A Key Factor for the Actual Application of a Vapor Feed Passive DMFC Operated with High Concentration of Methanol

Abstract:

The supply of water to the anode from the cathode through the electrolyte membrane is a critical factor for the operation of vapor feed DMFC at high methanol concentrations. A comparative study in a passive vapor feed DMFC employing a PCP on the anode surface had been carried out with and without a hydrophobic cathode filter. Compact and a noncompact cells were fabricated and used. The noncompact cell could be operated with high methanol concentrations of even 100 wt%, while the compact one could not be operated with 90 wt% methanol. This was related to the deficiency of water at the anode surface in the compact cell design, where heat dissipation was not enhanced. For the supply of water to the anode surface, the employment of a hydrophobic filter on the cathode surface was necessary, especially for the compact cell.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 459)
• Pages: 78-83
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.459.78
• Online since: December 2010
• Authors: Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, Nobuyoshi Nakagawa
• Keywords: Cell Design, Heat Management, Passive DMFC, Vapor Feed, Water Management

References

[1] Z. Guo, A. Faghri: J. Power Sources Vol. 160 (2006), P. 1142.

[2] Z. Guo, A. Faghri: J. Power Sources Vol. 167 (2007), P. 378.

[3] H. Kim: J. Power Sources Vol. 162 (2006), P. 1232.

[4] H. Kim, J.M. Oh, J.Y. Lee, H. Chang: United States Patent, 20060269825, (2006).

[5] Z. Guo, Y. Cao: J. Power Sources Vol. 132 (2004), P. 86.

[6] N. Nakagawa, M.A. Abdelkareem, K. Sekimoto: J. Power Sources Vol. 160 (2006), P. 105.

[7] M.A. Abdelkareem, N. Nakagawa: J. Power Sources Vol. 162 (2006), P. 114.

[8] M.A. Abdelkareem, N. Nakagawa: J. Power Sources Vol. 165 (2007), P. 685.

[9] M.A. Abdelkareem, N. Morohashi, N. Nakagawa: J. Power Sources Vol. 172 (2007), P. 659.

[10] M. S. Masdar, T. Tsujiguchi, N. Nakagawa: J. Power Sources Vol. 194 (2009), P. 610.

[11] M. A. Abdelkareem, T. Yoshitoshi, T. Tsujiguchi and N. Nakagawa: J. Power Sources Vol. 195 (2010), P. 1821.

[12] C. Xu, T.S. Zhao: Electrochem. Commun. Vol. 9 (2007), P. 493.