The flow-field design of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is an important subject about DMFC performance. Flow fields play an important role in the ability to transport fuel and drive out the products . In general, most fuel cells utilize the same structure of flow field for both anode and cathode. The popular flow fields used for DMFCs are parallel and grid designs. Nevertheless, the characteristics of reactants and products are entirely different in anode and cathode of DMFCs. Therefore, the influences of flow fields design on cell performance were investigated based on the same logic with respect to the catalyst used for cathode and anode nonsymmetrically. To get a better and more stable performance of DMFCs, three flow fields (parallel, grid, and serpentine) utilized with different combinations were studied in this research. As a consequence, by using parallel flow field in the anode side and serpentine flow-field in the cathode, the highest power output was obtained.
Issue Section:
Technical Briefs
1.
Kordesch
, K.
, and Simader
, G.
, 1996, Fuel Cells and their Applications
, Wiley-VCH
, Weinheim, pp. 109
–116
.2.
Ren
, X.
, Wilson
, M. S.
, and Gottesfeld
, S.
, 1996, “High Performance Direct Methanol Polymer Electrolye Fuel Cells
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
0013-4651, 143
, pp. L12
–L15
.3.
Baldauf
, M.
, and Preidel
, W.
, 1999, “Status of the Development of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 84
, pp. 161
–166
.4.
Shukla
, A. K.
, Christensen
, P. A.
, Hamnett
, A.
, and Hogarth
, M. P.
, 1995, “A Vapour-Feed Direct-Methanol Fuel Cell With Proton-Exchange Membrane Electrolyte
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 55
, pp. 87
–91
.5.
Scott
, K.
, Taama
, W. M.
, Argyropoulos
, P.
, and Sundmacher
, K.
, 1999, “The Impact of Mass Transport and Methanol Crossover on the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 83
, pp. 204
–216
.6.
Arico
, A. S.
, Creti
, P.
, Antonucci
, P. L.
, and Antonucci
, V.
, 1998, “Comparison of Ethanol and Methanol Oxidation in a Liquid-Feed Solid Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell at High Temperature
,” Electrochem. Solid-State Lett.
1099-0062, 1
, pp. 66
–68
.7.
Arico
, A. S.
, Shukla
, A. K.
, El-Khatib
, K. M.
, Creti
, P.
, and Antonucci
, V.
, 1999, “Effect of Carbon-Supported and Unsupported Pt–Ru Anodes on the Performance of Solid-Polymer-Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” J. Appl. Electrochem.
0021-891X, 29
, pp. 673
–678
.8.
Yang
, H.
, and Zhao
, T. S.
, 2005, “Effect of Anode Flow Field Design on the Performance of Liquid Feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” Electrochim. Acta
0013-4686, 50
, pp. 3243
–3252
.9.
Yang
, H.
, Zhao
, T. S.
, and Ye
, Q.
, 2004, “In Situ Visualization Study of CO2 Gas Bubble Behavior in DMFC Anode Flow Fields
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 139
(1-2
), pp. 79
–90
.10.
Scott
, K.
, Taama
, W. M.
, and Argyropoulos
, P.
, 2001, “Engineering Aspects of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell System
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 79
, pp. 43
–59
.11.
Scott
, K.
, Argyropoulos
, P.
, Yiannopoulos
, P.
, and Taama
, W. M.
, 2001, “Electrochemical and Gas Evolution Characteristics of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells With Stainless Steel Mesh Flow Beds
,” J. Appl. Electrochem.
0021-891X, 31
, pp. 823
–832
.12.
Hogarth
, M. P.
, and Hards
, G. A.
, 1996, “Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Technological Advances and Further Requirements
,” Platinum Met. Rev.
0032-1400, 40
, pp. 150
–159
.13.
Kuver
, A.
, and Vielstich
, W.
, 1998, “Investigation of Methanol Crossover and Single Electrode Performance During PEMDMFC Operation: A Study Using a Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell System
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 74
, pp. 211
–218
.14.
Nguyen
, T. V.
, 1996, “A Gas Distributor Design for Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
0013-4651, 143
, p. L103
–L105
.15.
Wood
, D. L.
, Yi
, J. S.
, and Nguyen
, T. V.
, 1998, “Effect of Direct Liquid Water Injection and Interdigitated Flow Field on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
,” Electrochim. Acta
0013-4686, 43
, p. 3795
–3809
.16.
Liu
, L.
, Pu
, C.
, Viswanathan
, R.
, Fan
, Q.
, Liu
, R.
, and Smotkin
, E. S.
, 1998, “Carbon Supported and Unsupported Pt–Ru Anodes for Liquid Feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” Electrochim. Acta
0013-4686, 43
, pp. 3657
–3663
.17.
Yi
, J. S.
, and Nguyen
, T. V.
, 1999, “Multicomponent Transport in Porous Electrodes of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Using the Interdigitated Gas Distributors
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
0013-4651, 146
, pp. 38
–45
.18.
Tüber
, K.
, Pócza
, D.
, and Hebling
, C.
, 2003, “Visualization of Water Buildup in the Cathode of a Transparent PEM Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 124
, pp. 403
–414
.19.
Argyropoulos
, P.
, Scott
, K.
, and Taama
, W. M.
, 1999, “Carbon Dioxide Evolution Patterns in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” Electrochim. Acta
0013-4686, 44
, pp. 3575
–3584
.20.
Baschuk
, J. J.
, and Li
, X.
, 2000, “Modelling of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells With Variable Degrees of Water Flooding
J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 86
, pp. 181
–196
.21.
Ren
, X.
, and Gottesfeld
, S.
, 2001, “Electro-Osmotic Drag of Water in Poly (Perfluorosulfonic Acid) Membranes
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
0013-4651, 148
, pp. A87
–A93
.22.
Mench
, M.
, Boslet
, S.
, Thynell
, S.
, Scott
, J.
, and Wang
, C. Y.
, 2001, “Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” S.
Narayanan
, T.
Zawodzinski
, and S.
Gottesfeld
, eds. The Electrochemical Society Proceedings Series, Pennington
, NJ, PV 2001-4, pp. 241
–254
.23.
Tüber
, K.
, Oedegaard
, A.
, Hermann
, M.
, and Hebling
, C.
, 2004, “Investigation of Fractal Flow-Fields in Portable Proton Exchange Membrane and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 131
, pp. 175
–181
.24.
Tüber
, K.
, Pócza
, D.
, and Hebling
, C.
, 2003, “Visualization of Water Buildup in the Cathode of a Transparent PEM Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 124
, pp. 403
–414
.25.
Wilkinson
, D. P.
, and Vanderleeden
, O.
, 2003, “Serpentine Flow Field Design
,” Handbook of Fuel Cells
, Vol. 3
, John Wiley & Sons
, Chichester, UK, pp. 315
–324
.26.
Lu
, G. Q.
, and Wang
, C. Y.
, 2004, “Electrochemical and Flow Characterization of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 134
, pp. 330
–340
.Copyright © 2007
by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.
