Fast Design and Manufactured on Complex Flow Channel by Rapid Prototyping for Air-Breathing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Hsiang Lai ◽  
Cheng Yu Chen ◽  
Ming-Chang Chou
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Prototype Development ◽  
Assembly Method ◽  
Serial Connection

The miniature and air-breathing fuel cell has become the globally major design concepts of fuel cell development recently. In this paper, the authors used 3-D drafting software for fast design and utilize rapid prototyping (RP) technology to accelerate the prototype development of new stack designs and optimize the assembly method. A fast design and convenient manufacture tool, i.e., rapid prototyping, has been first successfully applied to the fabrication of the complicated flow channels of both DMFC and PEMFC in this paper. The honeycomb shape methanol reservoir and honeycomb cathode structure design of DMFC and a complex flow distributor design of mono-polar PEMFC stack, which are almost impossibly manufactured by traditional CNC manufacturing, is fabricated by rapid prototyping technology and illustrated for the extraordinary advantages of RP technology. This paper shows that the fast design and manufacture characteristics are more important for the feasibility study of a complicated structure and any new design ideas. Although the performance of air-breathing pseudo-polar DMFC is only 2.16 mW/cm2 in peak power density by using 50% of hydrophobic carbon paper; this poor performance is resort to the MEA of DMFC is not well prepared. The other example of the power density of 188 mW/cm2 (at 0.425 V) in parallel-connection and 123mW/cm2 (at 4.25V) in serial-connection for the air-breathing mono-polar PEMFC stack are achieved. The performance of the stack is close to the state-of-the-art comparing to recently published literatures [6–9].

Effects of Electrode Materials on Electricity of Microbial Fuel Cell

2011 ◽  
Vol 183-185 ◽  
pp. 1549-1552
Author(s):  
Yong Juan Zhang ◽  
Zhang Min ◽  
Zheng Yang ◽  
Jing Yi Xie ◽  
Yong Feng Li
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Electrode Material ◽  
Output Voltage ◽  
Electrode Materials ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Carbon Paper

The electrode material has the very important influence to the microbial fuel cell. The different electrode materials were studied for producing the electricity performance to MFC by the activated sludge as the substrate. The results indicated that the anode of graphite pole was 0.63 mW/cm2 of the area power density. The carbon paper was 60 (0.50mW/cm2). Carbon paper 90 was 0.23mW/cm2. Although having the biggest area power density, the general trend of the graphite pole is much lower than others and production of the electricity was not good. Even though the maximum of area power density of graphite pole, it might be the reason for increasing nutritive compound and elevation of temperature. The carbon paper 90 produce the area power density is the steadiest among three poles and its output voltage is a quite stable and low. MFC is excellent under carbon paper 90. The area power density had strong fluctuating scope, the power density is big and the overall value is high under carbon paper 60.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Alkaline Fuel Cell for Multifuel System

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Verma ◽  
A. K. Jha ◽  
S. Basu
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Sodium Borohydride ◽  
Potassium Hydroxide ◽  
Maximum Power ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Maximum Power Density ◽  
Alkaline Fuel Cell

The performance of an alkaline fuel cell (AFC) is investigated using three different fuels, e.g., methanol, ethanol, and sodium borohydride. Pt∕C∕Ni was used as anode, whereas MnO2∕C∕Ni was used as standard (Electro-Chem-Technic, UK) cathode for all the fuels. Fresh mixture of electrolyte, potassium hydroxide (5M), and fuel (2M) was fed to AFC and withdrawn at a rate of 1ml∕min. The anode was prepared by dispersing platinum and activated carbon in Nafion® (DuPont USA) dispersion and placing it onto a carbon paper (Lydall, USA). Finally prepared anode material was pressed onto Ni mesh and sintered to produce the required anode. The maximum power density of 16.5mW∕cm2 is obtained at 28mA∕cm2 of current density for sodium borohydride at 25°C, whereas methanol produces 31.5mW∕cm2 of maximum power density at 44mA∕cm2 of current density at 60°C. The results obtained showed that the AFC could accept multifuels.

A New Complex Design for Air-Breathing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Aided by Rapid Prototyping

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-Yu Chen ◽  
Yun-Che Wen ◽  
Wei-Hsiang Lai ◽  
Ming-Chang Chou ◽  
Biing-Jyh Weng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane ◽  
Cell Design ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Electrolyte Membrane ◽  
Complex Design

One of the most difficult issues to fabricate a fuel cell with a complex design is the manufacturing method. To solve this difficulty, the authors applied an innovative method of fuel cell fabrication, i.e., rapid prototyping technology. The rapid prototyping technology can both fabricate the complex design and shorten the fabrication time. In this paper, the authors used a 3D software (CATIA) on the fuel cell design and utilized the rapid prototyping to accelerate the prototype development of complex stack designs and to verify the practicability of the new fabrication for fuel cells. The honeycomb shape methanol reservoir and cathode structure design of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and the complex flow distributor design of a monopolar air-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack, which were almost impossibly manufactured by traditional manufacturing, were made in this study. The performance of the traditional air-pumping DMFC and that of an air-breathing DMFC were compared in this study. The feasibility of a complex pseudobipolar design DMFC stack was also verified. For the miniature air-breathing PEMFC made by rapid prototyping with ABS material, its performance is close to the state-of-the-art compared to previous published literatures (Hsieh et al. 2006, “Study of Operational Parameters on the Performance of Micro PEMFCs With Different Flow Fields,” Energy Convers. Manage., 47, pp. 1868–1878; Schmitz, A., Wagner, S., Hahn, R., Uzun, H., and Hebling, C., 2004, “Stability of Planar PEMFC in Printed Circuit Board Technology,” J. Power Sources, 127, pp. 197–205; Hottinen, T., Mikkola, M., and Lund, P., 2004, “Evaluation of Planar Free-Breathing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Design,” J. Power Sources, 129, pp. 68–72). A new solution to manufacture complex fuel cell design, rapid prototyping, has been first applied to the fabrication of complicated flow channels in ABS materials and directly used in both DMFC and PEMFC in this paper. Its feasibility was verified and its promising performance was also proved.

A New PtRu Anode Formed by Thermal Decomposition for the Direct Method Fuel Cell

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. X. Yang ◽  
R. G. Allen ◽  
K. Scott ◽  
P. Christensen ◽  
S. Roy
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Decomposition ◽  
Catalytic Activity ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Double Layer ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Titanium Mesh ◽  
Ptru Catalyst ◽  
Spot Welded

New PtRu catalyst anodes for methanol oxidation were prepared by a thermal decomposition method on titanium mesh supports. The supports employed were: Single layer (titanium mesh), double layer (two layers of titanium mesh were spot-welded together), and triple layer (two layers of titanium mesh with carbon paper between were spot-welded together). The catalytic activity of such anodes for the oxidation of methanol was characterized using galvanostatic measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in combination with scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the PtRu catalyst thermally decomposed on the double-layer mesh support exhibited a higher catalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation than those supported on carbon powders. Preliminary direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) data show that the power density of the DMFC with the new anode is higher than that with carbon-supported anodes. A further increase in power density for the DMFC with the new anodes is expected with optimization of the mesh support with regard to structure, mesh material, and catalyst coating methods.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Alkaline Fuel Cell for Multi-Fuel System

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Verma ◽  
A. K. Jha ◽  
S. Basu
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Sodium Borohydride ◽  
Potassium Hydroxide ◽  
Maximum Power ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Maximum Power Density ◽  
Alkaline Fuel Cell ◽  
Fuel System

The performance of an alkaline fuel cell is investigated using three different fuels, e g., methanol, ethanol and sodium borohydride. Pt/C/Ni was used as anode whereas Mn/C/Ni was used as standard (Electro-Chem-Technic, UK) cathode for all the fuels. Thus, the alkaline fuel cell is used for multi-fuel system. Fresh mixture of electrolyte, potassium hydroxide (5M), and fuel (2M) was fed to and withdrawn from the AFC at a rate of 1 ml/min. The anode was prepared by dispersing platinum and activated carbon in Nafion® (DuPont USA) dispersion and placing it onto a carbon paper (Lydall, USA). Finally prepared anode sheet was pressed onto Ni mesh and sintered to produce the required anode. The maximum power density of 16.5 mW/cm2 is obtained at 28 mA/cm2 of current density for sodium borohydride at 25 °C. Whereas, methanol produces 31.5 mW/cm2 of maximum power density at 44 mA/cm2 of current density at 60 °C.

Metallophthalocyanine/carbon nanotube hybrids: extending applications to microbial fuel cells

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (07n08) ◽  
pp. 917-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean L. Edwards ◽  
Ronen Fogel ◽  
Kudzai Mtambanengwe ◽  
Chamunorwa Togo ◽  
Richard Laubscher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Surface Modifications ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Anode Chamber ◽  
Signal Loss

Pioneering work by Nyokong and others have highlighted the potential benefits for improved electron transfer processes and catalysis of hybrid configurations of metallophthalocyanines with carbon nanotubes. Here we examine the practical application of such hybrid configurations in an Enterobacter cloacae microbial fuel cell. Electrochemical investigations at glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) showed that FePc and FePc :multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid surface modifications display significant oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalytic properties compared to either MWCNT-modified or bare GCE surfaces throughout acidic- to moderately-alkaline pHs. Significant stabilization of the current response at FePc :MWCNT surfaces are notable throughout the pH range, compared to GCE surfaces modified with FePc alone. Corresponding results were obtained for surface modifications of bare carbon paper (BCP) cathodes in a microbial fuel cell where power density increases were observed in the order: Pt > FePc :MWCNT > FePc > MWCNT > BCP. A synergistic combination of simple treatments such as increased ionic strength (300 mM NaCl ), temperature (35 °C), and agitation of the anode chamber in this MFC configuration increased the power density to 2.5 times greater than that achieved at platinised cathode configurations under non-optimised conditions, achieving peak power densities of 212 mW.m-2. The long-term stability of the MFC was assessed over 55 days. Surprisingly, the majority of signal loss over extended MFC operation was attributed, in this study, to fouling of the Nafion® PEM membrane rather than either leaching/fouling of the catalysts from the electrodes or nutrient depletion in the anode over the time periods examined.

scholarly journals Transport Parameter Correlations for Digitally Created PEFC Gas Diffusion Layers by Using OpenPNM

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1141
Author(s):  
Ángel Encalada-Dávila ◽  
Mayken Espinoza-Andaluz ◽  
Julio Barzola-Monteses ◽  
Shian Li ◽  
Martin Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Transport Phenomena ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Carbon Paper ◽  
Transport Parameter ◽  
Transport Parameters ◽  
Depth Analysis

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy and heat. The energy conversion is simple; however, the multiphysics phenomena involved in the energy conversion process must be analyzed in detail. The gas diffusion layer (GDL) provides a diffusion media for reactant gases and gives mechanical support to the fuel cell. It is a complex medium whose properties impact the fuel cell’s efficiency. Therefore, an in-depth analysis is required to improve its mechanical and physical properties. In the current study, several transport phenomena through three-dimensional digitally created GDLs have been analyzed. Once the porous microstructure is generated and the transport phenomena are mimicked, transport parameters related to the fluid flow and mass diffusion are computed. The GDLs are approximated to the carbon paper represented as a grouped package of carbon fibers. Several correlations, based on the fiber diameter, to predict their transport properties are proposed. The digitally created GDLs and the transport phenomena have been modeled using the open-source library named Open Pore Network Modeling (OpenPNM). The proposed correlations show a good fit with the obtained data with an R-square of approximately 0.98.

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