sized Pd-based catalysts as cathode materials in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, M; Han, C; Kim, I T; An, J C; Lee, J J; Lee, H K; Shim, J

2011-01-01

To improve the catalytic activity of palladium (Pd) as a cathode catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), we prepared palladium-titanium oxide (Pd-TiO2) catalysts which the Pd and TiO2 nanoparticles were simultaneously impregnated on carbon. We selected Pd and TiO2 as catalytic materials because of their electrochemical stability in acid solution. The crystal structure and the loading amount of Pd and TiO2 on carbon were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX). The electrochemical characterization of Pd-TiO2/C catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction was carried out in half and single cell systems. The catalytic activities of the Pd-TiO2 catalysts were strongly influenced by the TiO2 content. In the single cell test, the Pd-TiO2 catalysts showed very comparable performance to the Pt catalyst.

Metal membrane-type 25-kW methanol fuel processor for fuel-cell hybrid vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jaesung; Lee, Seok-Min; Chang, Hyuksang

A 25-kW on-board methanol fuel processor has been developed. It consists of a methanol steam reformer, which converts methanol to hydrogen-rich gas mixture, and two metal membrane modules, which clean-up the gas mixture to high-purity hydrogen. It produces hydrogen at rates up to 25 N m 3/h and the purity of the product hydrogen is over 99.9995% with a CO content of less than 1 ppm. In this fuel processor, the operating condition of the reformer and the metal membrane modules is nearly the same, so that operation is simple and the overall system construction is compact by eliminating the extensive temperature control of the intermediate gas streams. The recovery of hydrogen in the metal membrane units is maintained at 70-75% by the control of the pressure in the system, and the remaining 25-30% hydrogen is recycled to a catalytic combustion zone to supply heat for the methanol steam-reforming reaction. The thermal efficiency of the fuel processor is about 75% and the inlet air pressure is as low as 4 psi. The fuel processor is currently being integrated with 25-kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell (PEMFC) stack developed by the Hyundai Motor Company. The stack exhibits the same performance as those with pure hydrogen, which proves that the maximum power output as well as the minimum stack degradation is possible with this fuel processor. This fuel-cell 'engine' is to be installed in a hybrid passenger vehicle for road testing.

Improvement on performance and efficiency of direct methanol fuel cells using hydrocarbon-based membrane electrode assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joon-Hee; Yang, Min-Jee; Park, Jun-Young

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Faradaic efficiency and water transfer coefficient (WTC) of DMFC MEAs are calculated based on mass balance measurements. • Faradaic efficiency of the HC-based MEAs is generally improved over the Nafion-based MEAs. • Nafion-based MEAs show a WTC of 3, whereas the HC-based MEAs show a very low WTC of -2. • Low WTC of the HC-based MEAs indicates the back-diffusion of water from the cathode to the anode. • Performance of HC-based MEAs is improved as the fuel stoichiometry increases, maintaining high Faradaic efficiency. - Abstract: In order to improve the energy efficiency (fuel efficiency and electrical power) of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), the hydrocarbon (HC) membrane-based membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are investigated under various operating conditions. The MEAs are then compared with the conventional Nafion-based MEA in terms of their efficiency and performance. The Faradaic efficiency and water transfer coefficient (WTC) are calculated based on mass balance measurements. The Faradaic efficiency of the HC-based MEAs is improved over the Nafion-based MEAs since methanol crossover decreased. The performance of HC-based MEAs shows strong dependency on the anode stoichiometry at high current densities probably because of the limited mass transport of fuel, which is not observed for the Nafion-based MEAs. The Nafion-based MEAs show a WTC of 3, whereas the HC-based MEAs show a very low WTC of −2, indicating the back-diffusion of water from the cathode to the anode. This may have limited mass transport by interrupting proton conduction at high current densities. The performance of HC-based MEAs at high current densities is improved as the fuel stoichiometry increases; High Faradaic efficiency is maintained by decreasing the cathode stoichiometry

Passively operated vapor-fed direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eccarius, Steffen; Krause, Falko; Agert, Carsten [Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Department of Energy Systems, Heidenhofstrasse 2, 79110 Freiburg (Germany); Beard, Kevin [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia (United States)

2008-08-01

The impact of structural parameters and operating conditions has not been researched yet for vapor-fed operation of a DMFC at near-ambient conditions. Thus, a detailed parameter study that included reference cell measurements to assess anode and cathode losses separately was performed. Among other parameters like temperature or air stoichiometry, different opening ratios that controlled evaporation of methanol into the vapor chamber were examined. Water management was found to be a critical parameter for a vapor-fed DMFC. Depletion of water inside the anode catalyst layer, especially at higher current densities, decreased performance of the fuel cell substantially. Back diffusion of water from the cathode to the anode was examined. A micro-structured cathode electrode that increased water back diffusion due to a reduced mass transfer resistance was developed and investigated. Finally, efficiencies and heat losses of a vapor-fed DMFC were determined. (author)

A Review on the Fabrication of Electro spun Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junoh, H.; Jaafar, J.; Norddin, M.N.A.M.; Ismail, A.F.; Othman, M.H.D.; Rahman, M.A.; Yusof, N.; Salleh, W.N.W.; Junoh, H.; Jaafar, J.; Norddin, M.N.A.M.; Ismail, A.F.; Othman, M.H.D.; Rahman, M.A.; Yusof, N.; Salleh, W.N.W.; Hamid Ilbeygi, H.

2014-01-01

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) is an electrolyte which behaves as important indicator for fuel cell’s performance. Research and development (R and D) on fabrication of desirable PEM have burgeoned year by year, especially for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). However, most of the R and Ds only focus on the parent polymer electrolyte rather than polymer inorganic composites. This might be due to the difficulties faced in producing good dispersion of inorganic filler within the polymer matrix, which would consequently reduce the DMFC’s performance. Electro spinning is a promising technique to cater for this arising problem owing to its more widespread dispersion of inorganic filler within the polymer matrix, which can reduce the size of the filler up to nano scale. There has been a huge development on fabricating electrolyte nano composite membrane, regardless of the effect of electro spun nano composite membrane on the fuel cell’s performance. In this present paper, issues regarding the R and D on electro spun sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/inorganic nano composite fiber are addressed.

Graphene-cobaltite-Pd hybrid materials for use as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Chandra Shekhar; Awasthi, Rahul; Singh, Ravindra Nath; Sinha, Akhoury Sudhir Kumar

2013-12-14

Hybrid materials comprising of Pd, MCo2O4 (where M = Mn, Co or Ni) and graphene have been prepared for use as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells. Structural and electrochemical characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chronoamperometry and cyclic, CO stripping, and linear sweep voltammetries. The study revealed that all the three hybrid materials are active for both methanol oxidation (MOR) and oxygen reduction (ORR) reactions in 1 M KOH. However, the Pd-MnCo2O4/GNS hybrid electrode exhibited the greatest MOR and ORR activities. This active hybrid electrode has also outstanding stability under both MOR and ORR conditions, while Pt- and other Pd-based catalysts undergo degradation under similar experimental conditions. The Pd-MnCo2O4/GNS hybrid catalyst exhibited superior ORR activity and stability compared to even Pt in alkaline solutions.

Hydrogen production by steam reforming methanol for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amphlett, J.C.; Creber, K.A.M.; Davis, J.M.; Mann, R.F.; Peppley, B.A.; Stokes, D.M.

1993-01-01

Catalytic steam reforming of methanol has been studied as a means of generating hydrogen for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. A semi-empirical model of the kinetics of the catalytic steam reforming of methanol over Cu O/Zn O/Al 2 O 3 catalyst has been developed. This model is able to predict the performance of the reformer with respect to the various parameters important in developing an integrated reformer-polymer fuel cell system. A set of sample calculations of reformer temperature and CO production are given. The impact of the performance of the reformer catalyst on the design of the overall fuel cell power system is discussed. The selectivity of the catalyst to minimize CO content in the fuel gas is shown to be more critical than was previously believed. 4 figs., 4 tabs., 11 refs

Hydroxide Self-Feeding High-Temperature Alkaline Direct Formate Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinshi; Sun, Xianda; Feng, Ying

2017-05-22

Conventionally, both the thermal degradation of the anion-exchange membrane and the requirement of additional hydroxide for fuel oxidation reaction hinder the development of the high-temperature alkaline direct liquid fuel cells. The present work addresses these two issues by reporting a polybenzimidazole-membrane-based direct formate fuel cell (DFFC). Theoretically, the cell voltage of the high-temperature alkaline DFFC can be as high as 1.45 V at 90 °C. It has been demonstrated that a proof-of-concept alkaline DFFC without adding additional hydroxide yields a peak power density of 20.9 mW cm -2 , an order of magnitude higher than both alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells and alkaline direct methanol fuel cells, mainly because the hydrolysis of formate provides enough OH - ions for formate oxidation reaction. It was also found that this hydroxide self-feeding high-temperature alkaline DFFC shows a stable 100 min constant-current discharge at 90 °C, proving the conceptual feasibility. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

One-Pot and Facile Fabrication of Hierarchical Branched Pt-Cu Nanoparticles as Excellent Electrocatalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yanqin; Yang, Yong; Shan, Yufeng; Huang, Zhengren

2016-03-09

Hierarchical branched nanoparticles are one promising nanostructure with three-dimensional open porous structure composed of integrated branches for superior catalysis. We have successfully synthesized Pt-Cu hierarchical branched nanoparticles (HBNDs) with small size of about 30 nm and composed of integrated ultrathin branches by using a modified polyol process with introduction of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and HCl. This strategy is expected to be a general strategy to prepare various metallic nanostructures for catalysis. Because of the special open porous structure, the as-prepared Pt-Cu HBNDs exhibit greatly enhanced specific activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction as much as 2.5 and 1.7 times compared with that of the commercial Pt-Ru and Pt-Ru/C catalysts, respectively. Therefore, they are potentially applicable as electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Self-Healing Proton-Exchange Membranes Composed of Nafion-Poly(vinyl alcohol) Complexes for Durable Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yixuan; Liang, Liang; Liu, Changpeng; Li, Yang; Xing, Wei; Sun, Junqi

2018-04-30

Proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) that can heal mechanical damage to restore original functions are important for the fabrication of durable and reliable direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The fabrication of healable PEMs that exhibit satisfactory mechanical stability, enhanced proton conductivity, and suppressed methanol permeability via hydrogen-bonding complexation between Nafion and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) followed by postmodification with 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (CBA) molecules is presented. Compared with pure Nafion, the CBA/Nafion-PVA membranes exhibit enhanced mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of ≈20.3 MPa and strain of ≈380%. The CBA/Nafion-PVA membrane shows a proton conductivity of 0.11 S cm -1 at 80 °C, which is 1.2-fold higher than that of a Nafion membrane. The incorporated PVA gives the CBA/Nafion-PVA membranes excellent proton conductivity and methanol resistance. The resulting CBA/Nafion-PVA membranes are capable of healing mechanical damage of several tens of micrometers in size and restoring their original proton conductivity and methanol resistance under the working conditions of DMFCs. The healing property originates from the reversibility of hydrogen-bonding interactions between Nafion and CBA-modified PVA and the high chain mobility of Nafion and CBA-modified PVA. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly effective and CO-tolerant PtRu electrocatalysts supported on poly(ethyleneimine) functionalized carbon nanotubes for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yi; Jiang, San Ping

2013-01-01

A highly efficient and CO tolerant PtRu electrocatalysts supported on amino-rich, cationic poly(ethyleneimine) polyelectrolyte functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PtRu/PEI-MWCNTs) has been developed. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms, CO stripping, chronoamperometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The PtRu particles with average size ∼2.5 nm are well dispersed on PEI-MWCNTs. The peak current for the methanol oxidation reaction on 40% PtRu/PEI-MWCNTs is 636mAmg Pt −1 , 5.7 times higher than 112mA mg Pt −1 measured on the 40% PtRu supported on acid treated MWCNTs (PtRu/AO-MWCNTs) under identical conditions. PtRu/PEI-MWCNTs catalysts exhibit a superior electrocatalytic activity and stability for the methanol oxidation reaction due to its high tolerance toward CO poisoning as compared with PtRu/AO-MWCNTs for direct methanol fuel cells

Highly stable ionic-covalent cross-linked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) for direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Linfeng; Zhu, Xingye; Xu, Jianfeng; Qian, Huidong; Zou, Zhiqing; Yang, Hui

2017-05-01

A novel ionic cross-linked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) containing equal content of sulfonic acid and pendant tertiary amine groups (TA-SPEEK) has been initially synthesized for the application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). By adjusting the ratio of p-xylene dibromide to tertiary amine groups of TA-SPEEK, a series of ionic-covalent cross-linked membranes (C-SPEEK-x) with tunable degree of cross-linking are prepared. Compared with the pristine membrane, the ionic and ionic-covalent cross-linked proton exchange membranes (PEMs) exhibit reduced methanol permeability and improved mechanical properties, dimensional and oxidative stability. The proton conductivity and methanol selectivity of protonated TA-SPEEK and C-SPEEK-x at 25 °C is up to 0.109 S cm-1 and 3.88 × 105 S s cm-3, respectively, which are higher than that of Nafion 115. The DMFC incorporating C-SPEEK-25 exhibits a maximum power density as high as 35.3 mW cm-2 with 4 M MeOH at 25 °C (31.8 mW cm-2 for Nafion 115). Due to the highly oxidative stability of the membrane, no obvious performance degradation of the DMFC is observed after more than 400 h operation, indicating such cost-effective ionic-covalent cross-linked membranes have substantial potential as alternative PEMs for DMFC applications.

Study on the water flooding in the cathode of direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Hun Suk; Kim, Sang-Kyung; Lim, Seongyop; Peck, Dong-Hyun; Jung, Doohwan; Hong, Won Hi

2011-07-01

Water flooding phenomena in the cathode of direct methanol fuel cells were analyzed by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Two kinds of commercial gas diffusion layers with different PTFE contents of 5 wt% (GDL A5) and 20 wt% (GDL B20) were used to investigate the water flooding under various operating conditions. Water flooding was divided into two types: catalyst flooding and backing flooding. The cathode impedance spectra of each gas diffusion layer was obtained and compared under the same conditions. The diameter of the capacitive semicircle became larger with increasing current density for both, and this increase was greater for GDL B20 than GDL A5. Catalyst flooding is dominant and backing flooding is negligible when the air flow rate is high and current density is low. An equivalent model was suggested and fitted to the experimental data. Parameters for catalyst flooding and backing flooding were individually obtained. The capacitance of the catalyst layer decreases as the air flow rate decreases when the catalyst flooding is dominant.

Advanced system analysis for indirect methanol fuel cell power plants for transportation applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanderborgh, N.E.; McFarland, R.D.; Huff, J.R.

1990-01-01

The indirect methanol cell fuel concept being actively pursued by the United States Department of Energy and General Motors Corporation is based on electrochemical engine (e.c.e.) an electrical generator capable for usually efficient and clean power production from methanol fuel for the transportation sector. This on-board generator works in consort with batteries to provide electric power to drive propulsion motors for a range of electric vehicles. Success in this technology could do much to improve impacted environmental areas and to convert part of the transportation fleet to natural gas- and coal-derived methanol as the fuel source. These developments parallel work in Europe and Japan where various fuel cell powered vehicles, often fueled with tanked or hydride hydrogen are under active development. This paper describes status of each of these components, and describe a model that predicts the steady state performance of the e.c.e

Palladium-Based Catalysts as Electrodes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: A Last Ten Years Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Calderón Gómez

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Platinum-based materials are accepted as the suitable electrocatalysts for anodes and cathodes in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs. Nonetheless, the increased demand and scarce world reserves of Pt, as well as some technical problems associated with its use, have motivated a wide research focused to design Pd-based catalysts, considering the similar properties between this metal and Pt. In this review, we present the most recent advancements about Pd-based catalysts, considering Pd, Pd alloys with different transition metals and non-carbon supported nanoparticles, as possible electrodes in DMFCs. In the case of the anode, different reported works have highlighted the capacity of these new materials for overcoming the CO poisoning and promote the oxidation of other intermediates generated during the methanol oxidation. Regarding the cathode, the studies have showed more positive onset potentials, as fundamental parameter for determining the mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR and thus, making them able for achieving high efficiencies, with less production of hydrogen peroxide as collateral product. This revision suggests that it is possible to replace the conventional Pt catalysts by Pd-based materials, although several efforts must be made in order to improve their performance in DMFCs.

Influencing parameters of water and methanol transport in a big direct methanol fuel cell; Einflussgroessen auf den Wasser- und Methanoltransport einer groesseren Direkt-Methanol Brennstoffzelle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schonert, Morten

2008-07-01

The author investigated the influencing parameters of water and methanol transport in a big direct methanol fuel cell (Pel > 1 kW) with the intention of making the direct methanol fuel cell system water-autonomous. As water is consumed during the electrochemical reaction on the anode while more water is produced on the cathode, the difference must be removed via the air. Any further water produced on the cathode must be condensed and recirculated to the anode. With increasing ambient temperature, the air volume flow must be reduced because otherwise more water would be removed than is acceptable. Low air volume flow on the cathode causes unstable cell voltage, which is also assumed to be caused by excess water production. For this reason, an attempt was made to prevent excess water production on the cathode by a system engineering approach. It was found that at the low air volume flow required for water autonomy, water permeation through the membrane-electrode aggregate (MEA) depends on the uptake capacity and on the time of residue of air over the cathode and less on the cathode material. Water permeation stops when the concentration gradient is balanced. Apart from the water permeation, there is also water transport through the Nafion {sup registered} membrane, i.e. so-called electroosmotic drag (ESD). This is an active transport mechanism that can also work against a concentration gradient. It could be shown that the EOD can be reduced by using water-impermeable materials for the gas diffusion layer on the anode. This will reduce the water volume that reaches the membrane, i.e. the water on the cathode. On the other hand, there was no measurable effect of the cathode design on water or methanol transport. The electrochemical performance of the membrane-electrode units under investigation was robust in case of many influencing parameters, e.g. dispersion, the conditions of MEA fabrication by hot pressing, themembrane thickness and the rate of methanol permeation

Purifier-integrated methanol reformer for fuel cell vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jaesung; Kim, Il-soo; Choi, Keun-Sup

We developed a compact, 3-kW, purifier-integrated modular reformer which becomes the building block of full-scale 30-kW or 50-kW methanol fuel processors for fuel cell vehicles. Our proprietary technologies regarding hydrogen purification by composite metal membrane and catalytic combustion by washcoated wire-mesh catalyst were combined with the conventional methanol steam-reforming technology, resulting in higher conversion, excellent quality of product hydrogen, and better thermal efficiency than any other systems using preferential oxidation. In this system, steam reforming, hydrogen purification, and catalytic combustion all take place in a single reactor so that the whole system is compact and easy to operate. Hydrogen from the module is ultrahigh pure (99.9999% or better), hence there is no power degradation of PEMFC stack due to contamination by CO. Also, since only pure hydrogen is supplied to the anode of the PEMFC stack, 100% hydrogen utilization is possible in the stack. The module produces 2.3 Nm 3/h of hydrogen, which is equivalent to 3 kW when PEMFC has 43% efficiency. Thermal efficiency (HHV of product H 2/HHV of MeOH in) of the module is 89% and the power density of the module is 0.77 kW/l. This work was conducted in cooperation with Hyundai Motor Company in the form of a Korean national project. Currently the module is under test with an actual fuel cell stack in order to verify its performance. Sooner or later a full-scale 30-kW system will be constructed by connecting these modules in series and parallel and will serve as the fuel processor for the Korean first fuel cell hybrid vehicle.

Methanol commercial aviation fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.O.

1992-01-01

Southern California's heavy reliance on petroleum-fueled transportation has resulted in significant air pollution problems within the south Coast Air Basin (Basin) which stem directly from this near total dependence on fossil fuels. To deal with this pressing issue, recently enacted state legislation has proposed mandatory introduction of clean alternative fuels into ground transportation fleets operating within this area. The commercial air transportation sector, however, also exerts a significant impact on regional air quality which may exceed emission gains achieved in the ground transportation sector. This paper addresses the potential, through the implementation of methanol as a commercial aviation fuel, to improve regional air quality within the Basin and the need to flight test and demonstrate methanol as an environmentally preferable fuel in aircraft turbine engines

Preparation and properties of hybrid direct methanol fuel cell membranes by embedding organophosphorylated titania submicrospheres into a chitosan polymer matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Hong [Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072 (China); Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Hou, Weiqiang; Wang, Jingtao; Xiao, Lulu; Jiang, Zhongyi [Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2010-07-01

Organophosphorylated titania submicrospheres (OPTi) are prepared and incorporated into a chitosan (CS) matrix to fabricate hybrid membranes with enhanced methanol resistance and proton conductivity for application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The pristine monodispersed titania submicrospheres (TiO{sub 2}) of controllable particle size are synthesized through a modified sol-gel method and then phosphorylated by amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) via chemical adsorption, which is confirmed by XPS, FTIR and TGA. The morphology and thermal property of the hybrid membranes are explored by SEM and TGA. The ionic cross-linking between the -PO{sub 3}H{sub 2} groups on OPTi and the -NH{sub 2} groups on CS lead to better compatibility between the inorganic fillers and the polymer matrix, as well as a decreased fractional free volume (FFV), which is verified by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The effects of particle size and content on the methanol permeability, proton conductivity, swelling and FFV of the membranes are investigated. Compared to pure CS membrane, the hybrid membranes exhibit an increased proton conductivity to an acceptable level of 0.01 S cm{sup -1} for DMFC application and a reduced methanol permeability of 5 x 10{sup -7} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1} at a 2 M methanol feed. (author)

Preparation and properties of hybrid direct methanol fuel cell membranes by embedding organophosphorylated titania submicrospheres into a chitosan polymer matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hong; Hou, Weiqiang; Wang, Jingtao; Xiao, Lulu; Jiang, Zhongyi

Organophosphorylated titania submicrospheres (OPTi) are prepared and incorporated into a chitosan (CS) matrix to fabricate hybrid membranes with enhanced methanol resistance and proton conductivity for application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The pristine monodispersed titania submicrospheres (TiO 2) of controllable particle size are synthesized through a modified sol-gel method and then phosphorylated by amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) via chemical adsorption, which is confirmed by XPS, FTIR and TGA. The morphology and thermal property of the hybrid membranes are explored by SEM and TGA. The ionic cross-linking between the -PO 3H 2 groups on OPTi and the -NH 2 groups on CS lead to better compatibility between the inorganic fillers and the polymer matrix, as well as a decreased fractional free volume (FFV), which is verified by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The effects of particle size and content on the methanol permeability, proton conductivity, swelling and FFV of the membranes are investigated. Compared to pure CS membrane, the hybrid membranes exhibit an increased proton conductivity to an acceptable level of 0.01 S cm -1 for DMFC application and a reduced methanol permeability of 5 × 10 -7 cm 2 s -1 at a 2 M methanol feed.

High-power direct ethylene glycol fuel cell (DEGFC) based on nanoporous proton-conducting membrane (NP-PCM)

Science.gov (United States)

Peled, E.; Livshits, V.; Duvdevani, T.

We recently reported the development of a new nanoporous proton-conducting membrane (NP-PCM) and have applied it in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and in other direct oxidation fuel cells. The use of the NP-PCM in the DMFC offers several advantages over the Nafion-based DMFC including lower membrane cost, lower methanol crossover which leads to a much higher fuel utilization and higher conductivity. In this work, we found that the 90 °C swelling of the NP-PCM is only 5-8% and that the diffusion constant of methanol at 80-130 °C is higher by a factor of 1.5-3 than that of ethylene glycol (EG). The maximum power density of methanol/oxygen and EG/oxygen FCs equipped with a 100 μm thick NP-PCMs is 400 and 300 mW/cm 2 respectively, higher than that for a DMFC based on Nafion 115 (260 mW/cm 2 [Eletrochem. Solid-State Lett. 4 (4) (2001) A31]. This puts the DEGFC in direct competition with both DMFC and indirect methanol FC. Ethylene glycol (EG) is well known in the automobile industry and in contrast to methanol, its distribution infrastructure already exists, thus it is a promising candidate for practical electric vehicles.

Catalytic production of hydrogen from methanol for mobile, stationary and portable fuel-cell power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukyanov, Boris N

2008-01-01

Main catalytic processes for hydrogen production from methanol are considered. Various schemes of fuel processors for hydrogen production in stationary, mobile and portable power plants based on fuel cells are analysed. The attention is focussed on the design of catalytic reactors of fuel processors and on the state-of-the-art in the design of catalysts for methanol conversion, carbon monoxide steam conversion and carbon monoxide selective oxidation. Prospects for the use of methanol in on-board fuel processors are discussed.

High performance methanol-oxygen fuel cell with hollow fiber electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, Daniel D. (Inventor); Ingham, John D. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A methanol/air-oxygen fuel cell including an electrode formed by open-ended ion-exchange hollow fibers having a layer of catalyst deposited on the inner surface thereof and a first current collector in contact with the catalyst layer. A second current collector external of said fibers is provided which is immersed along with the hollow fiber electrode in an aqueous electrolyte body. Upon passage of air or oxygen through the hollow fiber electrode and introduction of methanol into the aqueous electrolyte, a steady current output is obtained. Two embodiments of the fuel cell are disclosed. In the first embodiment the second metal electrode is displaced away from the hollow fiber in the electrolyte body while in the second embodiment a spiral-wrap electrode is provided about the outer surface of the hollow fiber electrode.

Biobutanol as fuel for direct alcohol fuel cells - Investigation of Sn-modified Pt catalyst for butanol electro-oxidation

OpenAIRE

Puthiyapura, Vinod Kumar; Dan J. L. Brett,; Andrea E. Russell,; Wen-Feng Lin,; Hardacre, Chris

2016-01-01

Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) mostly use low molecular weight alcohols such as methanol and ethanol as fuels. However, short-chain alcohol molecules have a relative high membrane crossover rate in DAFCs and a low energy density. Long chain alcohols such as butanol have a higher energy density, as well as a lower membrane crossover rate compared to methanol and ethanol. Although a significant number of studies have been dedicated to low molecular weight alcohols in DAFCs, very few studies ...

Catalyst development and systems analysis of methanol partial oxidation for the fuel processor - fuel cell integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newson, E; Mizsey, P; Hottinger, P; Truong, T B; Roth, F von; Schucan, Th H [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1999-08-01

Methanol partial oxidation (pox) to produce hydrogen for mobile fuel cell applications has proved initially more successful than hydrocarbon pox. Recent results of catalyst screening and kinetic studies with methanol show that hydrogen production rates have reached 7000 litres/hour/(litre reactor volume) for the dry pox route and 12,000 litres/hour/(litre reactor volume) for wet pox. These rates are equivalent to 21 and 35 kW{sub th}/(litre reactor volume) respectively. The reaction engineering problems remain to be solved for dry pox due to the significant exotherm of the reaction (hot spots of 100-200{sup o}C), but wet pox is essentially isothermal in operation. Analyses of the integrated fuel processor - fuel cell systems show that two routes are available to satisfy the sensitivity of the fuel cell catalysts to carbon monoxide, i.e. a preferential oxidation reactor or a membrane separator. Targets for individual system components are evaluated for the base and best case systems for both routes to reach the combined 40% efficiency required for the integrated fuel processor - fuel cell system. (author) 2 figs., 1 tab., 3 refs.

Design and Control of High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Systems using Methanol Reformers with Air or Liquid Heat Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen; Sahlin, Simon Lennart

2013-01-01

The present work describes the ongoing development of high temperature PEM fuel cell systems fuelled by steam reformed methanol. Various fuel cell system solutions exist, they mainly differ depending on the desired fuel used. High temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cells offer the possibility of using...... methanol is converted to a hydrogen rich gas with CO2 trace amounts of CO, the increased operating temperatures allow the fuel cell to tolerate much higher CO concentrations than Nafion-based membranes. The increased tolerance to CO also enables the use of reformer systems with less hydrogen cleaning steps...... liquid fuels such as methanol, due to the increased robustness of operating at higher temperatures (160-180oC). Using liquid fuels such as methanol removes the high volume demands of compressed hydrogen storages, simplifies refueling, and enables the use of existing fuel distribution systems. The liquid...

Bifunctional anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rossmeisl, Jan; Ferrin, Peter; Tritsaris, Georgios

2012-01-01

Using the binding energy of OH* and CO* on close-packed surfaces as reactivity descriptors, we screen bulk and surface alloy catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation activity. Using these two descriptors, we illustrate that a good methanol electro-oxidation catalyst must have three key properties......: (1) the ability to activate methanol, (2) the ability to activate water, and (3) the ability to react off surface intermediates (such as CO* and OH*). Based on this analysis, an alloy catalyst made up of Cu and Pt should have a synergistic effect facilitating the activity towards methanol electro-oxidation....... Adding Cu to a Pt(111) surface increases the methanol oxidation current by more than a factor of three, supporting our theoretical predictions for improved electrocatalysts....

A transient multi-scale model for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahnke, T.; Zago, M.; Casalegno, A.; Bessler, W.G.; Latz, A.

2017-01-01

The DMFC is a promising option for backup power systems and for the power supply of portable devices. However, from the modeling point of view liquid-feed DMFC are challenging systems due to the complex electrochemistry, the inherent two-phase transport and the effect of methanol crossover. In this paper we present a physical 1D cell model to describe the relevant processes for DMFC performance ranging from electrochemistry on the surface of the catalyst up to transport on the cell level. A two-phase flow model is implemented describing the transport in gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer at the anode side. Electrochemistry is described by elementary steps for the reactions occurring at anode and cathode, including adsorbed intermediate species on the platinum and ruthenium surfaces. Furthermore, a detailed membrane model including methanol crossover is employed. The model is validated using polarization curves, methanol crossover measurements and impedance spectra. It permits to analyze both steady-state and transient behavior with a high level of predictive capabilities. Steady-state simulations are used to investigate the open circuit voltage as well as the overpotentials of anode, cathode and electrolyte. Finally, the transient behavior after current interruption is studied in detail.

A novel membrane-less direct alcohol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Qingfeng; Chen, Qinghua; Yang, Zheng

2015-12-01

Membrane-less fuel cell possesses such advantages as simplified design and lower cost. In this paper, a membrane-less direct alcohol fuel cell is constructed by using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) supported Pd and ternary PdSnNi composites as the anode catalysts and Fe/C-PANI composite, produced by direct pyrolysis of Fe-doped polyaniline precursor, as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst. The alcohols investigated in the present study are methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol and sec-butanol. The cathode catalyst Fe/C-PANI is electrochemically inactive to oxidation of the alcohols. The performance of the cell with various alcohols in 1 mol L-1 NaOH solution on either Pd/MWCNT or PdSnNi/MWCNT catalyst has been evaluated. In any case, the performance of the cell using the anode catalyst PdSnNi/MWCNT is considerably better than Pd/MWCNT. For the PdSnNi/MWCNT, the maximum power densities of the cell using methanol (0.5 mol L-1), ethanol (0.5 mol L-1), n-propanol (0.5 mol L-1), iso-propanol (0.5 mol L-1), n-butanol (0.2 mol L-1), iso-butanol (0.2 mol L-1) and sec-butanol (0.2 mol L-1) are 0.34, 1.03, 1.07, 0.44, 0.50, 0.31 and 0.15 mW cm-2, respectively.

Quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol)/alumina composite polymer membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chun-Chen; Chiu, Shwu-Jer; Chien, Wen-Chen; Chiu, Sheng-Shin

The quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol)/alumina (designated as QPVA/Al 2O 3) nanocomposite polymer membrane was prepared by a solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membranes were investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and AC impedance method. Alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) comprised of the QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membrane were assembled and examined. Experimental results indicate that the DMFC employing a cheap non-perfluorinated (QPVA/Al 2O 3) nanocomposite polymer membrane shows excellent electrochemical performances. The peak power densities of the DMFC with 4 M KOH + 1 M CH 3OH, 2 M CH 3OH, and 4 M CH 3OH solutions are 28.33, 32.40, and 36.15 mW cm -2, respectively, at room temperature and in ambient air. The QPVA/Al 2O 3 nanocomposite polymer membranes constitute a viable candidate for applications on alkaline DMFC.

Nanostructured Carbon Materials as Supports in the Preparation of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Jesús Lázaro

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Different advanced nanostructured carbon materials, such as carbon nanocoils, carbon nanofibers, graphitized ordered mesoporous carbons and carbon xerogels, presenting interesting features such as high electrical conductivity and extensively developed porous structure were synthesized and used as supports in the preparation of electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs. The main advantage of these supports is that their physical properties and surface chemistry can be tailored to adapt the carbonaceous material to the catalytic requirements. Moreover, all of them present a highly mesoporous structure, diminishing diffusion problems, and both graphitic character and surface area can be conveniently modified. In the present work, the influence of the particular features of each material on the catalytic activity and stability was analyzed. Results have been compared with those obtained for commercial catalysts supported on Vulcan XC-72R, Pt/C and PtRu/C (ETEK. Both a highly ordered graphitic and mesopore-enriched structure of these advanced nanostructured materials resulted in an improved electrochemical performance in comparison to the commercial catalysts assayed, both towards CO and alcohol oxidation.

Desenvolvimento de conjunto membrana-eletrodos para célula a combustível de metanol direto passiva Development of membrane electrode assembly for passive direct methanol fuel cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eli Carlos Lisboa Ferreira

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs without external pumps or other ancillary devices for fuel and oxidant supply are known as passive DMFCs and are potential candidates to replace lithium-ion batteries in powering portable electronic devices. This paper presents the results obtained from a membrane electrode assembly (MEA specifically designed for passive DMFCs. Appropriated electrocatalysts were prepared and the effect of their loadings was investigated. Two types of gas diffusion layers (GDL were also tested. The influence of the methanol concentration was analyzed in each case. The best MEA performance presented a maximum power density of 11.94 mW cm-2.

Ruthenium cluster-like chalcogenide as a methanol tolerant cathode catalyst in air-breathing laminar flow fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whipple, Devin T.; Jayashree, Ranga S.; Egas, Daniela; Alonso-Vante, Nicolas; Kenis, Paul J.A.

2009-01-01

This paper reports the incorporation of a cluster-like Ru x Se y as a methanol tolerant cathode catalyst in a laminar flow fuel cell. The effect on cell performance of several concentrations of methanol in the cathode stream was investigated for the Ru x Se y catalyst and compared to a conventional platinum catalyst. While the Pt catalyst exhibited up to ∼80% drop in power density, the Ru x Se y catalyst showed no decrease in performance when the cathode was exposed to methanol. At several methanol concentrations the Ru x Se y catalyst performed better than the Pt catalyst. This demonstration of a methanol tolerant catalyst in a laminar flow fuel cell opens up the way for further miniaturization of the cell design and simplification of its operation as the need for an electrolyte stream to prevent fuel crossover has been eliminated.

Control and experimental characterization of a methanol reformer for a 350 W high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen; Sahlin, Simon Lennart

2013-01-01

is the water and methanol mixture fuel flow and the burner fuel/air ratio and combined flow. An experimental setup is presented capable of testing the methanol reformer used in the Serenergy H3 350 Mobile Battery Charger; a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HTPEM) fuel cell system......This work presents a control strategy for controlling the methanol reformer temperature of a 350 W high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system, by using a cascade control structure for reliable system operation. The primary states affecting the methanol catalyst bed temperature....... The experimental system consists of a fuel evaporator utilizing the high temperature waste gas from the cathode air cooled 45 cell HTPEM fuel cell stack. The fuel cells used are BASF P1000 MEAs which use phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole membranes. The resulting reformate gas output of the reformer system...

An in-situ nano-scale swelling-filling strategy to improve overall performance of Nafion membrane for direct methanol fuel cell application

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Fan, Kun; Cai, Weiwei; Ma, Liying; Xu, Guoxiao; Xu, Sen; Ma, Liang; Cheng, Hansong

2016-11-01

A novel in-situ nano-scale swelling-filling (SF) strategy is proposed to modify commercial Nafion membranes for performance enhancement of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A Nafion membrane was filled in-situ with proton conductive macromolecules (PCMs) in the swelling process of a Nafion membrane in a PCM solution. As a result, both proton conductivity and methanol-permeation resistivity of the SF-treated Naifion membrane was substantially improved with the selectivity nearly doubled compared to the original Nafion membrane. The mechanical strength of the optimal SF treated Nafion membrane was also enforced due to the strong interaction between the PCM fillers and the Nafion molecular chains. As a result, a DMFC equipped with the SF-treated membrane yielded a 33% higher maximum power density than that offered by the DMFC with the original Nafion membrane.

Formaldehyde, methanol and hydrocarbon emissions from methanol-fueled cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.L.; Lipari, F.; Potter, R.A.

1990-01-01

Exhaust and evaporative emissions tests were conducted on several methanol- and gasoline-fueled vehicles. Separate samples for chromatographic analysis of formaldehyde, methanol, and individual hydrocarbons were collected in each of the three phases of the driving cycle and in each of the two portions of the evaporative emissions test. One vehicle, equipped with an experimental variable-fuel engine, was tested using methanol/gasoline fuel mixtures of 100, 85, 50, 15, and 0 percent methanol. Combustion-generated hydrocarbons were lowest using methanol fuel, and increased several-fold as the gasoline fraction was increased. Gasoline components in the exhaust increased from zero as the gasoline fraction of the fuel was increased. On the other hand, formaldehyde emissions were several times higher using methanol fuel than they were using gasoline. A dedicated methanol car and the variable-fuel car gave similar emissions patterns when they both were tested using methanol fuel. The organic-carbon composition of the exhaust was 85-90 percent methanol, 5-7 percent formaldehyde, and 3-9 percent hydrocarbons. Several cars that were tested using gasoline emitted similar distributions of hydrocarbons, even through the vehicles represented a broad range of current and developmental engine families and emissions control systems

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes/carbon fiber paper composite to support Pt nanoparticles for direct methanol fuel cell application

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Yi, Xi-bin; Liu, Shuo; Fan, Hui-Li; Ju, Wei; Wang, Qi-Chun; Ma, Jie

2017-03-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) grown on carbon fiber paper (CFP) by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is introduced as a catalyst support material for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Well dispersed Pt nanoparticles on VACNTs surface are prepared by impregnation-reduction method. The VACNTs on CFP possess well-maintained alignment, large surface area and good electrical conductivity, which leading to the formation of Pt particles with a smaller size and enhance the Pt utilization rate. The structure and nature of resulting Pt/VACNTs/CFP catalysts for methanol oxidation are investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). With the aid of VACNTs, well-dispersed Pt catalysts enable the reversibly rapid redox kinetic since electron transport efficiently passes through a one-dimensional pathway, which leads to enhance the catalytic activity and Pt utilization rate. Compared with the Pt/XC-72/CFP electrode, the electrochemical measurements results display that the Pt/VACNTs/CFP catalyst shows much higher electrocatalytic activity and better stability for methanol oxidation. In addition, the oxidation current from 200 to 1200 s decayed more slowly for the Pt/VACNTs/CFP than that of the Pt/XC-72/CFP catalysts, indicating less accumulation of adsorbed CO species. All those results imply that the Pt/VACNTs/CFP has a great potential for applications in DMFCs.

Ru-decorated Pt nanoparticles on N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes by atomic layer deposition for direct methanol fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Anne-Charlotte Elisabeth Birgitta; Yang, R.B.; Haugshøj, K.B.

2013-01-01

We present atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a new method for the preparation of highly dispersed Ru-decorated Pt nanoparticles for use as catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The nanoparticles were deposited onto N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at 250 °C using trimethyl......(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum MeCpPtMe3, bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium Ru(EtCp)2 and O2 as the precursors. Catalysts with 5, 10 and 20 ALD Ru cycles grown onto the CNT-supported ALD Pt nanoparticles (150 cycles) were prepared and tested towards the electro-oxidation of CO and methanol, using cyclic voltammetry...... and chronoamperometry in a three-electrode electrochemical set-up. The catalyst decorated with 5 ALD Ru cycles was of highest activity in both reactions, followed by the ones with 10 and 20 ALD Ru cycles. It is demonstrated that ALD is a promising technique in the field of catalysis as highly dispersed nanoparticles...

Electronic modification of Pt via Ti and Se as tolerant cathodes in air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jiwei; Habrioux, Aurélien; Morais, Cláudia; Alonso-Vante, Nicolas

2014-07-21

We reported herein on the use of tolerant cathode catalysts such as carbon supported Pt(x)Ti(y) and/or Pt(x)Se(y) nanomaterials in an air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cell. In order to show the improvement of mixed-reactant fuel cell (MRFC) performances obtained with the developed tolerant catalysts, a classical Pt/C nanomaterial was used for comparison. Using 5 M methanol concentration in a situation where the fuel crossover is 100% (MRFC-mixed reactant fuel cell application), the maximum power density of the fuel cell with a Pt/C cathodic catalyst decreased by 80% in comparison with what is observed in the laminar flow fuel cell (LFFC) configuration. With Pt(x)Ti(y)/C and Pt(x)Se(y)/C cathode nanomaterials, the performance loss was only 55% and 20%, respectively. The evaluation of the tolerant cathode catalysts in an air-breathing microfluidic fuel cell suggests the development of a novel nanometric system that will not be size restricted. These interesting results are the consequence of the high methanol tolerance of these advanced electrocatalysts via surface electronic modification of Pt. Herein we used X-ray photoelectron and in situ FTIR spectroscopies to investigate the origin of the high methanol tolerance on modified Pt catalysts.

Investigation of methanol oxidation on a highly active and stable Pt–Sn electrocatalyst supported on carbon–polyaniline composite for application in a passive direct methanol fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amani, Mitra [Department of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kazemeini, Mohammad [Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hamedanian, Mahboobeh [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pahlavanzadeh, Hassan [Department of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Gharibi, Hussein, E-mail: h.gharibi@utah.edu [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Material Science & Engineering, 122 S Campus Drive, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • PtSn/C-PANI performed superior in the MOR compared with a commercial PtRu/C. • Catalytic activity of PtRu/C was highly reduced during the accelerated durability test. • Anode of the PtSn/C-PANI in a passive DMFC lowered methanol crossover by 30%. - Abstract: Polyaniline fiber (PANI) was synthesized and utilized to fabricate a vulcan–polyaniline (C-PANI) composite. Pt/C-PANI and PtSn/C-PANI electro-catalysts with different Pt:Sn atomic ratios were prepared by the impregnation method. These electro-catalysts, along with commercial PtRu/C (Electrochem), were characterized with respect to their structural and electrochemical properties in methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). PtSn(70:30)/C-PANI showed excellent performance in MOR, the obtained maximum current density being about 40% and 50% higher than that for PtRu/C and Pt/C-PANI, respectively. It was also found that the CO tolerance and stability of PtSn(70:30)/C-PANI was considerably higher than that of PtRu/C. Finally, the performance of these two materials was compared in a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The DMFC test results demonstrated that the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared using PtSn(70:30)/C-PANI anode catalyst performed more satisfactorily in terms of maximum power density and lower methanol crossover.

Enhanced activity and durability of platinum anode catalyst by the modification of cobalt phosphide for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiang; Wang, Hongjuan; Yu, Hao; Liu, Ziwu; Wang, Haihui; Peng, Feng

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: A novel Pt/CoP/CNTs electrocatalyst with has been designed and prepared, which exhibits high activity and stability for methanol oxidation reaction. - Highlights: • Pt-cobalt phosphide catalyst supported on carbon nanotubes (Pt/CoP/CNTs) is designed. • Pt/CoP/CNTs exhibit high activity and stability for methanol oxidation reaction(MOR). • The effect of CoP content on electrocatalytic performances for MOR is studied. • CoP decreases the Pt particle size and increases the electrochemical surface areas. • The interaction between Pt and CoP is evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. - Abstract: In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported Pt-cobalt phosphide (CoP) electrocatalyst (Pt/CoP/CNTs) is designed and prepared for methanol oxidation (MOR) for the first time. The modification of CoP decreases the Pt particle size significantly and increases the electrochemical surface areas due to the interaction between Pt and CoP, which is evidenced by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Among all these catalysts, Pt/4%CoP/CNTs catalyst exhibits the best MOR activity of 1600 mA mg −1 Pt , which is six times that of Pt/CNTs. Moreover, this catalyst also exhibits the higher onset current density and steady current density than the other Pt-based catalysts. The work provides a promising method to develop the highly active and stable Pt-based catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

Design and fabrication of light weight current collectors for direct methanol fuel cells using the micro-electro mechanical system technique

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Min-Feng; Kuan, Yean-Der; Chen, Bing-Xian; Lee, Shi-Min

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is suitable for portable applications. Therefore, a light weight and small size is desirable. The main objective of this paper is to design and fabricate a light weight current collector for DMFC usage. The light weight current collector mainly consists of a substrate with two thin film metal layers. The substrate of the current collector is an FR4 epoxy plate. The thin film metal layers are accomplished by the thermo coater technique to coat metal powders onto the substrate surfaces. The developed light weight current collectors are further assembled to a single cell DMFC test fixture to measure the cell performance. The results show that the proposed current collectors could even be applied to DMFCs because they are light, thin and low cost and have potential for mass production.

Electrocatalysis and kinetics of the direct alcohol fuel cells. DEMS and ac voltammetry studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othman Mostafa, Ehab Mostafa

2013-01-11

For the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operating at low temperature, the main problem that arises at the anode is its poisoning (deactivation) due to the accumulation of the fuel adsorption product (CO{sub ad}) which can only be oxidized at high potentials (> 0.7 V). For low temperature direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), the main problem that arises at the anode, beside its poisoning by ethanol adsorption products (CO{sub ad} and CH{sub x,ad}), is the incomplete ethanol oxidation due to the difficulty of (C-C) bond breaking. In the previous types of fuel cells, a sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics was observed at the cathode which results in a large voltage drop. Such behavior is due to strong inhibition of the cathodic ORR, resulting in high overpotentials and therefore, significant deterioration in the energy conversion efficiency of the cell. The slow kinetic behavior stems from the difficulty of (O=O) bond breaking. In order to model the conditions of continuous oxidation/reduction in a fuel cell, the continuous mass transfer to the electrode surface is necessary. Therefore, mass spectrometry and AC voltammetry measurements presented here were done using the thin layer flow through cell. This thesis aims at a determination of the rate constant of single reaction steps during the oxidation of CO, methanol and ethanol at different platinum surfaces. Towards that aim, I investigated the electrocatalytic oxidation and adsorption rate of methanol (chapter 3) and the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol (chapter 4) at different Pt surfaces, using DEMS. In chapter 5, the potential dependence of the bulk and adsorbed methanol oxidation reaction rate (presented by the apparent transfer coefficient, {alpha}') and the corresponding Tafel slope of the reaction have been determined under convection conditions using a potential modulation ac voltammetry technique. Finally, as an application of the method presented in chapter 5, my work in chapter 6

Development and characterization of a novel air-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell stack for portable applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xiaowei; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Yufeng; He, Hong; Li, Jianmin; Wang, Shibo; Yuan, Zhenyu; Deng, Huichao

2010-01-01

An air-breathing 10-cell micro direct methanol fuel cell (µDMFC) stack with four anode feeding patterns is designed, fabricated and tested. For a better understanding of the operational characteristics of both the single cell and the stack, a two-dimensional numerical model is established and calculated. Employing micro-stamping technology, the current collectors of each single cell are microfabricated on the stainless steel plate with a thickness of 300 µm. The single µDMFC is first tested under various operating parameters. On the basis of the simulation and experimental observation of the single cell performance, the µDMFC stack performance is thoroughly analyzed with different anode feeding patterns. The results indicate that the µDMFC stack with pattern B can ensure the uniform performance of each single cell and generate the highest power output. With pattern B, further experiments are carried out to investigate the influence of the anode flow rate on the stack performance. As a result, the µDMFC stack achieves the best performance with the maximum power density of about 24.75 mW cm −2 at 5.0 ml min −1 . Finally, the stack is successfully applied to two electronic devices of different rated power

Methanol fuel update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colledge, R.; Spacek, J.

1992-01-01

An overview is presented of methanol fuel developments, with particular reference to infrastructure, supply and marketing. Methanol offers reduced emissions, easy handling, is cost effective, can be produced from natural gas, coal, wood, or municipal waste, is a high performance fuel, is safer than gasoline, and contributes to energy security. Methanol supply, environmental benefits, safety/health issues, economics, passenger car economics, status of passenger car technology, buses, methanol and the prosperity initiative, challenges to implementation, and the role of government and original equipment manufacturers are discussed. Governments must assist in the provision of methanol refuelling infrastructure, and in providing an encouraging regulatory atmosphere. Discriminatory and inequitable taxing methods must be addressed, and an air quality agenda must be defined to allow the alternative fuel industry to respond in a timely manner

Experimental Evaluation of a Pt-based Heat Exchanger Methanol Reformer for a HTPEM Fuel Cell Stack

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen; Nielsen, Mads Pagh

2008-01-01

and automotive applications. Using a liquid hydrocarbon as e.g. methanol as the hydrogen carrier and reforming it to a hydrogen rich gas can solve some of these storage issues. The work presented here examines the use of a heat exchanger methanol reformer for use with a HTPEM fuel cell stack. Initial......Fuel cell systems running on pure hydrogen can efficiently produce electricity and heat for various applications, stationary and mobile. Storage volume can be problematic for stationary fuel cell systems with high run-time demands, but it is especially a challenge when dealing with mobile...

An Investigation of Palladium Oxygen Reduction Catalysts for the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. F. Álvarez

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A comparative study of Pd and Pt was carried out in DMFC using different methanol concentrations and under different operating conditions. Cell performance was compared at methanol concentrations of 1, 3, 5, and 7 M and at temperatures of 20, 40, and 60°C. Homemade Pd nanoparticles were prepared on Vulcan XC-72R using ethylene glycol as the reducing agent at pH 11. The resulting catalyst, Pd/C, with metal nanoparticles of approximately 6 nm diameter, was tested as a cathode catalyst in DMFC. At methanol concentrations of 5 M and higher, the Pd cathode-based cell performed better than that with Pt at 60°C with air.

Preparation of Carbon-Platinum-Ceria and Carbon-Platinum-Cerium catalysts and its application in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell: Hydrogen, Methanol, and Ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman Blas, Rolando Pedro

This thesis is focused on fuel cells using hydrogen, methanol and ethanol as fuel. Also, in the method of preparation of catalytic material for the anode: Supercritical Fluid Deposition (SFD) and impregnation method using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a chelating agent. The first part of the thesis describes the general knowledge about Hydrogen Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (HPEMFC),Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) and Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC), as well as the properties of Cerium and CeO2 (Ceria). The second part of the thesis describes the preparation of catalytic material by Supercritical Fluid Deposition (SFD). SFD was utilized to deposit Pt and ceria simultaneously onto gas diffusion layers. The Pt-ceria catalyst deposited by SFD exhibited higher methanol oxidation activity compared to the platinum catalyst alone. The linear sweep traces of the cathode made for the methanol cross over study indicate that Pt-Ceria/C as the anode catalyst, due to its better activity for methanol, improves the fuel utilization, minimizing the methanol permeation from anode to cathode compartment. The third and fourth parts of the thesis describe the preparation of material catalytic material Carbon-Platinum-Cerium by a simple and cheap impregnation method using EDTA as a chelating agent to form a complex with cerium (III). This preparation method allows the mass production of the material catalysts without additional significant cost. Fuel cell polarization and power curves experiments showed that the Carbon-Platinum-Cerium anode materials exhibited better catalytic activity than the only Vulcan-Pt catalysts for DMFC, DEFC and HPEMFC. In the case of Vulcan-20%Pt-5%w Cerium, this material exhibits better catalytic activity than the Vulcan-20%Pt in DMFC. In the case of Vulcan-40% Pt-doped Cerium, this material exhibits better catalytic activity than the Vulcan-40% Pt in DMFC, DEFC and HPEMFC. Finally, I propose a theory that explains the reason why the

Novel manufacturing process for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) by defined layer structures; Neuartiges Herstellungsverfahren fuer Direkt-Methanol-Brennstoffzellen (DMFC) durch definierte Schichtstrukturen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frey, Thomas

2007-07-17

A novel method to prepare membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) by a layer-upon-layer fabrication onto a porous substrate is presented. The novel preparation technique is based on a single method for the fabrication of the whole MEA, e.g. spraying one functional layer onto the other, and therefore simplifies its preparation considerably. It also permits new fuel cell designs with in-plane serial connection of single cells. The new concept offers high flexibility in the choice of cell geometry as well as superior control of the structural parameters. Layer thickness, composition, catalyst and ionomer loadings can easily be varied and adapted. Cells fabricated with the new concept are especially suited for low power micro fuel cells operated at ambient conditions. In this work, process parameters enabling such a layer-upon-layer MEA preparation have been developed. Advanced catalyst inks and electrolyte solutions were formulated as precursors for each functional layer. Nafion {sup registered} as well as polyaryl-based polymers were investigated for the fabrication of dense electrolyte layers. Catalyst layers were prepared from inks containing Pt and PtRu-black catalysts which were suspended in suitable solvents with diluted proton-conducting electrolytes. The critical parameters for the layer build-up were identified and optimized afterwards. Various candidate materials for the porous substrate were characterized and selected for further investigation. Experiments and calculation models led to a concept and an advanced design for a serially connected multi-cells unit on the substrate. The inplane conductivity of the electrodes turned out to be the critical parameter resulting in high ohmic losses especially when the electrodes were applied on non-conductive substrates. Various conductive coatings were tested to selectively increase the conductivity of non-conductive substrates, which are prerequisite for serial connection. Only

Performance comparison of portable direct methanol fuel cell mini-stacks based on a low-cost fluorine-free polymer electrolyte and Nafion membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baglio, V.; Stassi, A.; Modica, E.; Antonucci, V.; Arico, A.S.; Caracino, P.; Ballabio, O.; Colombo, M.; Kopnin, E.

2010-01-01

A low-cost fluorine-free proton conducting polymer electrolyte was investigated for application in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) mini-stacks. The membrane consisted of a sulfonated polystyrene grafted onto a polyethylene backbone. DMFC operating conditions specifically addressing portable applications, i.e. passive mode, air breathing, high methanol concentration, room temperature, were selected. The device consisted of a passive DMFC monopolar three-cell stack. Two designs for flow-fields/current collectors based on open-flow or grid-like geometry were investigated. An optimization of the mini-stack structure was necessary to improve utilization of the fluorine-free membrane. Titanium-grid current collectors with proper mechanical stiffness allowed a significant increase of the performance by reducing contact resistance even in the case of significant swelling. A single cell maximum power density of about 18 mW cm -2 was achieved with the fluorine-free membrane at room temperature under passive mode. As a comparison, the performance obtained with Nafion 117 membrane and Ti grids was 31 mW cm -2 . Despite the lower performance, the fluorine-free membrane showed good characteristics for application in portable DMFCs especially with regard to the perspectives of significant cost reduction.

Nafion titania nanotubes nanocomposite electrolytes for high-temperature direct methanol fuel cells

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Cele, NP

2012-01-01

Full Text Available electrolytes membranes. This promotes to study the Nafion/TNTs nanocomposite membranes behaviour with the aim to improve Nafion properties such as fuel permeability and thermal and mechanical stability. Nafion, whose primary structure consists of acid... membrane properties, further investigations were carried out. In this study, the effects of TiO2 nanotubes on Nafion properties such as water uptake, thermal stability, methanol (MeOH) permeability, and ion conductivity were investigated...

Characterization of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications with H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} modified chitosan membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osifo, Peter O.; Masala, Aluwani [Department of Chemical Engineering, Vaal University of Technology, Andries Potgieter Bolevald, P/Bag X021, Vanderbijlpark 1900, Gauteng (South Africa)

2010-08-01

Chitosan (Chs) flakes were prepared from chitin materials that were extracted from the exoskeleton of Cape rock lobsters in South Africa. The Chs flakes were prepared into membranes and the Chs membranes were modified by cross-linking with H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. The cross-linked Chs membranes were characterized for the application in direct methanol fuel cells. The Chs membrane characteristics such as water uptake, thermal stability, proton resistance and methanol permeability were compared to that of high performance conventional Nafion 117 membranes. Under the temperature range studied 20-60 C, the membrane water uptake for Chs was found to be higher than that of Nafion. Thermal analysis revealed that Chs membranes could withstand temperature as high as 230 C whereas Nafion 117 membranes were stable to 320 C under nitrogen. Nafion 117 membranes were found to exhibit high proton resistance of 284 s cm{sup -1} than Chs membranes of 204 s cm{sup -1}. The proton fluxes across the membranes were 2.73 mol cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} for Chs- and 1.12 mol cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} Nafion membranes. Methanol (MeOH) permeability through Chs membrane was less, 1.4 x 10{sup -6} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1} for Chs membranes and 3.9 x 10{sup -6} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1} for Nafion 117 membranes at 20 C. Chs and Nafion membranes were fabricated into membrane electrode assemblies (MAE) and their performances measure in a free-breathing commercial single cell DMFC. The Nafion membranes showed a better performance as the power density determined for Nafion membranes of 0.0075 W cm{sup -2} was 2.7 times higher than in the case of Chs MEA. (author)

A feasibility study on direct methanol fuel cells for laptop computers based on a cost comparison with lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wee, Jung-Ho

2007-01-01

This paper compares the total cost of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and lithium (Li)-ion battery systems when applied as the power supply for laptop computers in the Korean environment. The average power output and operational time of the laptop computers were assumed to be 20 W and 3000 h, respectively. Considering the status of their technologies and with certain conditions assumed, the total costs were calculated to be US$140 for the Li-ion battery and US$362 for DMFC. The manufacturing costs of the DMFC and Li-ion battery systems were calculated to be $16.65 W -1 and $0.77 W h -1 , and the energy consumption costs to be $0.00051 W h -1 and $0.00032 W h -1 , respectively. The higher fuel consumption cost of the DMFC system was due to the methanol (MeOH) crossover loss. Therefore, the requirements for DMFCs to be able to compete with Li-ion batteries in terms of energy cost include reducing the crossover level to at an order magnitude of -9 and the MeOH price to under $0.5 kg -1 . Under these conditions, if the DMFC manufacturing cost could be reduced to $6.30 W -1 , then the DMFC system would become at least as competitive as the Li-ion battery system for powering laptop computers in Korea. (author)

Exergetic analysis and optimization of a solar-powered reformed methanol fuel cell micro-powerplant

Science.gov (United States)

Hotz, Nico; Zimmerman, Raúl; Weinmueller, Christian; Lee, Ming-Tsang; Grigoropoulos, Costas P.; Rosengarten, Gary; Poulikakos, Dimos

The present study proposes a combination of solar-powered components (two heaters, an evaporator, and a steam reformer) with a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to form a powerplant that converts methanol to electricity. The solar radiation heats up the mass flows of methanol-water mixture and air and sustains the endothermic methanol steam reformer at a sufficient reaction temperature (typically between 220 and 300 °C). In order to compare the different types of energy (thermal, chemical, and electrical), an exergetic analysis is applied to the entire system, considering only the useful part of energy that can be converted to work. The effect of the solar radiation intensity and of different operational and geometrical parameters like the total inlet flow rate of methanol-water mixture, the size of the fuel cell, and the cell voltage on the performance of the entire system is investigated. The total exergetic efficiency comparing the electrical power output with the exergy input in form of chemical and solar exergy reaches values of up to 35%, while the exergetic efficiency only accounting for the conversion of chemical fuel to electricity (and neglecting the 'cost-free' solar input) is increased up to 59%. At the same time, an electrical power density per irradiated area of more than 920 W m -2 is obtained for a solar heat flux of 1000 W m -2.

Hydrogen as a fuel for fuel cell vehicles: A technical and economic comparison

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogden, J.; Steinbugler, M.; Kreutz, T. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Center for Energy and Environmental Studies

1997-12-31

All fuel cells currently being developed for near term use in vehicles require hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen can be stored directly or produced onboard the vehicle by reforming methanol, ethanol or hydrocarbon fuels derived from crude oil (e.g., Diesel, gasoline or middle distillates). The vehicle design is simpler with direct hydrogen storage, but requires developing a more complex refueling infrastructure. In this paper, the authors compare three leading options for fuel storage onboard fuel cell vehicles: compressed gas hydrogen storage; onboard steam reforming of methanol; onboard partial oxidation (POX) of hydrocarbon fuels derived from crude oil. Equilibrium, kinetic and heat integrated system (ASPEN) models have been developed to estimate the performance of onboard steam reforming and POX fuel processors. These results have been incorporated into a fuel cell vehicle model, allowing us to compare the vehicle performance, fuel economy, weight, and cost for various fuel storage choices and driving cycles. A range of technical and economic parameters were considered. The infrastructure requirements are also compared for gaseous hydrogen, methanol and hydrocarbon fuels from crude oil, including the added costs of fuel production, storage, distribution and refueling stations. Considering both vehicle and infrastructure issues, the authors compare hydrogen to other fuel cell vehicle fuels. Technical and economic goals for fuel cell vehicle and hydrogen technologies are discussed. Potential roles for hydrogen in the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles are sketched.

Hydrogen from methanol for fuel cells in mobile systems: development of a compact reformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoehlein, B [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Boe, M [H. Topsoee A/S, Lyngby (Denmark); Boegild-Hansen, J [H. Topsoee A/S, Lyngby (Denmark); Broeckerhoff, P [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Colsman, G [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Emonts, B [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Menzer, R [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany); Riedel, E

1996-07-01

On-board generation of hydrogen from methanol with a reformer in connection with the use of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an attractive option for a passenger car drive. Special considerations are required to obtain low weight and volume. Furthermore, the PEMFC of today cannot tolerate more than 10 ppm of carbon monoxide in the fuel. Therefore a gas conditioning step is needed after the methanol reformer. Our main research activities focus on the conceptual design of a drive system for a passenger car with methanol reformer and PEMFC: Engineering studies with regard to different aspects of this design including reformer, catalytic burner, gas conditioning, balances of the fuel cycles and basic design of a compact methanol reformer. The work described here was carried out within the framework of a JOULE II project of the European Union (1993-1995). Extensive experimental studies have been carried out at the Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (KFA) in Germany and at Haldor Topsoee A/S in Denmark. (orig.)

High Temperature PEM Fuel Cells and Organic Fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vassiliev, Anton

of the products. The observation of internal reforming was indirectly confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, where the best fits were obtained when a Gerischer element describing preceding chemical reaction and diffusion was included in the equivalent circuit of a methanol/air operated cell...... evaporated liquid stream supply to either of the electrodes. A large number of MEAs with different component compositions have been prepared and tested in different conditions using the constructed setups to obtain a basic understanding of the nature of direct DME HT-PEM FC, to map the processes occurring...... inside the cells and to determine the lifetime. Additionally, comparison was made with methanol as fuel, which is the main competitor to DME in direct oxidation of organic fuels in fuel cells. For the reference, measurements have also been done with conventional hydrogen/air operation. All...

Thermo-economic analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell fuelled with methanol and methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suleiman, B.; Abdulkareem, A.S.; Musa, U.; Mohammed, I.A.; Olutoye, M.A.; Abdullahi, Y.I.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Modified proton exchange membrane fuel cell was reported. • Thermolib software was used for the simulation of PEM fuel cell configurations. • Optimal operating parameters at 50 kW output of each process were determined. • Thermo-economic analysis is the most efficient way of process selection. • Methane system configuration has been identified as the best preferred PEM fuel cell. - Abstract: Exergy and economic analysis is often used to find and identify the most efficient process configuration for proton exchange membrane fuel cell from the thermo-economic point of view. This work gives an explicit account of the synergetic effect of exergetic and economic analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using methanol and methane as fuel sources. This was carried out through computer simulation using Thermolib simulation toolbox. Data generated from the simulated model were subsequently used for the thermodynamic and economic analysis. Analysis of energy requirement for the two selected processes revealed that the methane fuelled system requires the lower amount of energy (4.578 kJ/s) in comparison to the methanol fuelled configuration which requires 180.719 J/s. Energy analysis of both configurations showed that the principle of energy conservation was satisfied while the result of the exergy analysis showed high exergetic efficiency around major equipment (heat exchangers, compressors and pumps) of methane fuelled configuration. Higher irreversibility rate were observed around the burner, stack, and steam reformer. These trends of exergetic efficiency and irreversibility rate were observed around equipment in the methanol fuelled system but with lower performance when compared with the methane fuelled process configuration. On the basis of overall exergetic efficiency and lost work, the methanol system was more efficient with lower irreversibility rate of 547.27 kJ/s and exergetic efficiency of 34.44% in comparison with the methane

Partial sulfonation of PVdF-co-HFP: A preliminary study and characterization for application in direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Suparna; Kumar, Piyush; Dutta, Kingshuk; Kundu, Patit Paban

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Synthesis of sulfonated PVdF-co-HFP by reacting with chlorosulfonic acid. • Maximum degree of sulfonation and best properties were obtained for 7 h reaction. • A maximum water uptake value of 20% was obtained. • A maximum IEC value of 0.42 meq g −1 was obtained. • A methanol permeability of 2.44 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 was obtained. - Abstract: Sulfonation of PVdF-co-HFP was conducted by treating the copolymer with chlorosulfonic acid. The efficiency of this sulfonated copolymer towards application as a polymer electrolyte membrane in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was evaluated. For this purpose, we determined the thermal stability, water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC), methanol crossover, and proton conductivity of the prepared membranes as functions of duration and degree of sulfonation. The characteristic aromatic peaks obtained in the FT-IR spectra confirmed the successful sulfonation of PVdF-co-HFP. The effect of sulfonation on the semi-crystalline nature of pure PVdF-co-HFP was determined from XRD analysis. Water uptake results indicated that a sulfonation time of 7 h produced maximum water uptake value of about 20%, with a corresponding IEC and proton conductivity values of about 0.42 meq g −1 and 0.00375 S cm −1 respectively. The maximum current density was recorded to be 30 mA cm −2 at 0.2 V potential

Small-sized and contacting Pt-WC nanostructures on graphene as highly efficient anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ruihong; Xie, Ying; Shi, Keying; Wang, Jianqiang; Tian, Chungui; Shen, Peikang; Fu, Honggang

2012-06-11

The synergistic effect between Pt and WC is beneficial for methanol electro-oxidation, and makes Pt-WC catalyst a promising anode candidate for the direct methanol fuel cell. This paper reports on the design and synthesis of small-sized and contacting Pt-WC nanostructures on graphene that bring the synergistic effect into full play. Firstly, DFT calculations show the existence of a strong covalent interaction between WC and graphene, which suggests great potential for anchoring WC on graphene with formation of small-sized, well-dispersed WC particles. The calculations also reveal that, when Pt attaches to the pre-existing WC/graphene hybrid, Pt particles preferentially grow on WC rather than graphene. Our experiments confirmed that highly disperse WC nanoparticles (ca. 5 nm) can indeed be anchored on graphene. Also, Pt particles 2-3 nm in size are well dispersed on WC/graphene hybrid and preferentially grow on WC grains, forming contacting Pt-WC nanostructures. These results are consistent with the theoretical findings. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy further confirms the intimate contact between Pt and WC, and demonstrates that the presence of WC can facilitate the crystallinity of Pt particles. This new Pt-WC/graphene catalyst exhibits a high catalytic efficiency toward methanol oxidation, with a mass activity 1.98 and 4.52 times those of commercial PtRu/C and Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of the thickness of the anode electrode catalyst layers on the performance in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Dean E.; Olah, George A.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

2017-06-01

For the large scale fuel cell manufacture, the catalyst loading and layer thickness are critical factors affecting the performance and cost of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The influence of catalyst layer thicknesses at the anode of a PEM based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated. Catalysts were applied with the drawdown method with varied thicknesses ranging from 1 mil to 8 mils (1 mil = 25.4 μm) with a Pt/Ru anode loading of 0.25 mg cm-2 to 2.0 mg cm-2. The MEAs with the thicker individual layers (8 mils and 4 mils) performed better overall compared to the those with the thinner layers (1 mil and painted). The peak power densities for the different loading levels followed an exponential decrease of Pt/Ru utilization at the higher loading levels. The highest power density achieved was 49 mW cm-2 with the 4 mil layers at 2.0 mg cm-2 catalyst loading whereas the highest normalized power density was 116 mW mg-1 with the 8 mil layers at 0.25 mg cm-2 loading. The 8 mil drawdowns displayed a 50% and 23% increase in normalized power density compared to the 1 mil drawdowns at 0.25 mg cm-2 and 0.5 mg cm-2 loadings, respectively.

Thermodynamic performance analysis of a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiangjiang; Wu, Jing; Xu, Zilong; Li, Meng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Propose a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming. • Optimize the reaction parameters of methanol steam reforming. • Present the energy and exergy analysis under design and off-design work conditions. • Analyze the contributions of solar energy to the trigeneration system. - Abstract: A solar-assisted trigeneration system for producing electricity, cooling, and heating simultaneously is an alternative scheme to improve energy efficiency and boost renewable energy. This paper proposes a phosphoric acid fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with methanol and steam reforming assisted by solar thermal energy. The trigeneration system consists of a solar heat collection subsystem, methanol steam reforming subsystem, fuel cell power generation subsystem, and recovered heat utilization subsystem. Their respective thermodynamic models are constructed to simulate the system input/output characteristics, and energy and exergy efficiencies are employed to evaluate the system thermodynamic performances. The contribution of solar energy to the system is analyzed using solar energy/exergy share. Through the simulation and analysis of methanol and steam reforming reactions, the optimal reaction pressure, temperature, and methanol to water ratio are obtained to improve the flow rate and content of produced hydrogen. The thermodynamic simulations of the trigeneration system show that the system energy efficiencies at the summer and winter design work conditions are 73.7% and 51.7%, while its exergy efficiencies are 18.8% and 26.1%, respectively. When the solar radiation intensity is different from the design work condition, the total energy and exergy efficiencies in winter decrease approximately by 4.7% and 2.2%, respectively, due to the decrease in solar heat collection efficiency. This proposed novel trigeneration system complemented by solar heat energy and methanol chemical energy is favorable for improving the

Optimum concentration gradient of the electrocatalyst, Nafion® and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) in a membrane-electrode-assembly for enhanced performance of direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing Hua; Jeon, Min Ku; Lee, Ki Rak; Woo, Seong Ihl

2010-12-14

A combinatorial library of membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) which consisted of 27 different compositions was fabricated to optimize the multilayer structure of direct methanol fuel cells. Each spot consisted of three layers of ink and a gradient was generated by employing different concentrations of the three components (Pt catalyst, Nafion® and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) of each layer. For quick evaluation of the library, a high-throughput optical screening technique was employed for methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR) activity. The screening results revealed that gradient layers could lead to higher MOR activity than uniform layers. It was found that the MOR activity was higher when the concentrations of Pt catalyst and Nafion ionomer decreased downward from the top layer to the bottom layer. On the other hand, higher MOR activity was observed when PTFE concentration increased downward from the top to the bottom layer.

Investigating the effects of methanol-water vapor mixture on a PBI-based high temperature PEM fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Araya, Samuel Simon; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Nielsen, Heidi Venstrup

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the effects of methanol and water vapor on the performance of a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). A H3PO4-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane electrode assembly (MEA), Celtec P2100 of 45 cm2 of active surface area from BASF was employed....... A long-term durability test of around 1250 h was performed, in which the concentrations of methanol-water vapor mixture in the anode feed gas were varied. The fuel cell showed a continuous performance decay in the presence of vapor mixtures of methanol and water of 5% and 8% by volume in anode feed...

Fuel Cells: A Real Option for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Propulsion

OpenAIRE

González_Espasandín, Oscar; Leo Mena, Teresa de Jesus; Navarro Arevalo, Emilio

2013-01-01

The possibility of implementing fuel cell technology in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propulsion systems is considered. Potential advantages of the Proton Exchange Membrane or Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEMFC) and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC), their fuels (hydrogen and methanol), and their storage systems are revised from technical and environmental standpoints. Some operating commercial applications are described. Main constraints for these kinds of fuel cells are analyzed in order t...